Pathways
The step template behind each process. This is the master list - a live pathway copies these steps onto a team.
1. Team Launch
2. Team Reset (annual)
3. League Launch
4. Franchise Sale
5. Team Sale
6. Team Acquisition
7. League Acquisition
8. Team Rebrand or Relocation
9. League Rebrand
37 steps · 4 contract gates · 15 can start straight away
| # | Phase | Step | Who | Hands to | When | Blocked by | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August - close the season out |
Final home gate and concessions reconciled
Reconcile ticket counts and revenue after the last game. Concessions settle on the 75/25 split.
Hands over: Final reconciliation
|
Team GM |
Management Services | -288 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | |
| 2 | August - close the season out |
Player fees and refunds settled
Anything owed back goes out before the books close on the season.
|
Management Services |
-287 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | ||
| 3 | August - close the season out |
Gear returned, counted and written off or carried
Gear comes from Clarkston only - carry-over stock is theirs to track.
Hands over: Final stock count
|
Team GM |
Clarkston | -286 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | |
| 4 | August - close the season out | Host families thanked and released | Team GM |
-286 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | ||
| 5 | August - close the season out |
Season P&L closed for the team
Month-end close and reconciliation of the team’s Square activity.
|
Management Services |
-284 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | ||
| 6 | August - close the season out |
Departing staff offboarded - GroupMe, portal, accesses
The annual seat reset runs 15 August. Anyone not re-contracted comes out of the team GroupMe and loses portal access.
|
Whoever manages the team |
-283 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | ||
| 7 | August - close the season out |
Field walked with the school and condition signed off
Do this before you ask them to renew. A field handed back in good condition is the cheapest renewal argument there is.
Hands over: Condition sign-off
|
Whoever owns the entity |
Commissioner / League GM | -282 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | |
| 10 | The field |
Field agreement renewed or re-executed
GATE
THE gate of the whole reset. A team without a renewed field agreement does not have a season - it relocates. Greer and Mauldin are the live example: both had to be settled before September or both teams relocate. City-specific; the contact is the district athletic director, NOT the high school coaches.
Alec, 1 Oct 2026: field agreements are sometimes MULTI-YEAR, so this does not fire every season - only when the agreement actually expires. Set the expiry on the team and this step appears in the year it matters. City-specific; the contact is the district athletic director, not the high school coaches. Greer and Mauldin are the live case.
Hands over: The renewed field agreement
|
Whoever owns the entity |
Commissioner / League GM | -300 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | Only if the field agreement expires |
| 12 | Relocation |
New market identified and graded
The market grader already grades every market - use it.
Hands over: The chosen market
|
TPL corporate |
TPL corporate | -330 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | Only if relocating |
| 13 | Relocation |
New field agreement for the new city
GATE
No venue, no season. This is the gate that decides whether the relocation happens at all.
A relocation always needs a new agreement regardless of whether the old one had run out. District athletic director, not the coaches.
Hands over: The executed field agreement
|
Whoever owns the entity |
Commissioner / League GM | -300 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | Only if relocating |
| 14 | Relocation | Entity name changed and DBA updated | Whoever owns the entity |
-250 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | Only if relocating | |
| 16 | Relocation |
Branding kept or rebuilt for the new city
If the name changes, open a rebrand pathway and run it alongside. Covering the old city on jerseys is a real cost - check the for-sale list first, because if the team is also selling, that spend belongs to the buyer.
Hands over: Final logo and kit direction
|
TPL corporate |
Clarkston | -245 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | Only if relocating |
| 18 | Relocation | Domain, email, website and socials updated - TEAM level | TPL corporate |
-240 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | Only if relocating | |
| 19 | Relocation |
League site, league socials and league directory updated
Alec, 1 Oct 2026: this is the half that gets forgotten. The league’s own website, socials and directory all carry the old city too.
|
Commissioner / League GM |
-240 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | Only if relocating | |
| 20 | The field |
Field dates and blackout days confirmed with the school
Hands over: Available home dates
|
Whoever owns the entity |
Commissioner / League GM | -270 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
|
| 21 | Relocation |
TPL system forms and records renamed
Application form, apply dropdowns, order books, GroupMe group names, portal labels, Drive folders. A team that moved but still reads as the old city in the forms is how players end up applying to a team that no longer exists.
|
TPL corporate |
-235 days vs season start | nothing - can start now | Only if relocating | |
| 30 | The field |
Playing-field minimums re-checked against the manual
Operations Manual v8 locks the playing-field minimums. A field that drifted out of spec over a year is a forfeiture risk.
|
Commissioner / League GM |
-260 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
||
| 40 | August - rehire |
Head Coach - offer out in August, contract starts 1 September
Alec, 1 Oct 2026: the season ends 31 July, August closes the year out and is when we rehire, and contracts start 1 September.
Hands over: A signed seat
|
Whoever manages the team |
Team GM | -285 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
|
| 50 | August - rehire |
Assistant Coach - offer out in August, contract starts 1 September
Alec, 1 Oct 2026: the season ends 31 July, August closes the year out and is when we rehire, and contracts start 1 September.
Hands over: A signed seat
|
Whoever manages the team |
Team GM | -285 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
TPL-managed only |
| 60 | Staff |
DSCE - contract starts 1 January
Alec, 1 Oct 2026: a DSCE contract does not start until January. Recruiting can run earlier, but the contract year begins 1 January - unlike coaching seats, which start 1 September.
Hands over: A signed seat
|
Whoever manages the team |
Team GM | -135 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
TPL-managed only |
| 70 | August - rehire |
Director of Ballpark Operations - offer out in August, starts 1 September
Alec, 1 Oct 2026: the season ends 31 July, August closes the year out and is when we rehire, and contracts start 1 September.
Hands over: A signed seat
|
Whoever manages the team |
Team GM | -285 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
TPL-managed only |
| 80 | August - rehire |
Concessions Services - offer out in August, starts 1 September
Alec, 1 Oct 2026: the season ends 31 July, August closes the year out and is when we rehire, and contracts start 1 September.
Hands over: A signed seat
|
Whoever manages the team |
Team GM | -285 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
TPL-managed only |
| 90 | August - rehire |
Host Family Coordinator - confirmed in August
Alec, 1 Oct 2026: the season ends 31 July, August closes the year out and is when we rehire, and contracts start 1 September.
Hands over: A confirmed coordinator
|
Whoever manages the team |
Team GM | -285 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
|
| 100 | Money and compliance |
Insurance renewed with TPL as additional insured
GATE
Manual 7.6 - required coverage. Lapsed insurance is a breach.
|
Whoever owns the entity |
-240 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
||
| 110 | Money and compliance |
Licences and permits renewed
Includes the food-service permit and the beer or alcohol licence - both have real lead times and both carry concession revenue.
|
Whoever owns the entity |
-210 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
||
| 120 | Money and compliance | Sales tax account and resale certificate current | Whoever owns the entity |
-210 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
||
| 130 | Money and compliance |
Royalty 3 percent true-up filed
GATE
Manual 13.1 - the 3 percent of Gross Receipts over $618,000 true-up is paid annually by 31 January.
|
Management Services |
-105 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
||
| 140 | Money and compliance |
Advertising fund invoiced
Manual 13.1 - due on the effective date and annually on 1 January.
|
Management Services |
-135 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
||
| 150 | Money and compliance | Team budget set for the season | Whoever manages the team |
-200 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
||
| 160 | Revenue |
Sponsors renewed
Team Operations SOP: renew 60 days before expiry, sell from the rate card, never below floor.
|
DSCE |
-180 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
||
| 170 | Revenue | Group and season tickets on sale | DSCE |
-120 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
||
| 180 | Roster |
Roster rebuilt and players signed
No player signed until paid; no pitcher signed until housing and payment are both confirmed.
|
Team GM |
-90 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
||
| 190 | Roster |
Host families re-confirmed
No housed player is signed until a family is confirmed.
|
Team GM |
-120 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
||
| 200 | Kit |
Team gear ordered
Gear comes from Clarkston only.
Hands over: The team order
|
Team GM |
Clarkston | -150 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
|
| 210 | Media |
Camera and stream checked before opening day
Press-box internet is the franchisee obligation - confirm it works before the install check.
|
Foul Pole |
-45 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
||
| 220 | Schedule | League schedule published and home dates confirmed | Commissioner / League GM |
-150 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|
||
| 230 | Season | Game-day run-of-show refreshed | Team GM |
-30 days vs season start | Field agreement renewed or re-executed
|