United Basketball League

[oneublfan]

For once I think someone has come up with the right approach to minor league basketball. Check out http://www.ublhoops.com nice to see that someone is not just rushing in teams to make a fast buck

[UBL_CEO]

Thanks for the kind words. I think sometimes we forget that we can learn from those who made mistakes. So much emphasis is put on learning from those who have "done it right". I can tell you that having paid attention to those who have at least struggled to do it right has helped me in making decisions such as waiting an extra year so that we as a league could do exactly that-do it right.

Updates will be posted with more regularity now because of a bolder approach to things, but announcements will also be made with a certain amount of sensitivity to fans who don't want to get hopes up only to have promises broken.

Be sure to check us out at http://www.ublhoops.com for additional info.

Thanks

[BreakersFan]

Good luck.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

[Aaronhere]

http://www.probasketballnews.com/pbn_news1010.html

Universal Basketball League to tip off in '07
Stff report
ProBasketballNews.com

The Universal Basketball League, a new minor league that's scheduled to tip off in April 2007, is looking for owners and teams. Cost of securing a franchise is a one-time payment of $2,000.

The UBL will consist of teams from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The schedule will consist of 20 games (10 home, 10 away), and games will be played on Friday, Saturday and Sundays at 7 p.m.

The league will be made up of one division, with the top four regular-season teams qualifying for the playoffs. League champions will receive a trophy, as well as championship rings for players and coaches and a $200 bonus per player and coach.


Cost of league fees per UBL season is only $15,000. This pays for:

• League Web site that includes team information and a link to each team's site.
• Two officials for each home game.
• One set of 12 complete uniforms.
• League operations manual and business plan.
• Four UBL banners (3' x 5').
• Four UBL yard signs.
• Twenty-five league posters.
• Four league basketballs and one ball bag.
• One computerized stat program.
• Maintenance of league schedule and standings.
• Promotional information, that will be delivered to NBA scouts and national media.

Venues for UBL games will consist of high school gyms, large community centers and larger arenas, and road games will consist of no more than five hours of travel -- as regional scheduling will be implemented for operating cost effectiveness.

UBL rules will be similar to those used by the NBA. Other UBL rules:
• There will be a 21-second shot clock.
• Backcourt violations will be seven seconds.
• There will be one timeout per team per quarter.
• A maximum roster will consist of 12 players, with a minimum of seven.

Additional UBL pluses and ideas include:
• It will be a league run by a commissioner, but also one in which owners dictates its policies.
• Owner meetings will be held on a regular basis for league input and rules evaluation.
• Operating budgets will be suggested to be between $35K and $85K.
• There may be a league draft, and teams may trade during the season.
• There will be a league-wide salary cap, so each team can compete fairly and equally on the court.
• Corporate advertising on team uniforms will be allowed.
• Advertising manuals and packages will provided to each team from the league.
• Owners will be given the latitude to operate their team in their own way.
• The UBL's main goals will be looking for national media attention and possible television coverage.
• Any national sponsorship money will be divided among the teams equally.
• All the owners and teams will have the opportunity to pool their operating costs.
• UBL owners will have input in league scheduling.


The UBL will be releasing additional key information on why this will be the very best minor league in the United States!

Interested parties should send an e-mail to UBL2007@aol.com. Serious inquiries only.

[SignGuyDino]

[quote=""BreakersFan""]Good luck.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?[/quote]

Here's your answer: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_049

I'm such a jerk...

[SignGuyDino]

I have to say that I have problems with the league's biggest premise being taking teams from other leagues. We see this all the time with hockey and especially indoor football.

Given this is actually a very late start in regards to securing venues, even (or especially high schools), taking teams from other leagues is part of a cyclical problem.

I'll give my own example. I'm working on starting the 4 Man Basketball Association. I was working on a WBA team last year but the potential owner backed out at the last moment. This year, the only two practical venues have already assured us there will be no availability for 2007. My league is designed on purpose as a house league just to see if the concept of playing 4 on 4 fullcourt (with some other unique rule changes) will even work and keep my costs down. There's only one potential venue and that only seats 300. I should know within two months if it's a go. I'm content to take 5 years to get it started if needed. I'm not rushing anything.

My concept was grow the house league, then develop different markets with their own house league that plays weekends in the summer. From each league the city's "minor" league team will develop and travel to regional only leagues (NOTHING national for a long time unless the growth justifies it).

This way, I can control the ownership groups, see if they know what they are doing, keep my formula simple, costs down, offer recreation opportunites to kids (which does help win grants), etc.

One thing I would never do if it worked is depend on other teams leaving their league to join mine. Frankly, they'd want to leave a league for a reason and the problems are either with the league and/or the ownership group. I don't feel like inheriting other people's problems as I'll have enough of my own. I'd rather build something up slowly and see if the potential owners are on the same page as me.

What these basketball businessmen NEED to be doing is build modest smaller leagues nationwide and not try to steal other league's teams. We DO need healthy competition, however, what we need more is to build a bigger pie, not scavage the small pie of minor league basketball.

I have to say the biggest problem this league will have is time. They really should have started this the instant the IBL finished. It would make sense to develop a sub-league in each city (even 4 teams although 6-8 is better) to keep control of the gym, raise money, and keep an active player pool in that town.

I also noticed the rule changes you just mentioned differed from press releases (21 second shot clock as opposed to 20). I happen to agree with the IBL that the shot clock change doesn't increase scoring as much as fewer timeouts and the immediate inbound rule does.

OK, I'm finished with my rant. Off the soapbox...


Dennis Justice
4MBA.net

[heavesrock]

Universal Basketball League, its the United Basketball League. The league will start in 2008, not 2007, and is playing in Texas-Missouri instead of Ohio-Pennsylvania, etc.

[tony-o]

Somehow this became a topic on the leagues with the UBL initials, rather than just the United Basketball League.

[Pounder]

Believe you me, I got a lot of value out of Sign Guy's link to Buddhist theory on the one-hand question. For this thread, that's about it.

[SignGuyDino]

Glad I could be of help.