This article explains why a returning manager fails to associate with their keepers, and explains how to delete a team and have an owner take over their old team. Returning managers need to claim ownership of their previous team, rather than creating a new team, in order for these features to work properly.

The most common reason a returning manager does not associate with his keepers is because the owner did not accept the invite to take over the previous team, but instead created a new team in the league.

This will also cause a problem with being unable to import traded draft picks from the previous season.

You will need to remove the new team from the team list and have the owner accept an invite to take over their old team in order for their traded draft picks to import, and for them to be able to make their keeper selections online.

Please note: If you have deleted the old team from the league in the "Invite Friends" or the "Delete Teams" tool, the team's history -- including any historical records, keepers, and traded draft picks -- cannot be added back without deleting the league and starting the renewal process over. There is no way to recover a previously deleted team within the renewed league. It will not be possible to re-associate its history with the new team, nor will it be possible to import traded draft picks for your league.

Please follow these steps in order to delete the existing (new) team and have the owner take over their old team:

1. Unlock your league's team list using the Finalize Team List tool, via the following path:
   • Commish Tools | Finalize Team List | Unlock Teams | click the Unlock Teams button. 
      
2. Remove the new team from the league using the Remove Teams tool. You can find this tool via the following path:
   • Commish Tools | Remove Teams | Click Remove for the correct team | Confirm the deletion, by clicking on the Delete Team button.

Please note: Be sure not to select "Remove and Ban," or else the owner will not be able to use the same Yahoo! ID to take over their old team.

3. Use the Invite Friends tool to send an invite to the owner to take over the old team. You can find this tool on the Commish Tools page | Invite Friends link.

Please note: Do not send the invite from the "New Teams" section. Instead, enter their email address in the field provided for the previous teams that are not owned, then click the Send Invitations button at the bottom of the page.

Once the owner accepts the invite and takes over their old team, you will be able to import last year's traded draft picks to the league, and the owner can use the Choose Keepers tool to make their keeper selections.

For more detailed information about keeper leagues, please check out these articles:

Keeper management tools

• Enabling or disabling keeper tools
• Choose Keepers tool
• Confirm Keepers tool
• Edit Draft Order & Assign Keeper Players tool

Setting up a keeper league

• First-year and transfer keeper leagues
• Re-associating managers to their keeper league teams
• Auction keepers
• Offline keepers

Managing a keeper league

• Keeper league basics
• Trading picks in keeper leagues
• Offseason trades in keeper leagues
• Keeper player status