Rise Nation owner Rodger Saffold confirms CDL expansion delay

Tennessee Titans guard and Rise Nation co-owner Rodger Saffold has confirmed that the Call of Duty League had plans to bring on new expansion teams, but fans will have to wait a little longer to see that happen.

Rise Nation was a mainstay in the Call of Duty World League and the pre-franchising era.

The org saw a lot of success through the years, winning championships and earning top placements from Call of Duty: Ghosts all the way through to World War II, in which Rise was one of the top teams.

They’re a brand familiar with CoD and one that fans grew to be fans of over the years, but they didn’t end up in the Call of Duty League when it first launched in 2019.

That said, they’ve frequently shown interest in Call of Duty and remained a part of the community, with the organization’s roots firmly entrenched in CoD.

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Now, on the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast hosted by Titans tackle Taylor Lewan and Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Will Compton, Saffold has confirmed that the CDL wants Rise Nation in — but expansion has been delayed.

“I’ve still got a ton of contacts at Call of Duty, and I’m definitely trying to get a franchise with them next year,” explained Saffold. Then, citing the global health crisis, he added: “When it came to expanding the league, they wanted to bring four more teams on, they were like ‘We’re just going to stick with these 12 teams again until we’re able to upgrade again.”

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He then said that they told him that they want Saffold and Rise Nation to own a franchise “because everybody knows you in this space.”

While fans have been calling for expansion for the past two off-seasons, it looks like they may have to wait a little longer, even with orgs like Cloud9 hinting at entering the CDL.

So, with Saffold explaining that the league wants Rise Nation involved, how long is it until we see a Tennessee franchise?