WPS Commissioner Antonucci Not Worried About League's Future

Antonucci Thinks WPS' Model Can Sustain For Long Haul

WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci "doesn't appear particularly bothered by perceptions that her league is following in the footsteps" of the late WUSA, which lasted just three seasons before folding, according to Scott French of ESPNLOSANGELES.com. The L.A. Sol ceased operation last week, and Antonucci said, "Contraction happens in pro sports, especially in young leagues, but we have as our foundation a model that we think can sustain for the long haul. I think the focus ought to be on what are the main business metrics to measure to see if we are still on track." An official for former Sol co-Owner Blue Star LLC said that the league "spent two months or so hammering out a deal" to buy the Sol with a group headed by an "individual who was in charge of a family trust" in the L.A. area. Antonucci: "We had an investor who was ready to sign, and he walked away in the 11th hour. We don't have insight into his reasons. It's not a comment on the viability of the L.A. market. ... L.A. had a lot of success, and it's unfortunate that such a great sort of foundation there was subject to an isolated incident." French noted WPS "officially has suspended the Sol, not folded the franchise, with hopes that it can return in 2011 with new ownership and possibly a new name." Antonucci said that "'early-stage conversations' have started with other potential owners with the hopes that the L.A. team will return next year." However, she "would not specify how many groups the league was talking with." She said, "Some people are just reaching out hoping the Sol will be saved. It takes time to find out who has the financial wherewithal and who supports and wants to see the team saved" (ESPNLOSANGELES.com, 2/2).

Does Sol's Disbandment Suggest League Is Next?

PERCEPTION VS. REALITY: In Newark, Frank Giase wrote when the average sports fan sees the Sol disbanded, the "perception is that the demise" of WPS "can't be far behind." But WPS Sky Blue President & CEO Thomas Hofstetter said that the reality is that the league is "right where it thought it would be in Year 2 and the Sol's problems were strictly an ownership issue." Former Sol co-Owner AEG "agreed from the beginning that its involvement" in the club "would only last one year." So when the sale "fell through last week, there was no choice at this late date but to disband." Hofstetter: "From my perspective, it's not that somebody failed. We just couldn't get it lined up in time. If a team like Boston failed, that would have been a disaster, but we knew this was always a possibility" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 2/2). In a special to ESPNLOSANGELES.com, WNBA Sparks co-Owner Kathy Goodman wrote, "Sports is a tough business, and, notwithstanding its organization around national leagues, it is most often a local business, subject to the whims and dictates of a local economy, local ownership and a local fan base." Goodman: "If I want to see the L.A. Sol back someday, I know I need to continue to support other women's sports in my hometown. So, I'll follow the WPS online and on television" (ESPNLOSANGELES.com, 2/1).

LEAGUE SCHEDULE: In Philadelphia, Marc Narducci reports WPS "still hasn't announced team schedules other than home openers" for the '10 season, but the league yesterday said that it "will expand the regular season to 24 games from 20." The eight teams "will play each other either three or four times" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 2/3).