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Rochester NY comes to mind, but I think its close proximity to Buffalo may hurt its chances except for a pro soccer team. It had this team, that was largely well supported: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochester_Rhinos
Rochester NY comes to mind, but I think its close proximity to Buffalo may hurt its chances except for a pro soccer team. It had this team, that was largely well supported: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochester_Rhinos
El Paso
Omaha
Des Moines
Charleston, SC
Reno
Birmingham
Richmond
Albuquerque
So we are counting Tier one pro women’s soccer for Louisville? You won’t find a bigger Louisville fan than me but I am not sure women’s pro sports count...or do they?
Today Louisville announced the top tier Women's Pro Soccer league is expanding a franchise into Louisville (formal announcement expected Tuesday and they will play in a new 200 Million pro soccer stadium district being anchored by the highest level minor league pro soccer team, City FC in the USL).
While the city has a positive history of pro sports having had an MLB team in the late 1800s, an ABA team in the 1970s (competed neck and neck for viewers with the NBA and produced great NBA franchises like the Spurs and Pacers and Nuggets), and two of the highest rated minor league pro teams in soccer and baseball, the city has not had a tier one pro team in the last few decades.
For Louisville, does this raise the city's profile for those who state it lacked pro sports? I have heard many posters here downplay what is going on in Louisville due to "lack or pro sports." Or is it considered "just women's?"
Now that Austin and Vegas have added teams....what are the largest MSA's without a tier one pro team and will they get one any time soon? I am thinking of places like Norfolk, Birmingham, Albuquerque....any others? Does this mean Louisville has a good shot at NBA and MLS? There are very active groups to gain franchises in one or both leagues.
Additionally, is there any other MSA where the ONLY top tier pro team is a women's franchise? I know the WNBA has a team in CT which I believe is the only pro team around in that state, which I guess makes the Hartford MSA similar to Louisville in that regard.
The answer is no, but it is great news for Louisville. Louisville has Lexington and Southern IN to pull from whereas Birmingham has no such areas. Birmingham is too close to Nashville and Atlanta markets to see pro sports.
Oops. I forgot about the Crew and I don't know hockey.
No, I don't consider women's soccer as tier 1. Maybe WNBA but that's it.
I think that Louisville deserves a basketball team due to how many NBA players are from there. Louisville maybe has the best sports pedigree out of the cities that are lacking.
I just don't look at soccer as a tier one sport in the US.....yet. You don't see the coverage, name recognition, and most people don't have a clue, the names of the teams. Not a clue. That's not "major."
If I’m not mistaking way back at some point I think they had an nba team that moved to KC anc is now the Sacramento Kings?
Yes, the Rochester Royals left the city in the late 1950's to Cincinnati. That team then left for Kansas City(played some home games in Omaha early on in after the move) around 1972. Then, around 1985, they left KC for Sacramento.
In terms of the topic, Louisville did have an ABA team from the late 1960's until it shut down in 1976. They didn't get picked up for the NBA like San Antonio, Denver, Indiana and the then NY Nets did.
Also, Birmingham did have a USFL Football team in the early/mid 1980's(the Stallions).
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