Newcastle to Make NBL Return?

As interest in the NBL swells, “support is growing” for a Newcastle expansion team.

The NSW harbour city has a strong history, with the Falcons competing in the League from 1979-1999 and the Hunter Pirates from 2003-2006.

Along with a storied heritage, a business case for a proposed 11,000 seat stadium has been presented to the government.

Basketball NSW CEO Maria Nordstrom told Newscorp basketball is “big” in the Newcastle region.

“Around the Hunter and Central Coast region, there are 11,000 to 12,000 members who participate in basketball and if you include school programs that number goes up to 25,000 to 30,000,” Nordstrom said.

Last year NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger told the Newcastle Herald, “the proposition of a new 11,000-seat stadium in Newcastle is something we would be interested in hearing more about”.

“We want to keep growing the NBL and the game of basketball, and bringing the sport to new regions is paramount in achieving that goal. The NBL are always open to discussions with all governments around bringing games to regions who have NBL-standard venues,” Loeliger continued.