The ownership group behind the Criollos de Caguas of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) and the Criollas de Caguas of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional Femenino (BSNF) has acquired the Criollas de Caguas of the Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino (LVSF), a franchise with a long history of success in Puerto Rican volleyball.
With the acquisition, all three Caguas teams come under the same group, which in 2025 brought the women's basketball Criollas to the city and in 2024 celebrated a championship with the Criollos.
Xavier Aponte, Carlos Nuñez and Wilhelmus Caanen pose in Criollos and Criollas de Caguas jerseys (provided).
"We're here to compete and work hard, to give them the tools they need to stay healthy," said John Herrero, co-owner and general manager of the Criollos and Criollas de Caguas, at a press conference held at Tijuana's de Caguas.
The outgoing Criollas general manager, Francisco Furiel Ramos, was with the team for 17 years and handled the transaction. The amount is confidential, communications officer Rosalina Marrero told Platea.
Why does it matter? It is the first time in history that three teams have been part of the same franchise, Cindy Nieves, operations manager for the Criollos and Criollas de Caguas (BSN and BSNF), pointed out to Platea.
The transaction is also a bet on women's sports. "With the acquisition of the women's volleyball team, we send the message that there is opportunity for everyone," Nieves told Platea.
The operations manager described her vision for women's sports this way: "In an ideal future, seeing the courts full, seeing women's sports being supported at the same level as men's sports."
To get there, the group wants attending a game to be more than watching a match. "We're working hard so that people don't just go to the courts to watch a game, but to have an experience, and we want to deliver that experience in both the men's and women's teams."
The Criollas enter this new chapter with 15 national championships, 14 runner-up finishes and 29 finals series over four decades. Their record includes two three-peats, from 1996 to 1998 and from 2000 to 2002, and six titles between 2014 and 2021.
What the new owners are saying
According to the group, the acquisition is part of its commitment to continue investing in Caguas sports, promote women's sports and expand athletic and community opportunities in the city.
The three franchises will share the coliseo Roger Mendoza, which has established itself as the home of sports in the Ciudad Criolla.
Las Criollas de Caguas are much more than 15 championships. Their legacy of excellence, with titles across four different decades, is a source of pride. We take on this new chapter with a commitment to strengthening women's sports and continuing to create opportunities for Caguas and the sport.
What's next?
Carlos Núñez will continue as head coach of the Criollas de Caguas in volleyball.
The coach was visibly moved at the press conference: "I'm not from Caguas, I'm from Carolina, and I already feel like one more cagüeño. You will always see from me the same effort, the same desire to keep learning and to be a guide, delivering the same results for this great city with the help of this great administration."
On Nov. 15, the league will hold the new players' draft, and the season is scheduled to begin on Jan. 8.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
