{"id":261533,"date":"2026-05-07T02:47:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T02:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/261533\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T02:47:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T02:47:12","slug":"jacksonville-based-upshot-league-says-it-will-start-play-with-40-million-in-investment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/261533\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacksonville-based UpShot League says it will start play with $40 million in investment"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Jacksonville-based UpShot League of professional women\u2019s basketball teams is set to begin play May 15 with $40 million in investments, the league said May 6.<\/p>\n

During a news conference, league co-founder Andy Kaufmann said the league had attracted 90 investors and financial partners for its inaugural season. Formation of the league was announced in January 2025 by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, which owns, operates and manages the league.<\/p>\n

Kaufmann is CEO of Zawyer, which also owns and operates minor-league hockey teams the Jacksonville Icemen, Savannah Ghost Pirates and Charlotte Checkers, plus other interests such as the Community First Igloo in Jacksonville and the minor-league baseball Gastonia (North Carolina) Ghost Peppers.<\/p>\n

Kaufmann said the league\u2019s revenue model is based mostly on sponsorships and ticket sales versus media-rights deals, merchandise sales and other streams.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s based on sustainability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"UpShot<\/p>\n

UpShot is a new women’s professional basketball league<\/p>\n

The UpShot League\u2019s investors include Tamika Catchings, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA player who led the Indiana Fever to the league title in 2012; Cheryl Miller, a Women\u2019s Basketball Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medalist; and Ann Meyers Drysdale, former women\u2019s basketball player, Olympian and WNBA\/NBA executive.<\/p>\n

Donna Orender, president of the WNBA from 2005 to 2011, is the UpShot League commissioner. She runs a Jacksonville Beach consulting and advisory firm called Orender Unlimited.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The four teams are scheduled to play a 34-game regular season followed by championships in late August.<\/p>\n

League play is set to begin with the Jacksonville Waves playing the Charlotte Crown at 7 p.m. May 15 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Stadium. Tickets can be purchased at wavesupshot.com.<\/p>\n

The Savannah Steel and Greensville Groove are scheduled to play at 7 that evening in North Carolina.<\/p>\n

During the news conference, Orender announced that Japan-based sporting equipment manufacturer Molten Corp. had signed a sponsorship deal with the league. She said details of the agreement would be released in coming days.<\/p>\n

Expansion teams in Baltimore and Nashville, Tennessee, are expected to begin play in 2027.<\/p>\n

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