Defunct Teams
101 teams have folded or moved away from the Philadelphia area
WHA: 1973-1973
(1 season)
38-40 record
38-40 record
ABL3: 1963-1963
(1 season)
NBA: 1947-1962
(16 seasons)
35-34 average record
35-34 average record
MLB: 1901-1954
(54 seasons)
72-79 average record
72-79 average record
One of the eight original American League teams beginning with the 1901 season.
Left Philadelphia to relocate in Kansas City to begin the 1955 season.
Left Kansas City to relocate to Oakland to begin the 1968 season.
ABL: 1948-1953
(6 seasons)
Dropped to the minor league Eastern Basketball League after the ABL folded
ABL: 1948-1953
(6 seasons)
Joined the ABL from the minor league Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, only to move back in 1955.
ABL: 1951-1952
(2 seasons)
ABL: 1923-1949
(27 seasons)
12-6 average record
12-6 average record
The team's name is an acronym, derived from South Philadelphia Hebrew Association (the group that initially funded the team), and the team's players, at least in its earlier years, were primarily Jewish. 1949 would be the last year the Sphas were affiliated with a league, but thanks to Gottlieb's friendship with Abe Saperstein, president and owner of the Harlem Globetrotters, the Sphas lived on as one of the exhibition teams that the Globetrotters would play, although they would retain only the franchise name, not the Jewish makeup of the team.
NNL: 1934-1948
(15 seasons)
24-26 average record
24-26 average record
ABL: 1948-1948
(1 season)
The franchise was terminated by the league on December 4, 1947
USNL: 1923-1945
(23 seasons)
43-33 average record
43-33 average record
ABL: 1943-1943
(1 season)
Folded after only one season.
ABL: 1939-1940
(2 seasons)
Dropped out of the league on February 2, 1940
NNL: 1934-1934
(1 season)
6-18 record
6-18 record
EBL2: 1930-1933
(4 seasons)
6-11 average record
6-11 average record
EBL2: 1933-1933
(1 season)
1-14 record
1-14 record
EBL2: 1932-1933
(2 seasons)
11-6 average record
11-6 average record
EBL2: 1932-1933
(2 seasons)
8-7 average record
8-7 average record
EBL2: 1932-1933
(2 seasons)
5-11 average record
5-11 average record
EBL2: 1899-1932
(34 seasons)
10-9 average record
10-9 average record
NFL: 1924-1931
(8 seasons)
9-6 average record
9-6 average record
TBL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
5-5 record
5-5 record
TBL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
7-4 record
7-4 record
TBL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
7-4 record
7-4 record
TBL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
7-5 record
7-5 record
TBL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
4-7 record
4-7 record
TBL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
0-9 record
0-9 record
EBL2: 1929-1931
(3 seasons)
13-6 average record
13-6 average record
EBL2: 1929-1931
(3 seasons)
7-12 average record
7-12 average record
EBL2: 1931-1931
(1 season)
3-14 record
3-14 record
EBL2: 1931-1931
(1 season)
7-13 record
7-13 record
NHL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
4-36 record
4-36 record
EBL2: 1929-1930
(2 seasons)
10-9 average record
10-9 average record
EBL2: 1929-1929
(1 season)
5-8 record
5-8 record
EBL2: 1929-1929
(1 season)
8-10 record
8-10 record
NFL: 1924-1928
(5 seasons)
8-4 average record
8-4 average record
ABL1: 1927-1928
(2 seasons)
18-13 average record
18-13 average record
ELPF: 1924-1926
(3 seasons)
4-5 average record
4-5 average record
ELPF: 1924-1926
(3 seasons)
5-3 average record
5-3 average record
AFLG: 1926-1926
(1 season)
8-2 record 1
8-2 record 1
L. S. Conway
ELPF: 1926-1926
(1 season)
2-5 record
2-5 record
ELPF: 1926-1926
(1 season)
5-3 record
5-3 record
ELPF: 1926-1926
(1 season)
1-1 record
1-1 record
Withdrew from league 13 October 1926
ELPF: 1926-1926
(1 season)
6-2 record
6-2 record
The Bears ended the season with 6-2-2 record against league opponents and a post-season victory over All-Lancaster. However, there was some question regarding Bethlehem's claim to the championship related to the introduction of several "ringers" into the Bears line-up for the team's final four games. Local newspapers soon reported that the league awarded the title to the 5-2-3 All-Lancaster Red Roses
ELPF: 1926-1926
(1 season)
5-2 record 1
5-2 record 1
The Bears ended the season with 6-2-2 record against league opponents and a post-season victory over All-Lancaster. However, there was some question regarding Bethlehem's claim to the championship related to the introduction of several "ringers" into the Bears line-up for the team's final four games. Local newspapers soon reported that the league awarded the title to the 5-2-3 All-Lancaster Red Roses
PBL2: 1923-1925
(3 seasons)
9-8 average record
9-8 average record
PBL2: 1923-1925
(3 seasons)
9-7 average record
9-7 average record
PBL2: 1923-1925
(3 seasons)
9-7 average record
9-7 average record
PBL2: 1924-1925
(2 seasons)
9-11 average record
9-11 average record
PBL2: 1925-1925
(1 season)
7-9 record
7-9 record
ANTL: 1924-1924
(1 season)
4-4 record
4-4 record
ANTL: 1924-1924
(1 season)
0-1 record
0-1 record
PBL2: 1923-1924
(2 seasons)
8-8 average record
8-8 average record
PBL2: 1923-1924
(2 seasons)
4-10 average record
4-10 average record
PBL2: 1924-1924
(1 season)
7-14 record
7-14 record
USBL: 1912-1912
(1 season)
12-9 record
12-9 record
Reading disbanded June 6, 1912
NACB: 1906-1910
(5 seasons)
PBL: 1903-1909
(7 seasons)
12-11 average record
12-11 average record
PBL: 1903-1909
(7 seasons)
12-15 average record
12-15 average record
PBL: 1903-1909
(7 seasons)
13-16 average record
13-16 average record
PBL: 1905-1909
(5 seasons)
15-12 average record
15-12 average record
PBL: 1908-1909
(2 seasons)
16-5 average record 1
16-5 average record 1
PBL: 1908-1909
(2 seasons)
9-10 average record
9-10 average record
CBL: 1908-1908
(1 season)
22-8 record
22-8 record
PBL: 1903-1908
(6 seasons)
16-14 average record
16-14 average record
PBL: 1903-1908
(6 seasons)
15-16 average record
15-16 average record
IL: 1906-1906
(1 season)
IL: 1906-1906
(1 season)
IL: 1906-1906
(1 season)
IL: 1906-1906
(1 season)
PBL: 1903-1906
(4 seasons)
18-13 average record
18-13 average record
PBL: 1906-1906
(1 season)
5-23 record
5-23 record
PBL: 1906-1906
(1 season)
4-24 record
4-24 record
PBL: 1903-1905
(3 seasons)
16-13 average record
16-13 average record
NBL1: 1899-1904
(6 seasons)
14-9 average record
14-9 average record
NBL1: 1899-1904
(6 seasons)
15-10 average record
15-10 average record
NBL1: 1904-1904
(1 season)
2-12 record
2-12 record
PBL: 1903-1904
(2 seasons)
8-20 average record
8-20 average record
NBL1: 1900-1903
(4 seasons)
13-10 average record
13-10 average record
Bristol franchise merged with Burlington at the end of the first half
NBL1: 1901-1903
(3 seasons)
6-12 average record
6-12 average record
Bristol franchise merged with Burlington at the end of the first half
NBL1: 1902-1903
(2 seasons)
9-18 average record
9-18 average record
NBL1: 1903-1903
(1 season)
2-14 record
2-14 record
PBL: 1903-1903
(1 season)
12-15 record
12-15 record
WPPFC: 1902-1902
(1 season)
NFL1: 1902-1902
(1 season)
3-2 record
3-2 record
NFL1: 1901-1902
(2 seasons)
2-3 average record
2-3 average record
NBL1: 1900-1901
(2 seasons)
4-17 average record
4-17 average record
NBL1: 1900-1900
(1 season)
0-6 record
0-6 record
NBL1: 1899-1899
(1 season)
5-14 record
5-14 record
NBL1: 1899-1899
(1 season)
1-4 record
1-4 record
NBL1: 1899-1899
(1 season)
0-6 record
0-6 record
AA: 1890-1891
(2 seasons)
71-65 average record
71-65 average record
After the Players League folded following the 1890 season, the Philadelphia joined the American Association (AA) to replace the previously expelled Philiadelphia Athletics team.
The AA folded the following season and the Philadelphia players were absorbed into existing NL clubs in 1892.
AA: 1882-1890
(9 seasons)
62-55 average record
62-55 average record
Expelled by the Association following the 1890 season in response to the franchise releasing and selling the majority of their players for financial reasons.
UA: 1884-1884
(1 season)
21-46 record
21-46 record
Team disbanded in August of 1884.
The Union Association replaced the team with the Wilmington Quicksteps.
NL: 1866-1876
(11 seasons)
30-14 average record
30-14 average record
Left the National Association to become one of 8 founding clubs of the National League in 1876.
Franchise folded after being expelled from the league for failing to complete its final road trip of the 1876 season.
NA: 1875-1875
(1 season)
2-12 record
2-12 record
Franchise folded after playing 14 games in the National Assocation during 1875.
NA: 1873-1875
(3 seasons)
34-26 average record
34-26 average record
Philadelphia was formed to join the National Association (NA) in 1873. To differentiate from Athletic of Philadelphia, the new team was known as the White Stockings. When Chicago rejoined the NA in 1874, the Philadelphia club gave up the White Stocking name and was instead called the Pearls, for the new color of their stockings.
Team disbanded after the National Association folded following the 1875 season.
NABBP: 1866-1869
(4 seasons)
9-10 average record
9-10 average record
NABBP: 1867-1867
(1 season)
28-9 record
28-9 record
NABBP: 1867-1867
(1 season)
19-6 record
19-6 record
NABBP: 1867-1867
(1 season)
5-12 record
5-12 record