In American professional sports, franchise relocation is inevitable. The Seattle Supersonics’ move to Oklahoma city is just the most recent.
Due to financial problems, poor stadium deals, lack of fan support, and more opportunities for success in bigger markets, there are several current major sports teams that are primed to move. The following teams have the highest chance of moving (the Nets' move Brooklyn does not count because it is in same metropolitan area):
1) Memphis Grizzlies (NBA)
The Grizzlies have struggled with fan support since they moved from Vancouver. It is hard to blame the fans for not caring, because other than three first-round sweeps from 2004-2006, this team has been dwelling in the depths of the lottery and irrelevance.
Being in the NBA’s smallest market limits growth of a fan base, and team owner Michael Heisley has taken losses financially from the team. With the Sonics' move to Oklahoma City, the Seattle market is now up for grabs.
2) Nashville Predators (NHL)
Hockey is irrelevant in the Sunbelt region, and the Predators are struggling financially as a result. Despite sporting a competitive team, the team lacks fan and corporate support. The owner may be arrested for financial shenanigans, and this team is constantly rumored to be bought by Canadian investors and moved to Hamilton, Ontario.
3) Buffalo Bills (NFL)
The Bills have agreed to a $78 million deal to play at least one home game in Toronto for the next five seasons. That revenue annually is twice as much money as they will make from the rest of their home games.
Buffalo (the third-smallest market in the NFL) is a declining city both economically and in terms of population, while Toronto is the largest market in Canada and the eleventh-largest market in North America. In order to sell out the stadium, the Bills have the lowest ticket prices in the NFL and could charge significantly more in Toronto.
Ralph Wilson is the only factor keeping the team in Buffalo and after his passing, a move to Toronto seems most likely.
4) Florida Panthers (NHL)
South Florida fans are known to be flaky to begin with, and average less than ten thousand per game. Combining that with an unpopular sport (hockey) and a team that has not been relevant since the turn of the millennium equals apathy towards the team and likeliness of relocation.
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Like the Nashville Predators, the Florida Panthers show the failure of Gary Bettman’s strategy to market hockey in the South. Financial losses and potential fan support in places such as Kansas City, Hartford, or hockey-crazed Canada will ultimately lead to a relocation (unless Bettman remains stubborn about his southern strategy).
5) New Orleans Hornets (NBA)
The Hornets' recent success, the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, and the star power of Chris Paul may just keep the Hornets in New Orleans. Nevertheless, Hurricane Katrina has decimated the population of New Orleans to only a fraction of what the city used to be.
As a result, New Orleans' media market is the third-smallest in the NBA, and is an economically poor city and a high poverty rate. New Orleans is struggling to financially support both the Hornets and the Saints.
6) Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL)
The Jaguars despite their recent success compared to Tampa Bay and Miami, will always be third or fourth fiddle (if you include Florida Gators college football) in the state of Florida. They struggle to sell out Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, and are scrambling to gain corporate support and sponsorship due to small size and lack of major businesses in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars were ranked 28th out of 32 teams in NFL revenue last season and do not even have a naming rights deal for their stadium. For any struggling team, the lure of Los Angeles is always there—and for the Jaguars who struggle despite having a winning team, a move to L.A. could solve these problems.
7) Tampa Bay Rays (MLB)
Despite their recent rise from worst to first, people still do not really care about the Rays. They have the fourth-lowest home attendance in baseball and average only 50 percent capacity, while having the second-lowest road attendance of any team in baseball.
Tropicana Stadium is the worst ballpark in the major leagues and a recent $450 million waterfront stadium plan has been canceled by the team.
8) Sacramento Kings (NBA)
Arco Arena is the oldest stadium in the NBA, and the Kings have struggled to negotiate a new stadium deal with the city of Sacramento. Las Vegas is an attractive destination, as the Maloofs can market the Kings with their Vegas assets such as the Palms Hotel. Las Vegas also is a large market with no other professional sports teams, and the Kings will have plenty of support from both local fans and tourists.
The NBA already has experimented with Vegas’s viability with the 2007 NBA All-Star Game. However, the state of Nevada will have to outlaw betting on NBA games, which seems very unlikely in the near future. Las Vegas also lacks an NBA-caliber arena.
However, if the city accommodates the NBA’s requirements, count on the Kings being there. Imagine it—the Las Vegas Kings of Spades.
9) Phoenix Coyotes (NHL)
The Coyotes' story is similar to both the Panthers and the Predators, as the Coyotes struggle to sell hockey to its desert clientele. The lack of playoff appearances does not help their cause. However, a fairly new stadium in Glendale gives them a stronger chance to stay in Phoenix.
10) San Diego Chargers (NFL)
The Chargers are trying to replace Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, and ownership has no interest in moving to the team to a suburb such as the proposed site in Chula Vista.
Also, a new $800 million stadium is being privately constructed in the City of Industry (Greater Los Angeles), and the Chargers owners have connections with Ed Roski, its builder. The temptation to occupy America’s second-largest media market may be too much to keep the Chargers in San Diego, and cause a move back to where they played their inaugural season.
Other Potential Teams: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Thrashers, Minnesota Vikings, Florida Marlins, Kansas City Royals, L.A. Clippers, OK City Team (long run), New Orleans Saints, Oakland A’s.
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about 1 month ago
your note about the Bills and their finances is misleading in a few ways. The Bills are getting a $78 million windfall from Toronto for those eight games, not $78 million annually. Also, while they are the cheapest ticket in the league, they are in the top 15 in the NFL in profitability. Also, Roger Goodell is a western new york native, I don't know if Ralph Wilson is the only factor keeping the Bills in Buffalo.
These were recent quotes from Goodell about Toronto:
"I firmly believe that this has actually been good for keeping the Bills in Western New York," Goodell said. "It allows them to generate the kind of revenues that are neccessary to continue to be successful. And they're an important part of the National Football League, and I pledged, and I believe it very firmly as long as we can keep that team successful it will be in Western New York."
Goodell went on to say that large-market owners understand the importance of the Bills in Buffalo and the NFL.
"I think all of our owners understand what the Buffalo Bills mean the this comunity but they also what it means to the NFL in general, and i think when you see the Green Bay Packers and the Buffalo Bills continuing to be successful both on and off the field, thats a demonstration of why the NFL is so successful. Because it can be compelling in all markets. It can be where a franchise can go from last to first in any given year."
about 1 month ago
oh, a few other thoughts:
once the name Tim Donaghy made national headlines, you're absolutely crazy to think any professional league will ever think about touching Las Vegas, especially the NBA.
the NHL isnt leaving the south, look at the salary cap, it continues to rise, which means the league is making money.
about 1 month ago
First, the Jaguars to LA makes the most sense of any NFL team relocating. If the team stayed competitive every year like they are now, LA is chock-full of bandwagon jumpers that would be all over that team. But, once the team falls off, so does everyone on the bandwagon. I really don't see the NFL ever working there long-term.
Second, the Vikings won't leave Minnesota. The stadium deal will get done before the contract on the Metrodome runs out in 2011. If the owners (who love it here) ever tried to move the team (which they wouldn't) or sell the team to someone who would move them (which they wouldn't because the team brings in a ton of revenue each year) the fan base would revolt and there would be much chaos and death. Not a pretty sight.
Third, nice write up. I enjoyed reading it.
about 1 month ago
Las Vegas could get a team if they ban betting on NBA games.
Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in America, and that market, along with a Mayor who is much more supportive of professional sports than the Sacramento authorities, has got to be tempting for the Kings owners (who, by the way, have a lot of business interests in Las Vegas).
The Kings also are 27th out of 30 teams in average home game attendance. I'll bet that the Maloof Brothers are not too impressed with that figure.
I think the Los Angeles Clippers could move to Orange County, CA just to get more fan support. Most basketball fans in LA are Lakers fans. If the Clippers moved to Orange County, played their home games at the Honda Center in Anaheim and established themselves in that area, they could get a lot more fans. The Clippers are 19th in average attendance at home games, and they could improve that number if they were not directly competing for fans with the Lakers.
The Grizzlies will probably move sooner or later. Fan support is low, the team is crap, and the market is very small. Maybe to Kansas City, Las Vegas (if the Kings don't get there first!) or even Seattle.
from about 1 month ago
You think the casinos are going to allow a ban on NBA betting so the city can get a team? No chance.
from about 1 month ago
“The Kings also are 27th out of 30 teams in average home game attendance. I'll bet that the Maloof Brothers are not too impressed with that figure.”
Take the time to look at Sacramento’s numbers over the last decade, they have been some of the most supportive fans in the NBA. Besides, Las Vegas has more to loose financially by banning sports gambling than by gaining an NBA franchise. Nobody travels across the country hoping to watch the Las Vegas Kings. They travel to Vegas to gamble!
about 1 month ago
Just to clarify since you obviously just write and do no research.
a) the Grizzlies never moved to Vancouver as you state in your article. they were an expansion team and then moved to Memphis.
b) Memphis is not the smallest market in the NBA. currently Salt Lake City and New Orleans are both smaller markets than Memphis.
about 1 month ago
Hartford Is in desired need for a NHL Team and quite possibly a NBA Team ever since to Whalers moved to Carolina and became the Hurricanes, Connecticut has been crappy state when if comes to sports with exception of the UCONN Huskies and the Connecticut Sun. But it is possible for this to happen a new Arena suite for a NHL and NBA team would put Harford on the list for potential cities for a professional team to move to Hartford. Hartford is also in growth and development as you read this and Since Connecticut is Part of New England and the Tri State you can bet that games vs. the Bruins, Rangers, Islanders, Sabres, and Devils will be total sell outs. The Same can go for Games vs. the Knicks, Nets, and the Celtics. It would be amazing to have A NHL/NBA team or both in Hartford.
from about 1 month ago
Hartford had their chance to save the Whalers and they refused to replace a small, outdated arena. Since then the city leadership has not shown real interest in doing what would be needed to return an NHL team there.
about 1 month ago
Dude, I think they need to change that parenthetical tag following your name from 'scribe' to 'scrub', because you, sir, are certainly no writer.
As hads been pointed out already by numerous commentors, you don't seem to have any idea of what you're talking about in your mindless judgments against these teams you deem unworthy to exist in their current markets.
I'll stick to the one I know personally better than the others: the Nashville Predators.
For one thing, Gary Bettman's 'failure to market hockey in the South' sure hasn't led to much, has it? How about the two Sunbelt teams who won the Stanley Cup in recent years: Tampa Bay and Carolina? Heard of them? And furthermore, neither of them are having any significant attendance or marketing issues. The Florida panthers have issues, I'll admit, but you can't point to one and claim the same circumstances to all the others.
Regarding the Predators, their fan support is among the best in the NHL, with a greater percentage of individual fan-purchased season tickets belonging to the Nashville faithful than that of any other team in the league. It's the corporate support — and that only — that has flagged over the years; and that, primarily due to the poor marketing of the previous (founding) ownership. With the advent of the new LOCAL ownership group, the corporate ticket sales are climbing, and the outlook for increased attendance is bright for the coming season.
I'll admit that the Preds' problems have not all gone away, but they are in no way any longer as dire as you and others of your ilk (and level of due diligence in research) make them out to be.
And your comment "The owner may be arrested for financial shenanigans, and this team is constantly rumored to be bought by Canadian investors and moved to Hamilton, Ontario." is as hilariously inaccurate as it is irresponsible.
Boots Del Biaggio is NOT THE OWNER. He was an investor of only a 27% share of the team. He held no significant office within the ownership group and carried among the least amount of influence of that group. His financial problems are his and his alone and he's now divested of the Predators and no longer an issue in the operations of this hockey club.
Also no longer an issue are the rumors about this team moving to Hamilton, Kansas City, or anywhere else. The Preds are under a new lease with the city of Nashville and aren't going anywhere.
So PLEASE, at least TRY to get your facts straight before shooting from the lip in the future. Articles such as this only serve to make you and your web site look amateurish, and woefully uninformed.
about 1 month ago
AJ, SPOT ON....it was killing me reading that section of the article. Mr. Pardinin, take AJ's advice....do your homework on everything you write. Questionable credibility will not increase your readership, or help you in any of your pursuits.
about 1 month ago
Your analysis is suspect on many accounts. Some of these teams cannot move because they have binding leases, the Grizzlies for instance have a "no relocation" clause for the first ten-years of their contract, thereafter, they must pay a relocation fee to the NBA in excess of 25 mil., plus pay the debt service on FedEx Forum which won't dip below 100 mil. until 2015, plus pay back a portion of the naming rights money to FedEx. Where is an ownership group going to get the money to do that and make it profitable to move? And even if some of these teams did want to move, where are they going? If Memphis, Sacramento, OKC (long run), and New Orleans (long run) cannot sustain themselves in their current markets, where can they sustain themselves? There are only so many viable markets, and none of the vacant markets is much of an improvement. Memphis, Sacramento, OKC and NO are all vagabond franchises to begin with. If they couldn't make do in their old cities--Vancouver, KC, Seattle and Charlotte--and can't make do in their new cities, where are they going to prosper? The Grizzlies left a larger, more affluent Vancouver market for Memphis, after they considered St. Louis, KC and Louisville. We can safely assume that Memphis was chosen because those other markets were less appealing financially. The Hornets went from Charlotte to the much maligned New Orleans market, which has been struggling to support the beloved Saints, and couldn't support the Jazz. Why did the Hornets end up in NO to begin with if better opportunities were available elsewhere? KC is smaller then Memphis and Nashville, but everyone has been talking KC up as a potential home for the NHL Preds because they have a new arena. They're already in a new arena in Nashville. There are a great many questions as to Las Vegas's ability to support a team. They couldn't support an Arena Football League team, it's a town of transients and tourists. It has many of the same liabilities, more liabilities in fact, then most of the sunbelt cities elsewhere that are criticized for insufficient support of various NBA, NHL and MLB teams. Like New Orleans, Vegas is a party town. There is no shortage of entertainment options for tourists, or locals, and even if there weren't, the last thing casinos want are distractions that pull customers away from their properties. And why the heck would the casinos agree to stop taking bets on NBA games, thereby costing them money, so some other guy can make money on an NBA franchise? It doesn't make any sense. So unless these teams like the Hornets and Grizzlies plan on relocating in Europe, there isn't any place for them to move.
In the NFL the Bills will never leave Buffalo for the simple fact that the State of New York will never let them leave, a new stadium will be built, with state help if need be. The team draws from the entire upstate New York area, and Toronto. A large portion of the Bills' season tickets are held by people from the Toronto area already. The most likely buyer is the owner of the Sabres, Golisano. The Jaguars could end up in LA, that is feasible. But you list the Cardinals as a potential move when they just opened a new stadium last year that obligates them to Arizona for 30-years for crying out loud.
We get all these franchises that are supposed to move--Saints, Jags, Vikings--again, where are they going? One team can move to LA. Where are the Saints going to improve their situations? San Antonio? The NFL has already said that's a no-no. There just aren't enough markets left to exploit. Some of these teams are going to have to make it work, or go out of business (which is never going to happen)
The NHL franchises are different from the point of view that Canada and the Northwest, offer some lucrative opportunities, but the blanket assertion that the NHL has failed in the Sunbelt is ludicrous. Some of the most successful and profitable franchises are in places like Raleigh, Tampa, Dallas, and Anaheim. KC and Las Vegas desire NHL franchises, and there has actually been talk of expanding into those cities, Winnipeg and Hamilton would do anything for a franchise. Houston and especially Seattle have desired teams in the past, so the NHL has some profitable options, but Hartford ain't one of them. The Islanders and Devils don't draw well anymore, even though the Devils have been one of the most successful franchises for the last ten-years, there is no way the NHL would yield to another team in that crowded tri-state area. The Devils, Rangers and Islanders are already saturating the market.
about 1 month ago
The Coyotes are not going anywhere. One reason is because of the $750 million that the mover would have to pay the city of Glendale to move the team. Second, this team is going to start attracting more fans as the future looks very very bright. They are going absolutely no where.
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