''For the
Dilated Peoples album, see
Expansion Team (album)''
An 'expansion team' is a term used for a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American
major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed
franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the fact that the league expands its presence into new cities.
In
North America, expansion takes place in response to
population growth and geographic shifts of population, driven by the resulting financial opportunity made possible by such demographic change. For example,
Major League Baseball was limited to 16 teams located north and east of
St. Louis, Missouri for the first half of the
20th century. During this time, the
United States population doubled and expanded to the south and west. Rival interests explored the possibility of forming a
rival league in these untapped markets. To forestall this possibility, one of the measures MLB took was to expand by four teams in
1961 and
1962. Over the past four decades, MLB expanded further to its current membership.
When an expansion team begins play, they are generally stocked with less talented free agents and inexperienced staffs. Additionally, prospective owners must pay extremely steep fees to the league as well as expensive start-up costs such as stadiums and facilities. As a result, most expansion teams are known for their poor play during their inaugural season. However, with increasing parity (mainly due to first pick
drafts) and experience, some are known to win championships only a few years after their first season.
Most teams are considered as an expansion team usually in their first season and sometimes in their second season. A team that moves to another location and/or changes its name is generally not considered an expansion team. They are known as ''relocated teams''. If the name changed they are known as ''renamed teams''. The two major exceptions to this rule are the
Baltimore Ravens in the NFL and
Houston Dynamo in the MLS.
Cities and/or regions with large populations that lack a team are generally regarded to be the best candidates for new teams. For example, the
National Football League (NFL) has recently considered
Los Angeles, CA to be the best possibility for a brand new NFL team.
List of expansion teams in history
1910s
1910
NSWRL
★
Annandale
1920s
1920
NSWRL
★
University
1921
NSWRL
★
St. George Dragons
1924
NHL
★
Boston Bruins
★
Montreal Maroons
1925
NHL
★
Pittsburgh Pirates (NHL)
★
New York Americans
1926
NHL
★
Detroit Cougars
★
Chicago Black Hawks
★
New York Rangers
1930s
1933
NFL
★
Cincinnati Reds (now defunct)
★
Philadelphia Eagles
★
Pittsburgh Pirates (now Steelers)
1935
NSWRL
★
Canterbury-Bankstown
1940s
1947
NSWRL
★
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
★
Parramatta Eels
1960s
1960
NFL:
★
Dallas Cowboys
1961
AL:
★
Los Angeles Angels (now Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
★
Washington Senators (now Texas Rangers)
NBA:
★
Chicago Packers (now Washington Wizards)
NFL:
★
Minnesota Vikings
1962
NL:
★
Houston Colt .45s (now Astros)
★
New York Mets
1966
NBA:
★
Chicago Bulls
NFL:
★
Atlanta Falcons
AFL:
★
Miami Dolphins
1967
NBA:
★
San Diego Rockets (now Houston Rockets)
★
Seattle SuperSonics
NFL:
★
New Orleans Saints
NHL:
★
Minnesota North Stars (now
Dallas Stars)
★
Los Angeles Kings
★
Oakland Seals (now defunct, but see
San Jose Sharks)
★
Philadelphia Flyers
★
Pittsburgh Penguins
★
St. Louis Blues
NSWRL
★
Penrith Panthers
★
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
1968
NBA:
★
Milwaukee Bucks
★
Phoenix Suns
AFL:
★
Cincinnati Bengals
1969
NL:
★
Montréal Expos (now
Washington Nationals)
★
San Diego Padres
AL:
★
Kansas City Royals
★
Seattle Pilots (now Milwaukee Brewers and in NL)
1970s
1970
NBA:
★
Buffalo Braves (now Los Angeles Clippers)
★
Cleveland Cavaliers
★
Portland Trail Blazers
NHL:
★
Buffalo Sabres
★
Vancouver Canucks
1972
NHL:
★
Atlanta Flames (now
Calgary Flames)
★
New York Islanders
1974
NBA:
★
New Orleans Jazz (now Utah Jazz)
NHL:
★
Kansas City Scouts (now
New Jersey Devils)
★
Washington Capitals
1976
NFL:
★
Seattle Seahawks
★
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1977
AL:
★
Seattle Mariners
★
Toronto Blue Jays
1978
PBA:
★ Filmanbank Bankers
1979
PBA:
★
Gilbey's Gin
1980s
1980
NBA:
★
Dallas Mavericks
PBA:
★ CDCP Shippers
1982
NSWRL
★
Canberra Raiders
★
Illawarra Steelers
1983
PBA:
★ Manhattan
1984
PBA:
★ Manila Beer
1985
PBA:
★
Shell Azordin Bugbusters
1986
PBA:
★
Alaska Aces
1987
AFL:
★
Brisbane Bears
★
West Coast Eagles
1988
NBA:
★
Charlotte Hornets (now New Orleans Hornets)
★
Miami Heat
NSWRL
★
Newcastle Knights
★
Brisbane Broncos
★
Gold Coast-Tweed Giants
PBA:
★
Purefoods
1989
NBA:
★
Minnesota Timberwolves
★
Orlando Magic
NLL:
★
Detroit Turbos
★
New England Blazers
1990s
1990
PBA:
★
Sunkist Orange Juicers
1991
NHL:
★
San Jose Sharks - technically the product of a dissolved merger between the
Oakland Seals/
Cleveland Barons franchise and the
Minnesota North Stars, which resulted in the re-activation of the Seals/Barons franchise in San Jose. Half of the 1991 North Stars moved to San Jose.
AFL:
★
Adelaide Crows
1992
NHL:
★
Ottawa Senators
★
Tampa Bay Lightning
NLL:
★
Buffalo Bandits
1993
NL:
★
Colorado Rockies
★
Florida Marlins
NHL:
★
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (now Anaheim Ducks)
★
Florida Panthers
PBA:
★
Sta. Lucia Realtors
1995
NBA:
★
Toronto Raptors
★
Vancouver Grizzlies (now Memphis Grizzlies)
NFL:
★
Carolina Panthers
★
Jacksonville Jaguars
NLL:
★
Rochester Knighthawks
ARL
★
Auckland Warriors
★
Western Reds
★
North Queensland Cowboys
★
South Queensland Crushers
AFL:
★
Fremantle Dockers
1996
NFL:
★
Baltimore Ravens - technically a new franchise although it maintained the roster of the
Cleveland Browns, whose franchise was suspended until
1999.
PBA:
★
Mobiline Cellulars
NLL:
★
Charlotte Cobras
1997
Super League
★
Hunter Mariners
★
Adelaide Rams
AFL:
★
Port Adelaide Power (technically not an expansion team, as the Port Adelaide Football Club was formed in 1870)
WAFL:
★
Peel Thunder
1998
NL:
★
Arizona Diamondbacks
AL:
★
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
NHL:
★
Nashville Predators
MLS:
★
Chicago Fire
★
Miami Fusion
NRL
★
Melbourne Storm
VFL
★
Bendigo Bombers
1999
NHL:
★
Atlanta Thrashers
NFL:
★
Cleveland Browns - technically reactivated. As part of the deal which permitted former Browns owner
Art Modell to move to Baltimore, the Browns name, colors and history remained with Cleveland.
PBA:
★
Tanduay Rhum Masters
2000s
2000
NHL:
★
Columbus Blue Jackets
★
Minnesota Wild
NLL:
★
Albany Attack
NRL
★
Northern Eagles
NRL
★
Wests Tigers
PBA:
★
Red Bull Thunder
2001
NLL:
★
Columbus Landsharks
VFL:
★
Tasmanian Devils
2002
NFL:
★
Houston Texans
NLL:
★
Calgary Roughnecks
★
Montreal Express
★
New Jersey Storm
★
Vancouver Ravens
PBA:
★
FedEx Express
★
Coca Cola Tigers
2003
WHL:
★
Everett Silvertips
2004
NBA:
★
Charlotte Bobcats
2005
MLS:
★
Real Salt Lake
★
CD Chivas USA
NLL:
★
Minnesota Swarm
QMJHL:
★
St. John's Fog Devils
★
Saint John Sea Dogs
2006
MLL:
★
Chicago Machine
★
Denver Outlaws
★
Los Angeles Riptide
★
San Francisco Dragons
MLS
★
Houston Dynamo (though they maintained the roster of the San Jose Earthquakes)
NLL:
★
Edmonton Rush
★
Portland Lumberjax
Super League:
★
Les Catalans — Although Super League currently uses a
promotion and relegation system, ''Les Catalans'', as the only French team in the otherwise all-British competition, are assured of a place in the league through 2008.
Super 14:
★
Cheetahs
★
Western Force
PBA:
★
Welcoat Dragons (from the
PBL, note that the promotion and relegation system was not used .)
NTFL:
★
Tiwi Bombers
WHL:
★
Chilliwack Bruins
2007
MLS:
★
Toronto FC
NRL:
★
Gold Coast Titans
NBL:
★
South Dragons
★
Singapore Slingers
NLL:
★
Chicago Shamrox
★
New York Titans
NSWRL:
★
Auckland Lions
2008
MLS:
★
San Jose Earthquakes
NLL:
★
Boston
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