Defunct Teams
78 teams have folded or moved away from the Philadelphia area
WHA: 1973-1973
(1 season)
ABL3: 1963-1963
(1 season)
NBA: 1947-1962
(16 seasons)
MLB: 1901-1954
(54 seasons)
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)
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.
ABL: 1948-1948
(1 season)
The franchise was terminated by the league on December 4, 1947
ABL: 1943-1943
(1 season)
Folded after only one season.
ABL: 1939-1940
(2 seasons)
Dropped out of the league on February 2, 1940
EBL2: 1930-1933
(4 seasons)
EBL2: 1933-1933
(1 season)
EBL2: 1932-1933
(2 seasons)
EBL2: 1932-1933
(2 seasons)
EBL2: 1932-1933
(2 seasons)
EBL2: 1899-1932
(34 seasons)
NFL: 1924-1931
(8 seasons)
TBL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
TBL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
TBL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
TBL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
TBL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
TBL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
EBL2: 1929-1931
(3 seasons)
EBL2: 1929-1931
(3 seasons)
EBL2: 1931-1931
(1 season)
EBL2: 1931-1931
(1 season)
NHL: 1931-1931
(1 season)
EBL2: 1929-1930
(2 seasons)
EBL2: 1929-1929
(1 season)
EBL2: 1929-1929
(1 season)
NFL: 1924-1928
(5 seasons)
ABL1: 1927-1928
(2 seasons)
ELPF: 1924-1926
(3 seasons)
ELPF: 1924-1926
(3 seasons)
AFLG: 1926-1926
(1 season)
L. S. Conway
ELPF: 1926-1926
(1 season)
ELPF: 1926-1926
(1 season)
ELPF: 1926-1926
(1 season)
Withdrew from league 13 October 1926
ELPF: 1926-1926
(1 season)
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)
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)
PBL2: 1923-1925
(3 seasons)
PBL2: 1923-1925
(3 seasons)
PBL2: 1924-1925
(2 seasons)
PBL2: 1925-1925
(1 season)
ANTL: 1924-1924
(1 season)
ANTL: 1924-1924
(1 season)
PBL2: 1923-1924
(2 seasons)
PBL2: 1923-1924
(2 seasons)
PBL2: 1924-1924
(1 season)
USBL: 1912-1912
(1 season)
Reading disbanded June 6, 1912
NBL1: 1899-1904
(6 seasons)
NBL1: 1899-1904
(6 seasons)
NBL1: 1903-1904
(2 seasons)
NBL1: 1904-1904
(1 season)
NBL1: 1900-1903
(4 seasons)
Bristol franchise merged with Burlington at the end of the first half
NBL1: 1901-1903
(3 seasons)
Bristol franchise merged with Burlington at the end of the first half
NBL1: 1902-1903
(2 seasons)
NBL1: 1903-1903
(1 season)
NFL1: 1902-1902
(1 season)
NFL1: 1901-1902
(2 seasons)
NBL1: 1900-1901
(2 seasons)
NBL1: 1900-1900
(1 season)
NBL1: 1899-1899
(1 season)
NBL1: 1899-1899
(1 season)
NBL1: 1899-1899
(1 season)
AA: 1890-1891
(2 seasons)
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)
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)
Team disbanded in August of 1884.
The Union Association replaced the team with the Wilmington Quicksteps.
NL: 1866-1876
(11 seasons)
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)
Franchise folded after playing 14 games in the National Assocation during 1875.
NA: 1873-1875
(3 seasons)
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)
NABBP: 1867-1867
(1 season)
NABBP: 1867-1867
(1 season)
NABBP: 1867-1867
(1 season)