The National Basketball League has outlined an ambitious plan for a potential Canberra team to play multiple games in Goulburn, Queanbeyan and Wagga Wagga as the league looks to expand its fan base along with its clubs.
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NBL chief executive officer Fraser Neill said the bold strategy is designed to ''take the game to the fans'' and ensure more supporters can commit to memberships.
Canberra, Brisbane, Wellington, Tasmania and a second Melbourne team have been identified as possible expansion areas for the 2015-16 season.
The NBL began advertising for registrations of interest on Saturday. That option will close on April 21, after which the NBL will identify a shortlist to progress to the expressions of interest stage.
It hopes to settle on standout bids by around October or November.
Neill said basketball's ability to take games to smaller venues is a strength that should be exploited.
"We want to get a bigger catchment area, let's take the game to the people and make it as easy as possible to see it,'' he said.
"If they get to see the team they have a sense of ownership, I think that's really important.
"In Tasmania we're looking at Hobart, Launceston and Devonport and similar in Melbourne, it's the same principle.''
"It may not happen in the first year, we may progress there as we develop.''
He is hell-bent on ensuring it's not a ''fly in, fly out'' exercise, with plans for the venues to host up to five games as the number of fixtures a season increases.
"I'd like to have a meaningful number of games so it's not like a circus coming to town, maybe four or five,'' Neill said.
"The big thing with basketball is it's very portable, you don't have to have a big venue to get a decent-sized crowd and a good atmosphere.
"We can play a lot of games, which means we can play a lot more venues.''
Neill said there are plans for special memberships to be in place at each centre, which he believes will make memberships more attractive.
"One of the hardest things is to sell a membership for 14 [home] games like it is now,'' he said.
"Why don't we look at where we're able to take games elsewhere, and have other people experience it?''
Neill acknowledged the regional venues – Queanbeyan and Goulburn in particular – would need significant upgrading for it to be practical.
"We've got to work through that and we're only in the early days,'' he said.
Incoming Basketball ACT chief executive officer Tony Fraser applauded the intention for a Canberra team to spread its wings.
"I love that idea,'' Fraser said.
"It'll still be a team representing Canberra, but to capture the whole region would be hugely beneficial for the sport overall.''
