BIRMINGHAM – You have questions, we have answers. Here are some of the most frequently-asked questions related to the new G League team, with helpful assists from New Orleans Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha and General Manager Dell Demps:
What’s the timetable for the team to begin playing in Birmingham?
As renovations continue on the future home of the G League franchise, Legacy Arena in Birmingham, the Pelicans’ temporary affiliate will be in Erie, Pa., for at least the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. When renovations are complete, Birmingham will become the Pelicans’ affiliate, as early as 2021-22.
What will the G League team’s nickname be?
The plan is for the Birmingham community to be involved in the process of selecting the nickname.
“We’ll start having some fun in naming the team, (by) engaging the fans,” Lauscha said. “And do some other fun marketing things in Birmingham, over the next two years.”
Why Birmingham?
“We started studying the demographics and looking at the Legacy Arena, and discussed the various improvements that are going to be made in the arena,” Lauscha said of the decision to choose the city of 210,000 people. “At the end of the day, we were very impressed with their vision and are very bullish on the market.”
Lauscha noted that based on metrics used by the G League to determine the strength of markets, Birmingham received high marks, in areas such as the demographics of sports fans and TV market size.
In addition, the city’s location in Alabama is in close proximity to New Orleans, allowing players and team personnel to easily shuttle between the two locations. This morning, separate contingents from the Pelicans organization traveled to Birmingham by bus (it’s only about a five-hour drive) and plane (one hour).
“Having the players feel like they’re still connected to the team while they’re on assignment is very important,” Demps said, citing his extensive previous experience as an assistant coach and GM in the G League.
How important was it for the G League team to be located in the Gulf South?
In baseball, some MLB franchises have grown regional fan interest in cities where they have a minor-league affiliate. The Pelicans hope to accomplish the same thing in Alabama, as well as throughout the Gulf South.
“When we bought the basketball team (in 2012), we said right away that we have to develop all seven million people in the Gulf South into basketball fans,” Lauscha remembered. “We really live by that. If you look at our broadcast reach, our telecast reach, we are reaching into all of these communities throughout the Gulf South. We definitely do see this as an opportunity to extend that reach further.”
Both the NFL’s Saints and Pelicans receive fan support beyond Louisiana in Mississippi, southern Alabama and the Florida panhandle, but the organization wants to increase that on the basketball side.
How many employees will the Birmingham team have?
Lauscha estimated that between coaches, ticketing staff and administrative staff, total full-time staff will consist of between 30 and 50 employees. Lauscha added that in the interim period prior to the G League franchise calling Birmingham home, the Pelicans are considering potentially holding a training camp or preseason game there. Houston and Memphis played a preseason game in Legacy Arena on Oct. 2.