Believe it or not, fantasy sports is still a baby.  In about 5 years, we’ll look back at fantasy sports and be amazed at how much it has evolved.  Despite a lot of growth and globalization, there is still so much room for innovation.  From March Madness brackets and Super Bowl pools to even sports video games, the definition of fantasy sports has changed.  We are starting to realize that it’s beyond fantasy leagues, and ultimately about sports fans and their fantasies.  Most of us can’t be professional athletes, so we’ll love anything that can give us a taste of it.  Fantasy Sports 2.0 hasn’t hit yet, but it’s lurking and below are 10 things that could catalyze it.

1.  Google gets into fantasy sports
We all know by now that when Google gets into anything, the space gets rocked.  It gets turned up-side down and those who are already in it begin to scramble for survival.  Needless to say, if Google gets its hands dirty with the world of fantasy sports, they will come up with something very, very good for sports fans.

2.  Microsoft or Google buys Yahoo
An acquisition could change the face of fantasy sports leagues on Yahoo.  Whether it will be a positive or a negative change, only time will tell.  But let’s just say we like things the way the are and sports fans are weary of the current acquisition talks.

3.  Yahoo sports releases a platform for its fantasy sports leagues (Just happened as of 4/24/08 @ Web 2.0 Expo)
Yahoo easily offers the best fantasy sports league experience and platform release would be the ultimate catalyst.  On the surface, Yahoo run’s the best fantasy leagues.  Underneath it all, they own the most important sports social graph in the world.  The impacts would be endless.  

4.  EA or XBOX/PS3 and Yahoo Fantasy Sports Partnership
This partnership could bridge the big gap between fantasy sports leagues and virtual sports leagues.  This would also take us one step closer to a virtual sports world, which is still inconceivable by most.  Can you imagine?  Fantasy football based on an online Madden 09 league played by real people.  The implications are huge and fantasy sports leagues 365 days a year could be a reality. 

5.  ESPN Platform
Yahoo may own the best fantasy leagues, but ESPN is the sports media king and a platform would do to sports media what the Facebook platform did to social networks.  Once 3rd parties can tap into ESPN’s vast database of sports information, prepare for a ubiquitous ESPN presence.

6. Free, Live games streamed online 
If the NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL decide to offer free live game streamed online, sports fans all over the world will be less productive.  NCAA took the plunge first by offering the tournament games for free last month.  The best part about this one is it only takes one of the big four (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) to cause a chain reaction.  Free, live games streamed online would be nothing short of a dream for sports fans. 

7.  Open Source Fantasy Systems
Open source is great for innovation, no matter what sector it is.  Fantasy sports is no different.  An open source community focused on fantasy sports is still in its early stages, as Scoreos.org is the only one that exists (to my knowledge).  This could open the floodgates and lower the barriers for startups to engage in this space.

8.  Sports Search Engine
A search engine dedicated for sports information would be a killer resource for sports and fantasy sports fans.  We like to consume our information in different ways.  Current search engines such as Google or Yahoo aren’t really effective in delivering sports information.  Search for ‘Kobe Bryant’ and you’ll see a bunch of the latest news and hottest sites about Kobe, but what about the statistics, scores, videos, podcasts, and related merchandise?

9.  True Fantasy League Management on a Mobile Device
The iPhone revolutionized the mobile web browsing experience and Google Android is out to set some standards.  Soon, fans will be able to manage their fantasy rosters while they are at the game, on the road, while watching the game, or any other urgent situation.  A lot of the time, fantasy leagues are about beating your opponents to the punch for hot pickups.  League management on a mobile device will allow the hardcore players to becoming even more hardcore, raising the levels of competition.   

10.  Fantasy Sports Television
With fantasy sports focused programming sprouting on network and cable television, it’s safe to say that both a fantasy sports reality TV show and dedicated fantasy sports channels are on the way.  This is big not only because of its entertainment impacts, but also because it is a sign of mainstream cultural acceptance.  Bring it on.