*I had to laugh at Jade Smith-Williams referring to herself as a "local legend". (It had to be her because no one else would.) I didn't even remember her at all, and I checked -- she averaged 9.0 ppg as a senior for a team in a weak league that lost in the first round of postseason. It does make me question the whole press release a little, though ...
*The actual content of the press release was pretty minimal. They added a name to the organizational chart but there wasn't anything else about financing or a firm deal. This group is primarily interested in bringing an NFL team to Oakland, but with the Oakland A's getting a key go-head for their new stadium, it makes it less likely that the Oakland Coliseum, where the football team would play, would remain standing. There's always been talk of developing that property.
Of course I would love to see a team here, and I do think it will happen. But this particular group has been heavy on self-promotion, and a little light on concrete proposals.
I see a lot of self proclaimed "influencers" & "entrepreneurs", but no billionaires in this group.
A team in a city right in between both Oakland and Sacramento would be ideal, to draw off of both cities. Someone go build a 10k arena in Fairfield, stat! As clayk would know, Stockton has a beautiful11k-capacity arena that primarily houses a NBA G-League team. It would be super ideal for a WNBA team, but it's sadly a bit too far out from Oakland and to a lesser extent Sacramento to siphon off much consistent attendance from either big city, especially considering the 6:00 PM traffic that exists around the entire 'greater' Bay Area.
Does this Oakland ownership group even have a solid arena plan? Is it really just an old & oversized (for a W team) Oakland Arena or bust? The SAP Center in San José is just as oversized for a W team, too. If that's the case, then f*ck it, just revive the goddamn Sacramento Monarchs and have them play in Stockton. See if another small-market team with only minor-league competition in its town can not just survive, but thrive.
It's hard to see a Fairfield/Stockton suburban site working, given the major traffic issues involved. The Kings' ownership looked into a WNBA team and decided a) they needed to focus on the Kings, and b) they didn't want to lose $2 million a year. I think the Warriors' arena is a better landing site, and my sense is they're a) waiting to see how things work out this year financially and b) hoping they can get a relocation rather than expansion.
I know many disagree, but I just don't see a deep enough pool of talent, especially offensively, to expand without impacting the attractiveness of the product. Putting a bad team in a big, expensive arena that charges $40 to park and is hard to get to (Chase, where the Warriors play) is going to be problematic, and putting a bad team in a crumbling arena that charges $30 to park in a bad area of town (Oakland's homicide rates are frightening) isn't much better.
A 7,500-seat arena would be perfect but there isn't one.
Bobbitt said that the league has indicated that any expansion team(s) would require an 18-month run-up, from acceptance into the league to joining the action.
Bobbitt said that the league has indicated that any expansion team(s) would require an 18-month run-up, from acceptance into the league to joining the action.
So even if things have been secretly in the works between this prospective ownership group (or any others) and the League for a little while now – which I'd find hard to believe – it looks like 2023 is the absolute earliest we'd see an expansion team in the League. Take a sigh of relief, Fever & Dream fans! (Well, not really – still gotta go through the Lottery process...)
Last Edit: Oct 28, 2021 23:28:53 GMT -5 by Deleted
Bobbitt said that the league has indicated that any expansion team(s) would require an 18-month run-up, from acceptance into the league to joining the action.
That means to play in May of 2023 a new team would need to accepted by November 2021...
That means to play in May of 2023 a new team would need to accepted by November 2021...
November 2021 seems unlikely. If they decide in favor of Oakland by November 2022, then it's 2024 before they start play. Nashville is even further behind. They have to do their study, which really seems like a document to convince some wealthy owners to fund a team. Then they have to find and recruit said owners and do all the things Oakland has already done. Then they go and apply to the WNBA. Seems like they couldn't get all that done in a year unless they already have an owner waiting in the wings, but if they do - what do they need a study for? Bottom line Nashville looks more like a 2025 type of deal.
If the WNBA really wants expansion they should produce a fast track application which shows exactly what is needed in terms of a business plan, arena and TV deals, sponsorship potential, governance and financial requirements for owners, etc. Would help groups know what they need to do to get approved.
18 months? League/Engelbert really doesn't want expansion do they?
It does take some time to ramp up operations - got to hire a full staff of people. Start selling tickets. Do lots of promos. However, that does seem like longer than necessary at least based on the Dream timeline. One key thing Atlanta did was start selling tickets before they even had an owner.
"Atlanta had been mentioned as a possible future city for WNBA expansion, but efforts did not come together until the beginning of 2007 when an organizing committee with Atlanta businessmen and politicians began the effort to attract an expansion team.[7] The inability of the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA to draw crowds was a concern of the WNBA, and the committee kicked off an effort in February 2007 to gain volunteers and petition signatures. Philips Arena (now State Farm Arena), the Gwinnett Arena (now Infinite Energy Arena) and Alexander Memorial Coliseum (now McCamish Pavilion) were candidates for venues. By May 2007, the committee had over 1,000 pledges for season tickets, although the goal was 8,000 season tickets in ninety days.[8][9] By July the committee had 1,200 commitments and began searching for an owner.[10]
On October 16, 2007, it was reported that Ron Terwilliger, an Atlanta businessman and CEO of a national real estate company would be the future owner of an Atlanta franchise. The next day, at a news conference at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, WNBA president Donna Orender made the announcement that Atlanta would officially be granted a WNBA expansion franchise.[11]"
Eighteen months is not unreasonable, but as mentioned, splitting sponsorship and TV money 14 ways instead of 12 probably costs each existing franchise close to $200,000. The supposed "expansion fee" of $10 million is, as far as I can tell, a mirage, because if it were true, then there would be no reluctance among existing owners to expand.
Still, the Oakland group may have more heft than it appears, as they seem to be better organized than most such groups. But it's still unclear where the money is coming from, because the league wants proof that any new team can survive five years while losing $2 million a year (thus the $10 million "expansion fee" number, it appears).
Now if the Oakland group manages to convince the NFL to expand and gets a franchise, then the money will be there, but I have no sense how real that possibility is.
18 months? League/Engelbert really doesn't want expansion do they?
It does take some time to ramp up operations - got to hire a full staff of people. Start selling tickets. Do lots of promos. However, that does seem like longer than necessary at least based on the Dream timeline. One key thing Atlanta did was start selling tickets before they even had an owner.
When Connecticut took over the Miracle they were announced in January and were playing in May.
The Sky were announced in February 2005 and began play 15 months later, in May 2006.