An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also hope that the expansion of their competition will grow the popularity of the sport generally.

For a 50-year period from 1903 to 1952, MLB's 16-team structure (split into the American and National Leagues) remained intact. No franchises were relocated during this period, and five markets—Boston, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, and St. Louis—had two or more teams.

Major League Soccer is the top level of professional soccer in the United States. It began play in 1996 with 10 teams and has expanded several times since 1998. From 2005 to 2025, the league expanded rapidly and has added an average of one new team per season. The league will reach 30 teams in the 2025 season with the debut of San Diego FC. [1][2]

Feb 20, 2024 · MLB started with 16 teams in 1901 and didn't expand until 1961. Expansion, those sources said, is not imminent -- and in fact is unlikely to happen until the early 2030s.

Mar 27, 2017 · Here’s a look at the history of expansion and relocation in the NFL. 1920: American Professional Football Association is founded. Fourteen teams play in the inaugural season, including the...

Jan 31, 2024 · Learn about the history of NHL's expansion, find out the which are the oldest teams in NHL and more on pro-football-reference.com.

Dec 13, 2023 · Expansion Drafts are exciting, not just because they mean there are new teams being established in MLB, but also because oftentimes they represent fresh starts for players who go on to stardom. The first one was held on Dec. 14, 1960, when the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Senators (now the Texas Rangers) made their picks before ...

expansion team (plural expansion teams) (sports, chiefly Canada, US) A new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the local population's demand for a local team. Synonym: expansion club

These 15 cities would make for fine expansion sites for the NFL. Notably, we are not including London. While London games are commonplace, a team overseas remains unfeasible from a travel...

The NBA originated in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, contractions, and relocations currently consists of 30 teams. The United States is home to 29 teams and one is located in Canada.