Albany has no major league professional sports teams, and minor league teams have low support. The only minor league team currently active are the Albany Devils ice hockey team, which moved to the city for the 2010–2011 season. They play in the American Hockey League and are affiliated with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. The Devils replaced the Albany River Rats, who played in the Capital Region from 1990 to 2010, when they relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Albany Firebirds played in the Arena Football League from 1990 to 2000, while a second team, originally known as the Albany Conquest and later the Firebirds, played in af2, the AFL's developmental league, from 2002 to 2009. The Tri-City ValleyCats short season minor league baseball team have played at the Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in North Greenbush since 2002. Prior to the ValleyCats' arrival, the Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs (1995–2002) played at Heritage Park in Colonie; due to financial pressures, and facing impending competition from the ValleyCats, the franchise folded in 2002. The local basketball team is the Albany Legends (International Basketball League), who play in the Washington Avenue Armory. The Albany Patroons were two basketball teams that played at the Armory. Both folded due to financial problems.
With the large number of local colleges and universities around Albany, college sports are popular. The University at Albany's Great Danes currently play at the Division I level in all sports. The football team is a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC), while all other sports teams play as members of the America East Conference (AEC). In 2006, UAlbany became the first SUNY-affiliated school to send a team to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. UAlbany has also hosted the New York Giants training camp since 1996. The Siena Saints have seen a rise in popularity after their men's basketball team made it to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship (March Madness) in 2008, 2009, and 2010. All 18 Saints teams are Division I and play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). Although Siena's campus is in nearby Colonie, the men's basketball team plays at the TU Center.
No comments:
Post a Comment