College football isn't the only sport in the United States that is dealing with a phase of realignment. Major League Baseball has a realignment issue of sorts to deal with as well.
The Oakland Athletics became the first team since 2004 to relocate to a new market after ownership failed to reach an agreement with city officials regarding funding for a new stadium. Nevada state officials, however, approved a $380 million bill to fund a ballpark in Las Vegas. The A's have begun their relocation process and a vote by MLB owners should seal their fate as Vegas' latest professional sports franchise.
Another team could potentially be on the move: The Milwaukee Brewers.
The Brewers and Wisconsin state officials have yet to agree on funding for renovations to Milwaukee's American Family Field, per Molly Beck of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. However, she did also report that the Brewers ‘genuinely want to stay' and that the team's lease in Milwaukee lasts until 2030. So they're not going anywhere anytime soon.
But if the Brewers do wind up leaving, which cities could they target for relocation?
Charlotte, North Carolina
One of the cities Molly Beck threw out as a possible option is Charlotte. Charlotte is already home to the Carolina Panthers (NFL) and Charlotte Hornets (NBA). The city has an NHL team nearby in the Carolina Hurricanes and recently were got into the MLS with Charlotte FC.
Charlotte is the 21st-biggest market in the United States, per The Nielsen Company. Milwaukee is 38th and Las Vegas, soon-to-be home of the Athletics, is 40th. So Charlotte is plenty capable of hosting an MLB team.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is another city that Beck mentioned as a possibility if the Brewers were to relocate. It's quite likely the best option for that scenario.
For one, Nashville isn't far outside the NL Central's existing landscape. With the exception of Chicago, Nashville is actually closer to every other city in the NL Central (Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati) than Milwaukee.
On top of that, Nashville is a popular city among players. According to a player poll done by The Athletic, 69 of 100 players chose Nashville as the city they'd most want to see add an expansion franchise. Professional sports are already in Nashville, too, with the Tennessee Titans (NFL), Nashville Predators (NHL) and Nasvhille SC (MLS). Why couldn't the city support an MLB team as well?
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Much like Seattle when there's talk of expansion or relocation in the NBA, Montreal needs to be brought up any time those subjects are mulled in baseball. The last time an MLB team relocated was in 2004, when the Montreal Expos moved to Washington D.C. to become the Washington Nationals.
It is known that baseball can work there. If the Brewers do relocate, it would work in Montreal yet again.
San Antonio, Texas
Despite being the 31st-biggest market in the United States, the only sports team San Antonio has is the San Antonio Spurs. The city has been trying to rectify that situation, though. San Antonio tried to lure the then-Oakland Raiders before they settled in the Las Vegas desert.
The Spurs have a great fan base and the city wants to add more professional sports franchises. San Antonio would be a great spot for the Brewers.
Portland, Oregon
Basically, the same thing that can be said about San Antonio also applies to Portland. The City of Roses also has the Portland Timbers in the MLS to go with the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA, but that's it. Portland is the biggest US market without an MLB team.
The Pacific Northwest is probably too far from Milwaukee and the NL Central for Portland to be a serious relocation candidate, but it's definitely big enough to land an MLB team.