expansion team

American  

noun

Sports.

1. a new team in a league, composed largely of players from established league teams and formed when the league expands its membership.

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Etymology

Origin of expansion team

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Martino coached Atlanta when they joined MLS as an expansion team in 2017 and directed the squad to the league crown only a season later.

From Barron's

It is no secret the Mariners, who began play as an expansion team in 1977, have at times seemed cursed.

From The Wall Street Journal

Dombrowski took the Marlins from an expansion team to champions in the franchise’s fifth season of existence.

From The Wall Street Journal

John Thorrington’s decision to make Vela the first major signing for LAFC’s inaugural season is arguably the best ever made by an expansion team’s general manager.

From Los Angeles Times

The club had joined the league as an expansion team in 1962 in the company of the Houston Astros.

From Salon