The Major Indoor Soccer League is no more ? at least for now.
Team owners disbanded the league, and will spend the next two weeks trying to create a successful business plan for a league that has been in flux for several seasons.
“We are going to play next year,” Blast investor/operator Ed Hale said. “But we?re going to reform the league without a bunch of stockholders from cities that were gone five years ago. That was basically to clean things up.”
Still, it is uncertain how many teams will remain next season ? if there is a next season. During the league?s informal meetings last month, several owners asked for the 30-game schedule to be reduced next year to cut down on travel costs.
Since the Blast won its fourth title in the past six years in April, the league lost one of its nine teams, the California Cougars. The Cougars? owners decided to leave the league and pursue membership in the Premier Arena Soccer League. MISL Commissioner Steve Ryan resigned last week after eight years and the five members of the league?s front office are no longer employed by the MISL, according to a source close to the situation.
The league?s owners were confident this past Friday the MISL would not have to fold, but Saturday, the owners decided to shed the excess shareholders ?former team owners of defunct franchises ? with the goal to streamline a business plan, according to a source close to the situation.
The league?s players ? all of whom are no longer under contract and can sign with any organization ? did not know the league had disbanded.
“I?m just hearing rumors,” Blast captain P.J. Wakefield said. “That?s all I?ve heard about.”
The Blast, though, intends to be competitive next season.
“We have a great franchise, so hopefully that works in our favor,” Kevin Healey, the Blast?s president, said. “We will have a good team, and we?ll be ready.”
The league could add another team in Mexico, and at least one other American city, setting up a Midwest Division and East Coast Division, a source said.
By ridding itself of its stockholders in prior league hubs, the MISL would be free to expand to former markets such as San Diego, St. Louis and Cleveland with new ownership, a source said.
The league also will look to cut down on unnecessary expenses, particularly by having referees based in league cities. Hale hopes the league offices, previously located in Connecticut, will be stationed in a league city, but neither he nor Healey said they are interested in being commissioner.
But they are confident soccer will be played in 1st Mariner Arena this fall.
“We?ll play anybody,” Hale said. “We have a fairly good structure the way we are. We?re just looking for people to play us.”
