We have a new summer-collegiate league planned for 2024, as National Sports Services is launching the Mid America League with a planned six teams located in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana.
The Mid America League is described as a “premium baseball development league,” with an emphasis on existing collegiate players. The league will play a 68-game schedule to start in late May and run through early August, concluding with playoffs to determine the League champion. The league will also be contracting with a national firm to implement a program offering Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for players.
The inaugural franchises are set to be announced over the next several weeks, initially playing in a combination of municipal and university facilities, with a focus on markets of at least 100,000 in regional population. Teams will be owned by individual ownership groups with several markets offering opportunities for new ballpark development in the future. According to a press release, league founders are already actively pursuing expansion markets and ownership groups for future seasons.
National Sports Services is a national, sports marketing firm with several decades of experience in the ownership and operation of affiliated, minor league baseball teams, as well as independent professional teams and summer collegiate baseball teams. The firm also has extensive experience with the development, opening and operation of multi-purpose baseball stadiums.
“We’re really excited to develop this new league with attractive markets that are devoid of a summer team in their region, many of which haven’t had a local baseball franchise in decades” said Matt Perry, President of National Sports Services, via press release. “We expect the Mid America League to fast become one of the premier leagues in the nation for fan attendance, player development and franchise values and we’ll be scheduling announcements of the markets in the weeks ahead.”
Zachry Associates, based in Abilene, Texas, developed the league logo and is contracted to develop branding for the teams that are joining the League.
For more information about the Mid America League, contact Matt Perry at matt@nsssports.com.