Present position:WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per report >>Text
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per report
Credit Card Protection Policies45Have read
About WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per report Planned renovation...
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per report
Planned renovations to the Moda Center cited by the league as a key issue
By Jack Maloney • 3 min readThe WNBA's plans to bring an expansion team to Portland have collapsed, according to The Oregonian, with the league citing planned renovations to the Moda Center as a key issues. Furthermore, there was uncertainty regarding a practice facility for the team, which would have begun play in 2025.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert sent a letter to Oregon Senator Ron Wyden explaining the decision, and noting that the league still hopes to one day bring an expansion team to Portland. Engelbert's letter, in full:
Dear Senator Wyden
I was able to experience Oregon's passionate basketball community first-hand at that incredibly enthusiastic gathering of women's sports advocates that you pulled together last February at The Sports Bra in Portland. It became clear that Portland is an ideal location for a WNBA franchise. Since then, the league and a prospective local ownership group have been working with city and local officials to resolve issues related to the Moda Center.
However, in light of the potential renovation of the Moda Center currently anticipated to take place during consecutive summers, consideration of a WNBA franchise for Portland will be deferred for now until the timing and scope of the arena improvements are settled.
Thanks for the work you and Oregonians have done so far. When the time is right, we look forward to pursuing prospects for bringing the WNBA to Portland.
Per The Oregonian, the Portland Trail Blazers and owner Jody Allen were caught off guard by Engelbert's letter and had been willing to put off renovations to allow the prospective WNBA franchise to play there for multiple seasons before beginning the work. To that point, the Blazers' general plan to renovate Moda Center have been known for some time; if it was truly a major sticking point, how did the Blazers and Portland get this far down the line in the first place?
Portland entrepreneur Kirk Brown was leading the push to bring a team to the city but did not respond to requests for comment from The Oregonian. His current and potential future involvement is not known at this time. Early in October multiple reports suggested that a new team coming to Portland was "close to a done deal." Wyden's office issued a statement saying that he was "confident the scoreboard will end up with Portland winning that franchise."
Whether the two parties could eventually get negotiations back on track for the team, which will have an expansion fee of $50 million, remains to be seen. If not, the league will have to reopen their search.
Tags:
Reprinted :Welcome friends to share to the network, but please explain the source of the article“Credit Card Protection Policies”。http://aqntz.feilaokan.com/cya0m30.html
Related articles
Purdue's Zach Edey wins battle vs. Tennessee's Dalton Knecht in Elite Eight showdown of top players
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per reportPurdue's Zach Edey wins battle vs. Tennessee's Dalton Knecht in Elite Eight showdown of top players...
Read more
These college football players will replace top stars who departed early for the 2024 NFL Draft
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per reportThese college football players will replace top stars who departed early for the 2024 NFL Draft...
Read more
EA Sports teases 'College Football 25' video game with new trailer, promises long
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per reportEA Sports teases 'College Football 25' video game with new trailer, promises long-awaited launch thi...
Read more
Top Article
- Lightning's Cole Koepke opts to wear neck guard following Adam Johnson's death
- Georgia football recruiting: Five
- Meet Ramogi Huma, whose decades
- College Football Playoff negotiations move to more at
- Capitals' Tom Wilson suspended: Washington forward banned six games for high
- Manchester United vs. Liverpool friendly to be held at South Carolina's William
Latest News
2023 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year: Aces' Alysha Clark earns honor for first time
Ohio State football recruiting: Five
Tyler Van Dyke injury update: Latest updates on Wisconsin QB's status vs. Alabama
Colts drop embarrassing loss to Packers: Everything we know from Week 2
Lions' Amon
Northwestern lands Mike Wright: Veteran SEC QB gives Wildcats boost of versatility on offense