In some areas we have it for basketball. Lots of semi-pro leagues going on, but there’s no way the NBA would sanction a multi-league tournament. They don’t even have G-league teams play against NBA teams.
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Part of the FA Cup’s history is that it existed for 18 years before any league competitions. That’s part of the reason why there are small semi-pro and amateur teams competing in it.
I’m guessing the the geographical barriers may be what stops it from happening in the US. A semi-pro team from Maine are going to struggle to get to a game in California. The Coupe de France has rules to get around this, teams from French departments around the world can qualify so they have regional groups until the round of 32.
As a side effect of the Coupe de France rules, anyone who wins qualifies for the UEFA Europa league even if they are from one of the overseas departments. This means that the winners of the Champions League could theoretically come from well outside Europe, even if it is highly unlikely.
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TIL. Thanks!
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This is why host city selection matters and should definitely be about more than money.
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That’s actually how i think of college sports.
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Right? If I need any info on radical politics or football, I always know that @anon73430903 will have the answers!
Yeah, but to point above, once you get out of college, for the most part the majors are it - or local amateur leagues unconnected with the major league clubs.
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They do in hockey. NHL teams have minor league affiliates in the AHL (minor league) and there’s also a semi-pro league in the ECHL (East Coast Hockey League).
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Yeah, but that’s mostly Canada isn’t it? 
(JK, I know Americans play hockey!)
But that does beg the question tho, why is this true in hockey, but not other sports? @anon73430903 noted that physical distance might be part of the reason why… But it’s not like hockey teams are any closer than say soccer or other sports teams?
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I think it might be that AHL teams are owned by NHL teams who can take on the financial costs of travel and accommodations. The AHL is also pretty successful in it’s own right, it’s been running since the 1930’s
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So probably similar to how the baseball minor leagues are funded by the majors…
That’s helpful! I suspect it needs a dedicated fanbase, too, who love the sport for it’s own sake…
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Ha! I was just about to mention that myself. 
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Which makes me wonder why that’s not the case with the NBA or NFL?
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I think the NFL relies exclusively on the colleges for training and development of prospects. They have tried things like the USFL but I think there may be too much competition for fans from the colleges. The colleges can also provide strong competition for NFL teams.
Doesn’t the NBA have a ‘G’ league or something for development? I don’t really follow the NBA.
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The NFL has had a history of buying out the smaller leagues, absorbing them, or consolidating teams. If they couldnt succeed that way they bought out the best players or just threatened the minor team sponsors. Basically they’re the DeBeers of american football.
The biggest threat to the NFL was when the AFL formed. After a few years competing the two leagues decided that merging would give them better control of the market and that’s pretty much been the way of it for the past 50 years or so. When the XFL was stood up the best players were pulled into the NFL and that was that.
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Speaking of football, today is divisional semifinal day in the CFL. I’m just settling in for the Montreal Alouettes vs. Hamilton Tiger Cats for the right to face the Toronto Argonauts in the Eastern final.
Go Als!
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I’ll note that many people who come out of college leagues end up going overseas to play in their basketball or American football leagues…
The NFL is a corrupt organization through and through…
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Yes, though it really doesn’t have older players, it just has younger players who didn’t quite make the NBA right out of college. Folks who think they’ve got what it takes but weren’t drafted, as well as players who couldn’t go to college for some reason and just need to put on some muscle before going pro out of high school. I think there might be the occasional international player in the G league who needs to prove themselves and get used to the different rules/pace in the American game.
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Als are up 22-6 at the half.
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