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Professional Basketball League Takes Giant Step Forward

March 10, 2005 - American Basketball Association (ABA) News Release


Indianapolis, IN. The ABA today announced that ten new teams have been added to the professional basketball league for the 2005-2006 season starting in November bringing the total of teams set to play at nearly seventy.

According to Joe Newman, ABA CEO, "As the sports world knows, we've had remarkable growth over the past two years, but even we're surprised at the high level of interest in the league and its potential. To announce ten expansion teams in one day is unprecedented in professional sports. It is exciting to us that so many people share our vision of bringing high-calibre professional basketball to fans at affordable prices. The new ownership groups are outstanding with great experience in professional sports management. They're well funded, fully staffed, have excellent leadership and are ready to go. It is a proud day for the ABA."

The ten expansion teams will be operated by Next Level Sports Management Group LLC which owns the Cincinnati Marshals and Miami Morays in the National Indoor Football League and will be managed by Ralph Underhill, who will serve as President of Next Level. Underhill has been in the ABA since its rebirth in 2000 and has an extraordinary knowledge of the league and its operations having coached the Kentucky Pro Cats and the Cincinnati Monarchs. Underhill added, "After coaching in high school, college, internationally and professionally for over 40 years, this is far and away my biggest challenge. Between now and the start of the season, we have much work to do to put together complete organizations and teams. We are ready to go and intend to help bring the ABA to the next level."

The ten markets will include:
Naples/Fort Myers, Florida
Portland, Oregon
Cincinnati, Ohio
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Charleston, South Carolina
Savannah, Georgia
Jacksonville, Florida
Austin, Texas
Mobile, Alabama
Mexico City, Mexico

For more information, contact Ralph Underhill at 859 468 7213 or 513 421 1071, email underhillralph@yahoo.com or visit www.abalive.com or www.nationalindoorfootballleague.net.

Note: OurSports Central no longer actively covers the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a professional league due in part to its inability to publish and play a schedule and the transitory nature of many of its teams. For information on professional minor leagues, please see OSC's basketball section.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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