A new American Basketball Association (ABA) team plans to play in Jacksonville this season.
Ron Sholes, a local attorney, is the owner of the new franchise that will play all of its games at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, with all of its home games televised on local cable station CW17.
While nearly every professional basketball team that has played in Jacksonville hasn't lasted more than a couple of years, Sholes said this franchise will be different than previous ones, including the Jacksonville Jam, an ABA team that played here several years ago and lasted one season.
"We're going to be different than those others in that we're playing at a quality site in the arena, and our games will be on TV," Sholes said. "We're going to make this an exciting game-day experience for the fans, very similar to what the Jacksonville Sharks did with their fans this year. It will be affordable entertainment with a family atmosphere, with tickets priced as low as $4 per game."
A seat behind the basket for the team's 15-game regular-season home schedule can be purchased for as low as $64. Single-game tickets range from $8 to $100, with season packages priced from $64 to $1,200.
Kevin Waters, who most recently served as coach of the defunct Jacksonville Blue Wave in the World Basketball Association, will serve as the team's general manager and head coach. Sholes indicated that the team will consist of both local and national players.
"We're talking with some players who played for state champion Arlington Country Day and some who were at JU, Flagler and other local colleges," he said. "We haven't finalized our team at this point and won't do so until after our open tryouts on Nov. 13."
Sholes said the team is also talking with several local businesses for partnership arrangements, including the possibility of naming rights for the team nickname and mascot.
Most of the team's home games will be in December and January on Saturday or Sunday night. There are three dates when Jacksonville University will play an afternoon game in the arena, and the ABA team will play that night, including Dec. 4, when the latter opens its season against the San Francisco Rumble. JU has an Atlantic Sun game against Florida Gulf Coast at 3:15 p.m. that day.
The ABA club will also have home games on Dec. 12 and 26, the same days the Jaguars have a home game, and on Jan. 1, the day of the Gator Bowl at EverBank Field.
jeff.elliott@jacksonville.com,
(904) 359-4292
