Kansas might feel represented in some way because of the metropolis bordered on Missouri that is currently in the World Series.
Think about a regional team whose home games are camped in cities that don't quite make the cut for hosting every major pro league game, but could sustain some. One week in Omaha, the next "home" game in Witchita. Then Iowa City. Maybe some pre-season in El Paso or the Dakotas.
Top to bottom, Minnesota and Texas are pretty well represented.
Taking a gander in between, it looks like Nebraska, Little Rock's area and Iowa would like some love.
For football, slap a stadium in between Lincoln and Omaha.
Iowa City has one of the largest stadiums in the country.
While in Kansas, the Witchita area has well over a half million people. There is a 30k seat stadium there for use. That would mean a higher ticket price if we're utilizing existing stadiums with limited seating. The college facilities though, generally have more seats than pro places.
In the NBA, Omaha with Kansas City and some share time with St. Louis was housing a team. The KansasCity-Omaha Royals are now the Sacramento Kings. It could happen again.
College baseball is huge throughout the midlands. Although I'm not sure how logistically difficult it would be to host MLB in non-MLB facilities, I fantasize about places like Omaha building a 35,000 seat gem to host 25 home-camp games a year. What a great place for a facility to be used by more than just the pro players and ticket buying spectators....than the oil fields in North Dakota.
What cities would you lump into a Midland brand? And for what sports? Would you go as far as Albuquerque? Maybe Boise. Indianapolis. As far as Midwest?
Sporting KC is within the area. Pretty much all of the aforementioned cities and Austin are good fits for soccer. If a team played all of it's "home" games in Midland and Austin, Texas and branded itself as Midland with an occasional game in Omaha and Cedar Rapids I bet you it would capture a large Midland Americans Football Club following.
Hockey. Anchored in Houston, imagine the possibilities of other camps for a Midland named NHL team. Perhaps a better anchor at this time is Austin. Give Sioux Falls and Fargo their share of big time pro sports and if any inroads exists it's probably hockey over soccer.
Toss me some ideas, even if off-the-wall, for "expansion" travel home-"camp" team locations.
And names.
What about the Midlands Mustangs?
See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog (starting in Feb 2014, see table of contents/archive): Major League/Pro Expansion <CLICK> http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/
And please feel free to contribute your two cents with mine.
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