Grid League Northern Conference – 2023 Roster Updates and Power Rankings
Following a remarkable opening weekend in the Southern Conference, the Northern Conference will join the action for an exhilarating inter-conference play weekend. The event will take place at the USA Fit Expo in Orlando, Florida, on July 1.
The Northern Conference experienced a tumultuous off-season, characterized by several top players switching teams along with some big-name rookies entering the scene. This has created an intriguing outlook for the 2023 season and its difficult to make any solid season projections, but I’ll venture a guess nonetheless.
Last year’s placement – 4th
Talent retention – 3rd
Talent acquisition – 2nd
Last year, the Tampa Bay Brigade started strong, claiming a substantial victory over the formidable South Beach Palms. However, they faced significant setbacks during that match, as two key players sustained injuries and the rest of the season was plagued with similar misfortunes. Despite finishing last in the conference, they made substantial power acquisitions during the off-season, including the high-caliber strength specialist, Sidney Wilson and former player Sarah Harrison. With the return of previously injured key members, Ricky Morgan and Christopher Cioffi, they are in about as good of a position they could shoot for while battling for the conference lead.
Last year’s placement – 3rd
Talent retention – 2nd
Talent acquisition – 1st
The Southwest Florida Sharks found themselves at the heart of off-season drama, successfully acquiring considerable talent from their Northern Conference rivals, the Gainesville Wild, including the 2022 MVP, Sammy Nalley. Given that the Sharks narrowly missed the playoffs to the Gainesville Wild by one tiebreaker point last season, it’s hard to dispute their strong positioning heading into the new season. However, it is worth noting, they suffered the loss of long-time veteran players, Sarina Clark and Kevin Schultz.
Last year’s placement – 2nd
Talent retention – 1st
Talent Acquisition – 4th
Despite ending the regular season as the number one seed, the Orlando Aces narrowly lost to the Gainesville Wild in the Northern Conference finals of 2022 playoffs. The match hinged on a matter of seconds in the sprint relay. But with the top-tier leadership and performance of strength specialist Taylar Stallings, and a very successful off-season retaining talent, the Orlando Aces are well-positioned to maintain their number one seed in 2023. Their notable rookie talent acquisitions include Janine Nicole and Colombian bodyweight athlete Cristhian Felipe Alvarez Diaz.
Last year’s placement – 1st
Talent retention – 4th
Talent Acquisition – 3rd
The Gainesville Wild, although seeming to lose out in the off-season drama, retained extremely key, husband and wife team members Justin and Megan Adams. Alongside a fresh player leadership culture, they recruited arguably the best new player of the off-season, Griffin Roelle, whose past American Grid trials results suggest a perfect fit for Grid League. It’s intriguing to consider if he’ll live up to the hype once the action commences on the GRID. Additionally, in a last-minute change of plans, the 2021 MVP RJ Hibbard decided to return for the Wild in 2023, a significant addition. It remains to be seen what this reformed Gainesville Wild team will bring to the table, but it’s certain to be fun to watch.
2023 northern
conference
Power
Rakings
Sharks – 1
Aces – 2
Brigade – 3
Wild – 4
Given the extensive shuffling and influx of talent in the conference, predicting outcomes is futile. However, it’s certain that the Northern Conference will be a hotbed of excitement and stories to follow in 2023. My cautious prediction is the Sharks leading the conference. Regardless, it’s anyone’s conference to win, and I eagerly anticipate the unfolding action.
The Grid League, in its unpredictability, mirrors the thrill of football, ensuring that no weekend plays out quite as expected. The unfolding drama is best witnessed firsthand; Watch Grid League LIVE in 2023
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Article by Joe Roberto
Color Commentator and Analyst
As a former player for the Pompano Pulse, Joe brings extensive knowledge of Grid League strategy and what it takes to be successful in the sport. He also brings an in-depth knowledge of Hyrox, Dekafit and other OCR events as a current competitor.
