Expansion Team

Expansion team is a term used in the sport and represents the foundation of a team in the American professional leagues in conjunction with the connection to the in each league ( MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, WNBA) existing franchise systems. In principle, the term can also be applied to other leagues, for example, in Europe or Asia, where this type of distribution is rather unusual.

Reasons for expansion are the development of new economic areas for the respective franchise and attracting a new group of fans, especially in undeveloped, densely populated urban areas or cities. The creation of a competitive situation in major cities and the marketing of those at city duels are also possible, as the generation of a rivalry of regions due to the geographical location (north-south or east-west).

After a suitable location was found and the financial and organizational aspects have been clarified and regulated, the new team is formed by means of an expansion draft and integrated into the respective league.