The Jamestown Jackals basketball team will move to Erie to begin its 11th season.
Four years ago, the Erie BayHawks and the NBA G-League left Erie, ending professional basketball in the area. That will all change this winter, as the Jamestown Jackals relocate their operations to Erie to begin their 11th season.
“This year we are excited to have a bigger venue and really build our fan base out in Erie and show them what this professional basketball level is,” said Kayla Crosby, executive director of Integrity First Inc., the ownership group of the Jackals. Right now, there has been a void in Erie without the BayHawks here. So we are really hoping to fill that void and let the community know how high of a level of basketball this actually is.”
The search for a larger venue for the Jackals to play began in April, following a Game 5 semifinals loss. Crosby said the team was unable to find an opportunity in Chautauqua County. The organization began reaching out to venues in Erie. The team and officials at the Hagerty Family Events Center came to an agreement to play the Jackals game there.
“One thing from the very beginning is wanting to provide family-friendly, affordable entertainment,” said Crosby. “We are really working to have the community involved with things.”
“This year, we’re really working to do all of our marketing out here. We really hope our fanbase will follow us out here from Jamestown and Chautauqua County, but we are really looking to build a culture around the basketball team out here.”
The Jamestown Jackals are set to announce a new name that will have an Erie base. The announcement of the new name is expected by early next week.
The Jackals will be looking for volunteers, national anthem singers, and different corporate sponsorships.
The Jackals will open their season in December, with the regular season concluding in March. The Basketball Super League playoffs will take place in April. The full league schedule is expected to be released in two weeks.
The Jackals previously played games at Jamestown Community College.
The Jackals are one of eight teams that comprise the Basketball Super League, a professional league that began operations in 2023. This will be the second season the Jackals will compete in the league. The Jackals will be the lone American team in the league.