Menu
Leagues and Governing Bodies

CORPORATE SUPPORT IN QUESTION FOR NEW BASKETBALL LEAGUES

          With three new start-up basketball leagues hoping to
     begin play by late '99, the BOSTON GLOBE's Gregg Krupa asks,
     "Will corporate America ante up the necessary sponsorship
     fees and other financial support to make the leagues
     viable?"  The IBL, the National Rookie League and the
     Collegiate Professional Basketball League "are scurrying to
     find out."  Woolf Associates VP Andrew Brandt: "I think
     there is a market in this country for more than the [NBA]
     and the [CBA] on a professional level, and this fills the
     void."  But most corporate spokespeople "said they would
     likely wait before signing on."  Eric Kraus, who handles
     sports marketing at Gillette: "There has been some buzz
     about these new leagues, but it is not as if there is a hot
     property out there that people are vying to jump on."  Krupa
     adds: "Each of the start-up leagues would, in their own way,
     offer some money for college education, at a time when the
     athletes are ready to attend."  So far, the NCAA's response
     "has been muted."  NCAA spokesperson Wally Renfro: "The
     leagues may in fact be a viable alternative for basketball
     players who may not be academically prepared to  handle the
     load at the college level and who want to play basketball"
     (Gregg Krupa, BOSTON GLOBE, 8/13).
          INTEREST IN IBL: Cincinnati's IBL franchise will play
     at the Crown and will be headed by IHL Cyclones and Crown
     President Doug Kirchhofer, his brother John, and Mike Smith
     of entertainment holdings company Nederlander & Associates
     (CINCINNATI POST, 8/12).  A majority owner is not in place
     in San Diego, but Ernie and Ron Hahn will own less than 10%
     of the team, as will Frank Roach.  Ernie Hall is GM of the
     Sports Arena, the team's home (UNION-TRIBUNE, 8/12). 

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1998/08/13/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/CORPORATE-SUPPORT-IN-QUESTION-FOR-NEW-BASKETBALL-LEAGUES.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1998/08/13/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/CORPORATE-SUPPORT-IN-QUESTION-FOR-NEW-BASKETBALL-LEAGUES.aspx

CLOSE