Expansion team

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.

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, San Antonio, TX, and Toronto, ON to be the best possibilities for a brand new NFL team. Each has a metropolitan population of several million people.

1910s

1910

NSWRL

• Annandale

1920s

1920

NSWRL

• University

1921

NSWRL

• St. George Dragons

1930s

1935

NSWRL

• Canterbury-Bankstown

1940s

1947

NSWRL

• Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
• Parramatta Eels

1960s

1960

NFL:

• Dallas Cowboys

1961

AL:

• Los Angeles Angels
• Washington Senators

NBA:

• Chicago Packers

NFL:

• Minnesota Vikings

1962

NL:

• Houston Colt .45s
• New York Mets

1966

NBA:

• Chicago Bulls

NFL:

• Atlanta Falcons

AFL:

• Miami Dolphins

1967

NBA:

• San Diego Rockets
• Seattle SuperSonics

NFL:

• New Orleans Saints

NHL:

• Minnesota North Stars
• Los Angeles Kings
• Oakland Seals (now defunct)
• 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
• San Diego Padres

AL:

• Kansas City Royals
• Seattle Pilots

1970s

1970

NBA:

• Buffalo Braves
• Cleveland Cavaliers
• Portland Trail Blazers

NHL:

• Buffalo Sabres
• Vancouver Canucks

1972

NHL:

• Atlanta Flames
• New York Islanders

1974

NBA:

• New Orleans Jazz

NHL:

• Kansas City Scouts
• Washington Capitals

1976

NFL:

• Seattle Seahawks
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1977

AL:

• Seattle Mariners
• Toronto Blue Jays

1980s

1980

NBA:

• Dallas Mavericks

1982

NSWRL

• Canberra Raiders
• Illawarra Steelers

1987

AFL:

• Brisbane Bears
• West Coast Eagles

1988

NBA:

• Charlotte Hornets
• Miami Heat

NSWRL

• Newcastle Knights
• Brisbane Broncos
• Gold Coast-Tweed Giants

1989

NBA:

• Minnesota Timberwolves
• Orlando Magic

1990s

1991

NHL:

• San Jose Sharks

AFL:

• Adelaide Crows

1992

NHL:

• Ottawa Senators
• Tampa Bay Lightning

1993

NL:

• Colorado Rockies
• Florida Marlins

NHL:

• Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
• Florida Panthers

1995

NBA:

• Toronto Raptors
• Vancouver Grizzlies

NFL:

• Carolina Panthers
• Jacksonville Jaguars

ARL

• Auckland Warriors
• Western Reds
• North Queensland Cowboys
• South Queensland Crushers

AFL:

• Fremantle Dockers

1996

NFL:

• Baltimore Ravens

1997

Super League

• Hunter Mariners
• Adelaide Rams
• Perth Reds

AFL:

• Port Adelaide Power

1998

NL:

• Arizona Diamondbacks

AL:

• Tampa Bay Devil Rays

NHL:

• Nashville Predators

MLS:

• Chicago Fire
• Miami Fusion

NRL

• Melbourne Storm

1999

NHL:

• Atlanta Thrashers

NFL:

• Cleveland Browns (technically reactivated)

2000s

2000

NHL:

• Columbus Blue Jackets
• Minnesota Wild

NRL

• Northern Eagles

2002

NFL:

• Houston Texans

2004

NBA:

• Charlotte Bobcats

2005

MLS:

• Real Salt Lake
• CD Chivas USA

2006

MLS:

• Houston Dynamo

2007

MLS:

• Toronto FC

NRL:

• Gold Coast Titans

2008

MLB candidates:

• Montreal
• New Jersey
• Las Vegas
• Portland