How to keep it interesting in the offseason?

[aggs]

I commished two startups in 2011 - only one guy left in my keeper, but three owners fled in another dynasty.

Unfortunately, today we found out our runner-up is leaving. He wants to cut cut back on his fantasy teams (he has a 5-week old) and he said our league wasn't very active or competitive anyway. I happen to disagree on both counts - he's used to playing in a league where he personally knows every owner. This was only our first year.

So, with so much turnover in year one, is there anything I can do in the offseason to maintain interest and keep owners happy/motivated? Having our runner-up leave like this was just awful in my opinion.

[melish1631]

Well, there could be 'other' reasons why he left ...although its bad anyone leaves, if the teams are not happy, not participating etc...it's not good either! Were there any specific issues that may have left owners with a bad taste? Maybe there were and no one spoke up....sometimes it's good to review some of the 'initial' rules and see if there are areas to improve?

[Richman]

Is it a money league?

[aggs]

Yes, but low entry fee of $15. I want to bump it to $25-30, nothing crazy.

[Guppy CEO]

i've been thinking of that too lately. i think some kind of trade benefit for offseason trades only would keep some interested. just not sure what that benefit should be. maybe allow owners to adjust traded contracts by 1 year either direction for a 25% salary increase. right now no one ever trades $1 players, and when their contracts expire, they go into FA auction and can shoot up to as much as $70, so we've ended up with alot of super cheap and super expensive players and almost no trades any more.

[Richman]

Yes, but low entry fee of $15. I want to bump it to $25-30, nothing crazy.

I can't see why folks bailed on you unless the league has only a couple of stacked teams, but with the runner up leaving i doubt that's the case. I guess you just got unlucky with a couple owners. I started a 16 team league last year and have a buddy wanting in but no one wanting out to free up a spot. Just find a few more dedicated owners and hopefully things work out for the league. The increase in winnings could help.

[meineymoe]

I started up a very active, very competitive, sixteen team league in 2008. It's a local league, so many of the owners know at least a couple of the other owners. We have a $25 fee - enough to have decent payouts, but not so much that it causes the owners of cruddy teams to feel ripped off.

Still, we've had turnover - usually two owners per season who bail. But the replacement owners we have are guys who wanted in and turn out to be very active. Sometimes you get lucky with the first group of owners you go with, sometimes it takes a few season to get that core of owners.

I'm also in an online, no fee dynasty league that we started up in 1995 - I've only personally met a few of the owners once or twice over the years. Nine of the original owners are still in the league, and there are another two or three who have been with us at least ten seasons, with no owner turnover in the past four seasons. I consider that excellent retention, to still have half of our original owners 17 seasons later.

I wouldn't worry about it yet. Just go find a couple of more owners and plug them in. You can also talk to a few of the owners who are active and see what they think about the league, if they think there is something wrong with the league that might make owners quit. Most likely, it's more about the owner than it is about the league.

Good luck!

-oo-

[melish1631]

I started up a very active, very competitive, sixteen team league in 2008. It's a local league, so many of the owners know at least a couple of the other owners. We have a $25 fee - enough to have decent payouts, but not so much that it causes the owners of cruddy teams to feel ripped off.

Still, we've had turnover - usually two owners per season who bail. But the replacement owners we have are guys who wanted in and turn out to be very active. Sometimes you get lucky with the first group of owners you go with, sometimes it takes a few season to get that core of owners.

I'm also in an online, no fee dynasty league that we started up in 1995 - I've only personally met a few of the owners once or twice over the years. Nine of the original owners are still in the league, and there are another two or three who have been with us at least ten seasons, with no owner turnover in the past four seasons. I consider that excellent retention, to still have half of our original owners 17 seasons later.

I wouldn't worry about it yet. Just go find a couple of more owners and plug them in. You can also talk to a few of the owners who are active and see what they think about the league, if they think there is something wrong with the league that might make owners quit. Most likely, it's more about the owner than it is about the league.

-oo-

Sound advice to all league commissioners, not just Aggs...I took advice from some of our fellow board members when deciding to leave a league! The bottom line is that it wasn't fun, little to no communication and extremely top heavy - my team was a top 3! The league offered nothing and I jumped in a few years back...it's the first and only league that I have left but some lucky guy who wants a good team is going to be happy

[bigcsr67]

My main league that I have ran since 2005 just lost its 1st owner this year, but the replacement owner was already in place before that. I keep a waiting list of about three to five guys that are anxiously waiting in the wings if any owner does indeed depart. I have also raised and lowered and raised the entry fee over the years, and probably will lower it once again, just to retain owners. I try to involve the owners as much as possible in making decissions about league matters as well, the more they feel involved, the more active they will be. Keep an open ear for any and all suggestions that any owners may have, and always be willing to change things up from time to time to spice it up a bit.