A WNBA team in Nashville just makes too much sense. Frankly, they should have one already. Tennessee has a rabid fan base that they should try to tap into. It works in Connecticut, after all. And they long ago dropped that requirement that WNBA teams share a market with their WNBA counterpart (and even if they hadn't, Nashville would effectively be a sister team to Memphis regardless). Plus, when you consider all the markets the WNBA has tried and failed over the years, going to a city that already has that relationship with women's basketball, it's worth giving it a shot.
Of course, if the WNBA were to add Nashville as a 13th team, they'd need a 14th. Which is a bit of a problem. Because I don't think there are many cities out there dying to have a WNBA team. They'd almost need to do what some of the international sports federations have started doing and reaching out to specific areas about hosting instead of the other way around. (My suggestion would either be Denver or reviving the Houston Comets.)
I bring up the WNBA, but I wouldn't be surprised if their male counterparts get the itch to expand their league to 32 teams in the near future. Especially with that new arena in Seattle being built for the hockey team, which would be awfully enticing for the NBA.
There should be no NBA expansion that doesn't include Seattle. So really, we're talking about one additional team here. And, after the instant success of the Golden Knights, I wouldn't be surprised if they made their own run at Las Vegas (which would give the NHL and NBA the same two expansion cities for franchises 31 and 32). After all, the NBA has always been the most receptive to sports gambling, and they've already had an All*Star Game in Vegas.
Although, I've got another suggestion for the NBA to consider--Kansas City. The Kings used to play in Kansas City before moving to Sacramento, but it might be time for a return. Like Nashville and the WNBA, it simply makes too much sense. It's the NBA, so it's not an apples to apples comparison and the built-in college fan base is less relevant. But you've got that whole area in the Midwest that doesn't have a team. Going to Kansas City would solve that problem.
When Seattle joins in 2021, the NHL will be set. We all knew that they were going to add a 32nd team after they brought the Golden Knights in, and there doesn't seem to be any desire to go beyond that. (It would also screw up the math.) Ditto with the NFL. It would be nice if they could find a way to go back to San Diego (by telling the Chargers to go home?), but the only market they really covet is Las Vegas, which will be taken care of when the Raiders move next season.
Which leaves us with the two sports that have "Major League" in their name. While I don't think there's a serious push being made to go beyond the current 30 teams, hints have definitely been dropped that MLB may expand to 32 at some point in the not-too-distant future (which would compel the NBA to follow suit and give each of the Big Four 32 teams).
Except there's one problem: Where do you go other than Montreal? Like the NBA returning to Seattle, any Major League Baseball expansion you'd figure would involve the rebirth of Les Expos. Baseball's the only sport that has to expand two teams at a time, though, and there's no obvious candidate for that second team. Would it be Las Vegas or Portland to get Texas and Houston out of the AL West? There's been talk about Mexico. But would MLB really consider putting both expansion teams in non-American markets? And, frankly, there doesn't seem to be an American market that makes sense. So I think MLB, which is perfectly content at 30, will stay there.
MLS, however, is on a huge expansion kick. With the additions of Atlanta, Orlando, Minnesota and Cincinnati over the past few years, they're currently at 24 teams (which I think is a perfect number for that league), with three more set to come in Miami, Nashville and Austin. MLS has a stated goal of 30. It's very ambitious, but it also seems doable. Because there are definitely more than three cities that would work.
Even though MLS doesn't have promotion and relegation like European soccer leagues, they sort of indirectly do because successful lower-level teams (including Seattle, Orlando, Montreal and Minnesota, among others) essentially just switched leagues when they were awarded MLS "expansion" franchises. That principle still remains. Good lower-level teams in worthwhile markets could be worthy of those three MLS expansion spots.
Specifically I'm talking about St. Louis, a city with a tremendous soccer history. And just think of the rivalries that would be created with Kansas City and Chicago if there was an MLS team in St. Louis! MLS has also been interested in Detroit for a long time, with the lack of a soccer-specific stadium seeming to be the only hold up. If that's the only thing preventing Detroit from getting a franchise, you'd have to think they'll get it resolved soon enough for the Motor City to be one of the three.
St. Louis and Detroit bring us to 29. But what city should be number 30? Sacramento has evidently been in talks with MLS, but I just can't see that (it would be the fourth MLS team in California and the seventh on the West Coast). So, I think Sacramento's out.
If it were up to me, that final spot would go to one of three cities: Phoenix, Indianapolis or Edmonton. Like St. Louis, Indianapolis has had a successful second-level team for a number of years. And it would increase MLS's presence in the Midwest. Edmonton, meanwhile, is the strongest Canadian team not currently in MLS, and that would make it four teams North of the Border, two in the East, two in the West.
My choice for the 30th MLS team, though, is Phoenix. Phoenix is the eighth-largest media market in the U.S. and regularly hosts games in major tournaments like the Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers (it's on the short list and will likely be chosen for the 2026 World Cup, too). Phoenix also has a diverse population, so filling a 30,000-MLS stadium probably wouldn't be difficult. And they'd make for nice rivals with the two LA teams. (Although, Sacramento would essentially serve that same purpose.)
All of this is obviously just speculation. Other than the NHL going to Seattle and the three confirmed MLS teams, additional expansion may not be on the table. (That seems highly unlikely, but it's possible.) Sometimes it's fun to speculate where expansion teams might play, though.
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