Here at Major League Quidditch, we are very pleased with the results of the 2018 season. We took new steps in the arenas of digital media, gameplay and event planning, all while maintaining the competitive heights that we consider a staple of our league. The top-to-bottom parity of MLQ reached new heights, and our finals was once again a testament to the very best quidditch can offer.
However, we also know there is always plenty of room for growth. With that in mind, we are using this off-season to reevaluate all of our franchises, as well as to evaluate new areas that may be opportunities for further development. We believe that our franchises are the lifeblood of our league and want to guarantee that each and every one is built for success, both in the short term and the long term.
Re-Evaluation of Current Franchises
Four years into our existence, and coming off a third-straight season with 16 franchises, we have had the opportunity to develop an understanding about what does and does not work for our teams. Evaluating both these successful and unsuccessful seasons, we have come up with a core list of what our franchises need, including but not limited to current and future leadership, player density, geographical convenience and general interest.
With this list of core characteristics in mind, we will evaluate each of our current 16 franchises, meeting with their leadership and having dialogues with the local player base. We will not only be looking at the viability of each franchise going forward, but also what we can do as an organization to sure up that viability in the future. The results of these evaluations may include making additional resources available to franchises, reformatting divisions for convenience and moving or eliminating franchises.
Evaluation of New Locations for Potential Growth
We have been incredibly humbled in the past few years by the many areas where teams or even entire divisions have formed in part as a proof of concept for their MLQ viability. We know there are large swaths of North America that remain untouched by MLQ and are committed to increasing our reach, provided we can do so while maintaining the high-quality product we have had to this point.
In the coming months, we will be reaching out to individuals and USQ/Quidditch Canada teams in a selection of areas to assess their ability to form and maintain an MLQ franchise. We will be using direct contact and surveys to assess these locations for a similar list of traits to those listed above. We are conscious of the fact that our assessment in the past, at times, could have been more thorough and will make sure our new process has a sufficient amount of depth to properly gauge a location.
To aid us in these endeavors, we are releasing a survey to gather as much information as possible. The survey can be found here.
An Eye on the Future
We feel strongly that, in order to continue to move our sport and our league forward, we cannot rest on our laurels. By constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation, we have expanded what quidditch can be. We hope that, with this reevaluation, we can do more of the same, continuing to improve on the product we are so proud to deliver you each season. As always, we are incredibly thankful for your trust and support as we march forward.
Don’t forget to fill out our survey:
MLQ Franchise Evaluation Survey