Stability Power Rankings: Which NASL teams will stick around for 2017?

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Stability Power Rankings: Which NASL teams will stick around for 2017?

The future of several NASL teams is fluid, putting even the league's future in question. Wes Burdine looks at which clubs are most likely to stick around:

Last week, news broke that the American lower divisions of soccer are yet again being plunged into chaos. First came Neil Morris’ report that the owners of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers were no longer funding the club and that the North American Soccer League’s other teams had stepped up to foot the bill. Hours later, Brian Straus reported that the Ottawa Fury and Tampa Bay Rowdies are poised to jump ship from the troubled league.

Though reports on the death of the NASL are greatly exaggerated, the league’s shakeup has yet again sewn a lot of doubt for its future. All this turmoil is going on while the NASL is drawing toward its most exciting end of a season yet, with five teams queuing up to duke it out for the last playoff spot.

Whether the league is still kicking in 2017, we’ve compiled a Stability Power Rankings to evaluate where these teams stand going forward. Which teams are poised for bigger things and which are headed to the dustbins of history?
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3. Tampa Bay Rowdies

The Rowdies’ reported defection from the NASL could be one of the biggest blows to the league in recent history; at least, it’s the biggest blow since losing the San Antonio Scorpions last season. Rowdies owner Bill Edwards may be something of a loose cannon (who creates mixtapes of calls that go against his club and has had some legal troubles), but he has invested heavily in his club both on and off the field. The NASL will be losing one of its charter members, as well as a club with ties to the original NASL.

The Rowdies have the third-highest average attendance (5,814) in the NASL, and the capture of Joe Cole has paid off somewhat. Edwards’ club has out-spent almost all its competitors with very little success on the pitch. However, there is a lot of room for growth in the Tampa area, and the Rowdies can build on small gains.

What the Rowdies also have going for them is the sole management agreement that Edwards has arranged with the city of St. Petersburg. While Al Lang Stadium provides modest digs for the team, the deal lets Tampa Bay capture far more revenue than most lower-division teams. It is not a permanent solution, but it’s one that, if operated correctly, could allow the team to hemorrhage less money.

While a move down to the USL is a risky move, it may be part of a longer-term plan to move to MLS.