The Future of Minor League Sports

Recently one of my favorite minor league sporting teams announced their intent to fold at the end of the season due to financial difficulties. Although this team has undergone both name and ownership changes, I've been a faithful fan for nearly a decade. Many individuals in the community have expressed their frustration and disappointment as well. After all, minor league professional hockey has been a mainstay in my city for nearly fifty years.

Unfortunately this team is not alone. Minor league teams as well as entire leagues are dissolving stating that they are unable to economically afford to keep operating. The AFL (or Arena Football League) suspended operations in 2009. Fans were hopeful that the league would return after a season off but it looks doubtful. The International Hockey League (IHL) is facing similar difficulties having lost two teams in the last couple of years. As it currently stands, the IHL will begin next season with only six teams remaining in the league.

Undoubtedly low-level professional sports teams and leagues have costs and overhead just like the major ones do. Nonetheless, one of the biggest expenses of major league teams is that of coach and player salaries. Minor league coaches and players are paid pittens in comparison to those of the NHL, NBA, MLB or NFL. So where do the expenses come from?

Some of the largest costs associated with minor league sports teams are for venue rental, travel and equipment. And, many leagues and teams attribute their financial problems to low fan attendance. But in these hard economic times, some of the most die hard of (major) professional sports fans are finding it impossible to attend games because of the high cost of tickets. It seems that now is the ideal time to convert those individuals into minor league sports fans. Possibly with better advertising or community exposure, a team's fan base could greatly increase.

Additionally, many minor league teams play at smaller stadiums or arenas. Could money be saved by playing at a local school gym or stadium?

Lastly, there are numerous leagues for low level professional sports. For example, in hockey alone there is the IHL (International Hockey League), ECHL (East Coast Hockey League), AHL (American Hockey League) and AAHL (All American Hockey League). Sure, many of these represent different performance levels, but it seems that some of these leagues might benefit from merging. In that case, teams might be able to remain closer to home (saving on travel costs) until the time of playoff or championship games.

Not being behind the scenes, I'm probably a lot more optimistic than those who are actually involved. I am, however, very hopeful that some of these owners will consider the potential instead of just looking at the difficulties of these financial times. Building a strong fan base now could result in a stable league or team in years to come.