Of course, the minor league baseball teams are numerous in the Chicago area, but they are not the only minor league teams in the Chicago area.  There are sports for nearly all other sports fans that would definitely fall into the minor league arena.  Yes, that even includes the rabid football fans in the area.

In each case, they fall into a similar vein as the baseball teams.  They are fan-friendly.  They are inexpensive.  At the same time they offer quality entertainment for a reasonable dollar.  These are athletes playing for the love of the game rather than a huge paycheck and that comes through night after night.

Football

So, you’re a football fan?  You know that getting tickets to the Chicago Bears not only costs and arm and a leg, but it’s a hassle just to get them.  The Bears have been selling out games for decades now and after a season where they made it again to the Super Bowl, the prospect of suddenly finding a lot of tickets available seems grim.  It is also a huge hassle to find a place to park, cross Lake Shore Drive and even find your seat in Soldier Field.

There is a solution.  In fact, there are two of them.

The Kane County Eagles

The team originally known as the Glen Ellyn Eagles, the team now known as the Kane County Eagles plays hard-nosed, full-pad, full-on tackle football in the western suburbs of Chicago.  They have been playing for ten years now.  They are a part of the North American Football League, a legitimate alternate football league.  In many ways, this team and league is similar to the independent leagues on the baseball circuit.

Their season does not compete with the NFL.  In fact, they play during the summer and into late fall.  They play in a place known as Mooseheart, but the announcements for the arrangement and location of their stadium is still under development for the new season.

The Eagles have been the NAFL champions in 1992, 1993, 2001 and 2003.  They make the playoffs nearly ever season.  So, if you are looking for real championship football, you may need to look further west than Lake Shore Drive.

They even have cheerleaders, something the Bears don’t even have anymore.  They are the Lady Eagles and they hold tryouts every spring.

For more information about the team you may want to visit their website at  www.kceagles.com.  For information about other teams in this league (and there are many in and around the area) you can visit the league website at www.nafl.org.

The Chicago Rush Arena Football

Now, this one may be a bit of a stretch.  To hardcore arena football fans, this may even be an insult.  Many believe that arena football is its own major league sport and not a minor league division.  However, the AFL is part of the NFL and there are many teams who use the AFL teams as a kind of farm team system to get certain players they feel have potential and need more playing time a chance to play and improve.  In my book, that makes it on-par with any baseball minor league farm system.

The Chicago Rush has been in existence for some time.  It gained a major boost when former Chicago Bears’ coach Mike Ditka came on board as part owner of the team.  Exactly how much he owns of the team or how much say he has in the team is open to debate.

The Chicago Rush play at the All State Arena, which is in suburban Rosemont, and located just off of the tollway.  The team plays on a 50-yard field, has nets set up on either side of the field goal posts from which the ball is playable, and the players play both offense and defense. 

The Chicago Rush also are champs.  They won the AFL championship in 2006 for the first time, bringing championship football back to the area.

For information about tickets and other information about the team, visit their website at www.chicagorush.com

The Rock River Raptors

There are other indoor football teams around.  They are slightly different from the AFL, mostly because the AFL is owned by the NFL so things like the nets on the goal posts and such are proprietary to the AFL.  However, these teams play hard and they play on that same shorter field.

There is, for example, the United Indoor Football League.  They have a team located in nearby Rockford Illinois known as the Rock River Raptors.  They played their first full season in 2006 in Illinois, after the team moved to Illinois the previous year.

The team also has cheerleaders, although they are known as the Dynomites Dance Team.  They play at the Metro Centre which is in downtown Rockford. 

For more information, you can find their website at www.raptorsuif.com.

Hockey

The fans of hockey in Chicago have had a rough time.  Some would even argue that the NHL team, the Chicago Blackhawks, certainly qualify as a minor league team.  Personally, I think this does a great disservice to the actual minor league hockey teams in the area.  The minor league teams actually win, and the players play hard.  The owners of these teams seem to care about the fans and greatly encourage fan participation and make every effort to be family friendly.  Plus, I actually got to participate in some between period fun with the Rockford team back when I was in the radio business.

The Chicago Wolves

If you want actual championship-quality hockey in the Chicago area, you need to completely forget that the United Center has a team calling itself the Chicago Blackhawks and make your way to the All State Arena in Rosemont.  The Chicago Wolves have won their league championship several times and they almost always make the playoffs.  They won the Turner Cup in 1998 and 2000.  They won the Calder Cup in 2002.  This something the Blackhawks, to whom the Stanley Cup is just a rumor on par with Bigfoot, cannot say.

The Wolves were originally part of an independent league and unaffiliated with any NHL team.  Unfortunately, despite their success here in Chicago, the league itself suffered.  The league collapsed and the NHL agreed to take on several teams and make them part of their official farm system.  The Wolves were one of those teams.

The Chicago Wolves are the official minor league farm team for the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers.  They have a popular mascot named Skates who entertains between periods.  They offer affordable tickets and tons of great games and features to keep the entire family entertained.  The Wolves even have most of their games broadcast on cable so you can keep up with the team all season long.

For information about the team you can visit their website at www.chicagowolves.com.

The Rockford Icehogs

The Rockford area has slowly, gradually, and secretly been gaining ground as the real sports championship city in the state of Illinois.  A couple of seasons ago the Rockford Riverhawks baseball team won their league championship.  So far, for this season, the Rock River Raptors indoor football team is firmly in the lead of their division.  Well, the Rockford Icehogs hockey team also won their championship this year for the first time.

The Icehogs, through this season, were part of the United Hockey League or UHL.  They won the Colonial Cup for the 2006-2007 season.  They also offer outstanding play, and a hugely fan-friendly atmosphere.

I was a part-time radio disk jockey at a classic rock station that happened to broadcast the Icehogs games.  When I first started, I got to host the “Chuck – A – Puck” game that happens between the first and second periods.  Throughout the game fans can buy orange plastic pucks which are then “chucked” onto the ice which then has various cards containing prizes placed down upon it. Pucks closest to certain signs and symbols win prizes.

The Icehogs have very intense fans as well.  Working at that radio station and even board-opping several games, and helping to take phone calls, it was amazing the number of fans who listened to the games on the radio and fervently called in to ask questions and talk about the team.

Starting with the 2007 season, the Icehogs will now join the AHL and become property of the NHL.  They will become and official farm team of the Chicago Blackhawks.  Here’s hoping the stench of the ‘Hawks does not rub off on this championship team.

They play at the Metro Centre in downtown Rockford.  For information about the team, visit www.icehogs.com.

Basketball

Well, OK, this one is a little harder to find, but it isn’t impossible.  The problem is that the NBA doesn’t, technically, have a minor league system.  Yes, there was the Continental Basketball Association and they even had a team in Rockford up until a couple of seasons ago.  However, that league now has only eight teams total and none particularly close to Chicago.

However, there is the ABA.  Yes, the ABA.  There has been an attempt in recent years to resurrect the old ABA complete with the red, white and blue basketball.  They play in large cities and small and play mostly at various high school and smaller college gyms. 

At first there was the Chicago Rockers, but they did not last long.  So, it has recently been announced by the ABA that the Chicago area with have new team.

The Chicago Throwbacks

Yes, starting in 2007, there will be an ABA team in the Chicago area.  It has just been announced that the team will exist.  It will be owned by a man named George Bellevue from Calumet City.  Their motto is “Where Players are Given a Second Chance,” whatever that means.  Where they will play and who they will play is completely unknown at this time.

However, for information, you can certainly visit their website at www.chicagothrowbacks.com.

So, that’s an overview of the minor league teams in and around the Chicago area.  As you can see, there is something for everyone.  All of them offer quality entertainment for a fraction of the cost of visiting a major league team. 

Please visit ChicagoMinorLeagueReview.com for updates and information, as well as articles about these teams and their players.

Share This