The USISL — whose membership now tops 90 teams — has decided to go with only 22 teams, instead of 24, in its new Select League that kicks off in 1996.
The move follows decisions by the St. Louis Knights to pull out of the USISL and the Los Angeles Salsa to move to the Premier League.
In addition, the Albany Alleycats have decided to remain in the Pro League, allowing the Ohio Xoggz to fill the void. All the other Select League teams competed last summer in the Pro League except Premier League powers Richmond Strikers and Birmingham Grasshoppers.
The 22 teams will be divided into two conferences. Each team will play a 24-game schedule, with 18 counting toward the final standings.
The Pro League will have 35 teams in 1996, and the Premier League will have at least that many.
New teams in 1996 will be the South Carolina Shamrocks and Sacramento Scorpions in the Select League; Central Jersey Riptide and Houston Outlaws in the Pro League; and Kalamazoo Speedsters, Central Coast Roadrunners, Mid-Michigan Bucks, Wilmington (N.C.) Hammerheads, Bellingham Orcas and Worcester Renegades. Other groups joining are located in Reading, Pa., Willamette, Ore., and Maine.
At its annual operations meeting in Dallas Nov. 4-5, the USISL concluded a sponsorship agreement with Umbro USA for the 1996 season. Umbro also has a three-year option.
The USISL — which has moved its offices to Tampa from Irving, Texas — named Ken White, coach/general manager of the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers, as its new operations director; former Cleveland Crunch director of game operations Scott DeBolt as its new marketing liaison; and Jenny Salazar as the head of office operations.
The USISL’s telephone number in Tampa is (813) 963-3909.