Top 5 for the Final Stage of Expansion

Top 5 for the Final Stage of Expansion
A few days before the 1956 NAAF Draft, Ryan Jameson announced the final five cities that the league was looking into. The final 5 cities would get further visits from the league, which would include going further in-depth on the plans that each city is proposing and how the addition of the team will affect the league.  Those final five would be: Cincinnati, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Portland, ME, Quebec City, QC, and Rochester, NY.

The other 3 candidates would be dropped at this point, however, Jameson would touch on and answer questions about why the other cities did not make the cut.  

Grand Rapids, MI - We believe Grand Rapids is a prime opportunity to move westward into Michigan but at the moment, the ownership does not have full commitment to the NAAF. The NAAF is a strong family and we need those in the family to be on board and willing to be a part of this organization. Not to knock the ownership group, who are good people, but for us to succeed we need people who have full confidence in the league itself. We shall keep our tabs on the city for further expansion, but for now, we have decided that right now is not right for Grand Rapids.  

Springfield, MA/Hartford, CT - There were a lot of concerns from this bid, from not only the two-city plan but also the lack of a plan from Hartford. While the bid shifted more and more towards Springfield, we felt that the bid was just not strong enough to give us confidence in the success of a team in the city. We would love to return to Hartford at some point, but they still have not proven to us the ability to support a team and give them the best chance to succeed. 

Syracuse, NY - Most concerns are over the old hybrid stadium which we aren’t sure will suit the slightly larger field size of the NAAF. We also feel that Rochester’s bid has remained stronger throughout the process and we feel comfortable in moving a second-team away from upstate New York, especially if Rochester becomes a member of the NAAF. 

The final decision on the expansion cities will come later in the offseason as the league travels to the cities over the next few months.