Jumping right back into it, let's continue relocating the MLL expansion teams to the markets you voted for.
2016: Phoenix and St. Louis (sorry Zach) both failed in the voting. To accommodate the changes, the Scorpions move about 290 miles northwest to Las Vegas. The St. Louis team leaves the Midwest to join the NCAA's newest D1 program in Jacksonville (which completely throws off my balanced divisions).
- Las Vegas Scorpions: The biggest problem with moving the Scorpions to Sin City is the lack of suitable field options. While Las Vegas has been mentioned as a potential MLS expansion city in the past, the lack of a soccer stadium plan pushed the city out of the running. The only venue in the metro that could work is the 36,800 seat Sam Boyd Stadium on the UNLV campus. Such a large venue may work for NCAA and UFL football, but could prove problematic (read nearly empty) for MLL games. Perhaps a tarp system could be employed to create a more intimate atmosphere...
Since Vegas is just as much in the desert as Phoenix, the "Scorpions" name stays.
- Jacksonville Conquistadors: This franchise relocates from the Gateway City's French heritage to the Spanish history of the First Coast's largest city. Drawing on Jacksonville's importance to the establishment of New Spain, the MLL team adopts the name applied to early Spanish explorers and soldiers.
The team's colors will come primarily from the city's flag while paying tribute to the Spanish conquistadors. Decked out in silver helmets, the teams will wear brown and yellow uniforms. Silver trim suggests armor. Orange will be an accent color.
The Conquistadors should find a suitable home at Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida. The 9400 seat stadium currently hosts the school's soccer team and minor professional football and rugby teams. It looks to be the ideal size facility for the MLL.
2018: Minnesota Bobcats
- Ottawa Loggers: Stepping in for the Detroit Mastodons, Canada's capital city becomes the home of the nation's second MLL team. Drawing on the area's pre-industrial history, the "Loggers" name refers to the strong timber industry that helped establish Ottawa as an important center of Canadian and North American commerce. The name also pays tribute to the city's former professional roller hockey team.
The loggers will wear the colors of most of the city's other sports teams - red and black. Although this presents an obvious conflict with nearby Toronto's choice of colors, teams in Ottawa have worn red and black going back at least as far as the original Senators. These colors make the most sense and pay tribute to the city's sports history.
Currently Frank Clair Stadium is the only suitable venue in the Ottawa area.
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