The Grand Island team will play at Ryder Park which is undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation. The League will have an initial five-year lease agreement and has committed to investing $250,000 to support the facility upgrades at Ryder Park.
During the inaugural 2026 season, Grand Island will play a 50-game schedule from May 28 through August 1, followed by playoffs. The Grand Island franchise will hire a full-time staff that will reside in the market, and a coaching staff that will secure and manage the team’s roster under NCAA guidelines.
As a career development tool, the DBL, similar to other college summer leagues, will utilize wood bats, as opposed to NCAA play, in which players utilize aluminum bats. This experience is often a player’s indoctrination to the wood bats they will use as professionals.
The team will be operated to create an environment that mirrors that of a minor league baseball team, with game promotions, on field entertainment and fan engagement. The team will also actively schedule community engagement events such as school reading programs, fundraisers and the collection of funds, goods and services to benefit the underprivileged and non-profit entities in the community.
Players will live with “host families” in Grand Island during the season which often creates long-enduring relationships between these families and the players – sometimes extending throughout the player’s Major League career. Host families will receive benefits from the team (e.g., season tickets, exclusive special events, merchandise discounts) for participating in the host family program.
Since this is Grand Island’s team, the League would like the residents of Grand Island to name the team. Please CLICK HERE and submit your entry in the name the team contest.
