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It is fair to say that our beautiful part of the world loves its sports. Whether it is cheering on basketball or football teams or just making the most of the bountiful watersports activities of the region, sports plays a major part of our everyday life. Being able to spend so much time outside is one of the benefits of living in the Outer Banks and participating or watching some kind of sport seems the best way to do it.

There are plenty of high school teams to get behind – as well as college programs and other clubs. But there is a distinct lack of major league options. Most of us will watch live sports on TV, take in all kinds of sports media, and even take advantage of all the new North Carolina betting apps. But enjoying the major league sports experience on our own doorstep is just not possible.

For any sports fans wanting to show some North Carolina state pride, the nearest options are the teams in Charlotte and Raleigh. But up here on the coast, in the extreme northeast of the state, it would probably make more sense to get a major league fix in Virginia Beach. There have been a number of attempts to bring a pro team to the city over the years but none have ever come to fruition. Will we ever get a local major league sports team to call our own?

 

Hoops History

When it comes to Virginia Beach almost getting a major league sports team, it is basketball that has the most stories. Only just over a decade ago, there were rumors that the Sacramento Kings were thinking of swapping coasts and coming to Virginia Beach. That never happened and nothing ever came of the expansion rumors a few years later either.

If Virginia Beach – and by way of geography, Outer Banks sports fans – did ever manage to entice a major league team it would most likely be the NBA or NHL. The stadium needed would be smaller and there would be the local interest. There are a lot of NBA teams up and down the East Coast, however, so don’t hold your breath for some hoops action soon.

 

NFL Expansion

 

This seems like the most unlikeliest major league to consider a proposal to land a team in Virginia Beach. The sheer cost of an NFL team would be an immediate turn-off to local taxpayers – even if we would probably be exempt from contributing thanks to being located just over the state line in North Carolina.

 

There also seems to be very little desire on behalf of the league to expand the NFL any further at the present time. There have been a number of franchises moving locations in recent years, with the Raiders finally giving Las Vegas a football team of its own. But they have also tended to be between cities further west.

 

Baseball Weather

The popularity of the Cactus League in Arizona and the Grapefruit League in Florida shows that America’s favorite pastime is far from fading into irrelevance, as some media pundits would have you believe. The climate of Virginia Beach would seem to offer the same kinds of benefits as those two Spring Training locations.

Attendance might be a problem for such a long and game-heavy season though. Each Major League Baseball team plays 162 games every year and any initial interest might well wane very quickly, especially if the team is not competitive. Just look at the problems the Marlins have attracting fans as a way of an example.

 

Hockey Expansion Back On

In the 1990s and 2000s, it seemed as though the expansion of the NHL would never end. The league aggressively targeted cities and areas not traditionally known for their love of hockey, largely with great success. Some ultimately failed, like Atlanta and Phoenix, but places like Nashville and even Las Vegas now call themselves hockey towns.

Anyone who fondly remembers the Norfolk Admirals will tell you that there might be some interest in bringing a hockey team to a place like Virginia Beach. Marketed in the right way, the novelty of an NHL team there could be a big win for the league. But the cost of an expansion team has skyrocketed in recent years and that is why a local NHL team is now a non-starter.

 

Soccer is the Future

When it comes to cities and their major league sports teams, it is usually the traditional Big Four that dominate the conversation. But the emergence of soccer teams and clubs across the country and the increased popularity of – and media attention on – Major League Soccer makes the sport a real contender when it comes to new local teams.

 

MLS does now seem to be full to capacity, however, after years of repeated expansion, so there may not be any chance there – even before the fee is discussed. The announcement from the USL that it is to launch a first division league is certainly interesting. Virginia Beach already has a team in USL League Two though, so it is unlikely that any new league would consider a bid from the city for a bigger team.

 

Just Enjoy the Outer Banks

The debate about cities the size of Virginia Beach lacking major league teams comes around every so often but it might be argued that this is one city that doesn’t really need a team anyway. The desire does not seem to be overwhelming and the cons – including the potential cost – easily outweigh the pros for many. 

Here on the Outer Banks, we can still cheer on local teams and enjoy the stunning coastline that we are lucky enough to call home. There is enough sporting activity close by to enjoy – and we can always watch major league teams on TV. It might be a nice idea, but there probably is no real need for a big team to call our own, all things considered.

 

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