Hartford, Conn.- Hartford City FC (MASL and NASL)
Dallas, Texas- Dallas Sidekicks (MASL) and FC Dallas (MSL)
Harrisburg, PA.- Harrisburg Heat (MASL) and Harrisburg City Islanders (USL)
Chicago, Illinois- Chicago Mustangs (MASL) and Chicago Fire (MSL)
St. Louis, Missouri- St. Louis Ambush (MASL) and St. Louis FC (USL)
Sacramento, CA- Sacramento Surge (MASL) and Sacramento Republic FC (USL)
Of course, questions arrive from this. Where would the team play? What league would they join? What would be there nickname? Time to dive in for some possible answers.
What league would the team join?
Right now, there are number of great leagues a Syracuse team could join. Let's not get too crazy though, Syracuse is nowhere near MLS or NASL standards. However, there are some great development leagues that would probably open a Syracuse team with open arms.
United Soccer League (USL): The USL is in the third tier of the United States soccer pyramid. Back in the 2000's, the Syracuse Salty Dogs competed in this league for two years and did well until their unfortunate fold. Right now, the USL is has 24 teams with three more franchises ready to join next year. All of them have affiliations with MLS teams and see players being called up and sent down like in any other minor league sport. This fits Syracuse well since most of our franchises are based in the minor leagues. With the Rochester Rhinos down the road, Syracuse would have an instant rival and give New York a third USL franchise.
National Premier Soccer League (NPSL): Dropping down a tier, the NPSL is a huge league with great developmental competition. Spanning across the country, the league has four regions containing eleven conferences. This would give a Syracuse squad a variety of competition. Even better, they would have close rivals to compete against in Greater Binghamton FC Thunder and FC Buffalo.
USLPDL- This league is filled with a several U-23 squads, most of them developmental teams for MLS and NASL franchises. If Syracuse were to get a team in this league, their challenge would be getting players that fit the U-23 competition. Still, it would give Syracuse a strong reputation for raising great future players.
Where would the team play?
Alliance Bank Stadium- Here's the good news! Jason Smorol, the GM of the Syracuse Chiefs, is a soccer fan. He and the Silver Knights constantly team up and show support for each other. Because of this, I think a Syracuse team would be able to work out a deal to share the stadium with the Chiefs. Unlike the Salty Dogs, who were subjected to stadium greed from the Simone family, ABS would be a great long term home for a club and keep the money and fans flowing in for years.
A Local High School- If the team were to join the NPSL or USLPDL, a high school stadium would be a great option. Unlike the USL, these leagues have teams who don't have their own personal stadiums or high end mulit-sport complexes that they share with other teams. Many of them play on fields owned by a local high school. The Syracuse Strong football team uses Nottingham High School as their home base. When the baseball stadium wasn't available, the Salty Dogs would use Liverpool High School's field. It's a reasonable option for a new team.
A New Stadium- Now, I've written articles about how Syracuse does not need to build anymore stadiums, especially in downtown. However, it may be an option in the future if it's needed to get into a league. Here's what I purpose, don't build the stadium within the city of Syracuse. Instead, build one outside the city. Yes, all the people who complain about the ballpark's location may get upset. Here's my argument, there are plenty of open lots in towns within the Syracuse area that could benefit from the new team and stadium. My best example is in East Syracuse.The old Oberdofer's lot is prime for a new tenant or