The independent baseball landscape shifted again this fall when REV Entertainment announced that the Cleburne Railroaders and Kane County Cougars will leave the American Association of Professional Baseball and join the National Association of Professional Baseball beginning with the 2027 season.
The move, confirmed September 30, expands the league—formerly known as the Frontier League—to 20 teams and marks the circuit’s first expansion since the Mississippi Mud Monsters and Down East Bird Dawgs entered in 2025. It also gives REV Entertainment three clubs in the same league, as the company already owns and operates the Schaumburg Boomers.
“We are proud to join the National Association of Professional Baseball and become part of an organization with a rich history of professional baseball and an exciting vision for the future,” said Sean Decker, President of REV Entertainment. “This transition presents new opportunities for our teams, players, fans and communities, and we look forward to contributing to the continued growth of the league.”
The National Association of Professional Baseball is the new identity of the Frontier League, which announced its rebrand in April 2026 after a strategic planning process that began in late 2024. Founded in 1993, it remains the longest continuously operating independent professional baseball league in North America and an official MLB Partner League. League officials said the Frontier League name no longer reflected the circuit’s geographic reach, which now stretches from Canada through the Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast and into Texas.
Commissioner Steve Tahsler welcomed the additions. “Cleburne adds another MLB metropolitan market to our lineup in a location with a tremendous baseball history, while Kane County has been one of the top performing operations in professional baseball for more than 30 years,” he said.
The Cleburne Railroaders, based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, represent the league’s first franchise in Texas. The modern team began play in 2017 as an American Association expansion club and plays at La Moderna Field, a modern ballpark that has hosted both professional and college games under REV’s management. The Railroaders are led by general manager Jimmy Frush and manager Pete Incaviglia, the former Texas Rangers outfielder.
“This is an exciting time for the Cleburne Railroaders,” Frush said. “The National Association of Professional Baseball is a great fit for our team, our fans, and our community. We are thrilled for the opportunity to develop new traditions and memorable experiences at La Moderna Field, while competing for NAPB championships.”
Kane County brings a longer pedigree. The Cougars spent nearly three decades as a Class A Midwest League affiliate of multiple Major League organizations before joining the American Association in 2021 following MLB’s reorganization of the minors. Playing at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva, Illinois—about 40 miles west of Chicago—the club has been a consistent attendance leader among Partner League teams and recently won back-to-back Miles Wolff Cup titles in 2024 and 2025.
“Joining the National Association of Professional Baseball represents an exciting next step for the Kane County Cougars and our community,” said Curtis Haug, the club’s vice president and general manager. “We’re excited to begin this next chapter while continuing to build on the strong connection we have with our loyal fans and incredible partners.”
League and team officials emphasized that fans should notice little change on game day. Both clubs will continue offering affordable, family-friendly professional baseball in their communities. The 2027 regular season is scheduled to open May 6 with a 102-game schedule across 20 teams in the United States and Canada. Division alignments and full schedules have been released, placing Kane County in the Midwest Conference alongside familiar Chicagoland and regional opponents.
The dual move consolidates REV Entertainment’s independent baseball footprint. Beyond the three NAPB clubs, the company also operates the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League and the New Mexico Goatheads of the ECHL. For the Railroaders and Cougars, the switch represents a new competitive chapter inside the league that has long positioned itself as the oldest and one of the most stable independent circuits in the country.
With the rebrand complete and two established franchises now on board, the National Association of Professional Baseball enters 2027 with expanded reach, deeper ownership ties in key markets, and the same Partner League relationship with Major League Baseball that has defined the circuit for years.
