New Semi - Pro League

[bigbasketballfan1985]

Hi everyone. I'm from Minnesota and thinking of starting a semi - pro basketball league.

[mrcool92501]

1.start your league regionally (ie stay in the upper mid-west)
for a season or two,then if successful start slowly looking at other regions of the us...maybe even canada?
2. do due diligence on your prospective ownership coming into your league
or else u'll b called joe newman jr!!! :)
3.decide if u want to play spring/summer or wintertime.
4.imo-6 teams at the minimum in any sports league venture
5.make a hard deadline date for prospective ownership for entry in your league:
last day in august for a november startup or the last day in march for a spring/summer startup

well other posters will give ya ideas also

[bigbasketballfan1985]

Thanks. I really am glad people are giving me ideas for the first year.

[Aces2007]

Do yourself a favor - don't try to re-invent the wheel.

The IBL has a pretty sound business plan - they are learning from mistakes and the league gets stronger each season financially and in terms of the level of play.

Invest in an IBL team (or two) for Minnesota.

[SignGuyDino]

I'd try a house league. If you think about it all the local race tracks are really house leagues. People come from the region to support one or two drivers. You could have 1-2 games on Friday and Saturday nights. If you're talking summer 2006 I'd start calling every pratical place now.

It'd give you a year to learn the ropes without much cost. If you can't raise the money for next year, give everyone their money back and try again in 2008.

Don't overextend yourself. If you can't do it, don't do it.

Do research and don't hire people who have embarrassed themselves in any other sport venture. (Jim Terry, Joe Newman, Andrew Haines, etc.) Make absolutely sure there's a blacklist that is enforced leaguewide.

Have a modest website with a reasonable domain name (easy for customers to find). Update it every game night even if it's just scores.

Ask for help from the Sports Management department of a local university. Ask about grants or equipment donations.

Pay nobody anything except the refs.

Set up a non-profit for your group if you can. Do research for fundraisers but at the least make sure you talk to sponsors.

Talk to the soda sponsor of the local gym. They usually have programs for programs like this.

Make sure to incorporate a youth camp as part of the league. Make sure the donations for it are used solely to make sure the kids can get in for as little as possible. Establish scholarships to give to about 30 kids if need be as we do with the Henry Logan Basketball Camp (www.henryloganbasketball.com) Free publicity, way to raise revenue, etc.

You don't have to reinvent the wheel rules wise but do consider what the IBL is doing. If you want to consider something a little more radical, check out my 4 Man Basketball Association site at www.4manbasketball.com or www.4mba.net

I have a column I was fortunate enough to get published on OSC about minor league basketball. Other good suggestions there. Can find it at www.4mba.net

I can't name the companies I'd recommend researching (it's not appropriate here) but you're free to e-mail me at wncsport@aol.com and I can answer any reasonable question). There's good resources for insurance, uniforms, and shot clocks.

[BreakersFan]

Do yourself a favor - don't try to re-invent the wheel.

The IBL has a pretty sound business plan - they are learning from mistakes and the league gets stronger each season financially and in terms of the level of play.

Invest in an IBL team (or two) for Minnesota.

Instead of starting your own league. take a look at the IBL or the new Universal League

[heavesrock]

No, don't join the Universal League. They say they have a great business plan but really don't. They don't have ample time to prepare either. And another, their name is violating a copyright. The United Basketball League owns the UBL name and will file a lawsuit sometime before next spring from what I understand.