What were factors contributing to the failure of the National Coloured Baseball League?

• A. Poor coaching and lack of equipment
• B. Weather and travel costs
• C. Low attendance and Jim Crow laws
• D. Competition from MLB

Answer: (C)

The central issue is how racial segregation and Jim Crow-era attitudes constrained the league’s ability to attract fans and revenue. Because Black players were excluded from Major League Baseball, Black-owned or -run teams faced a much smaller market, limited venues, and barriers to advertising and media coverage. Those discriminatory limits led to low attendance and scant sponsorships, which in turn made it nearly impossible to cover travel, equipment, and player salaries. Weather and travel costs or coaching quality can affect any league, but they don’t explain the systemic financial and social hurdles that ultimately undermined the league. Competition from MLB isn’t the right frame here, since MLB excluded Black players, so there wasn’t direct market competition in the same way; the real pressure came from segregation and the resulting small, unreliable audience.