Basketball Pacers, City of Indianapolis Negotiating to Keep Team in Indy

[Steve_O_21]

Pacers, City Of Indianapolis Deep In Negotiations To Keep Franchise In*Indy - Indy Cornrows

Pacers, City Of Indianapolis Deep In Negotiations To Keep Franchise In Indy

by spstevenson on Jan 2, 2010 9:39 AM EST in News

The City of Indianapolis and the Indiana Pacers are in the midst of weekly negotiations at the moment to keep the franchise settled in the Hoosier State.

According to the Indianapolis Star, members of the city's Capital Improvement Board and Pacers officials are meeting as often as twice a week to try to come to a conclusion about the team's future. Paul Okeson, Mayor Greg Ballard's former chief of staff, has become the lead negotiator for the city and he's given the city and team a deadline to finalize the deal -- April.

The story broke this summer that the Pacers were hemorrhaging money to try to operate Conseco Fieldhouse throughout the year. The Pacers organization said that in order to break even financially, the franchise needs assistance from the CIB to operate the building. Today's Star story did not give a number that the Pacers are asking for in the negotiations. Mayor Ballard gave the Star the following quote:

"There's no question I'd like to have the Pacers here. (But) we have to make sure it's the right deal for the taxpayer." -- Mayor Greg Ballard
​

Hopefully we'll begin hearing more about these meetings and get some numbers on what exactly the Pacers are needing to make this work and stay in Indianapolis. Check out the jump for links on tonight's Pacers game against the Timberwolves.

 

[tikitomoka]

it would absolutely s.uck if they moved

 

[GotGibson?]

Why are they thinking about moving?

I'm too lazy to read the article and figure you guys might know.

 

[tikitomoka]

Why are they thinking about moving?

I'm too lazy to read the article and figure you guys might know.

steve probably knows more than i do... but i think its the same type of situation they had in seattle. there's not a lot of fan support here as there used to be (ups to the Brawlers for making that happen), and its a small market here as it is. just hard for mel simon to still make enough money to keep the team going and make it worth it for him to own the pacers

 

[Steve_O_21]

There have been no reports that they're actually thinking about moving. The story all along is that the Simon brothers have always wanted to keep the team here, and the city definitely wants to keep the team. They're basically trying to figure out a way to work out the financial side of it so that the taxpayers aren't getting the shaft (too bad anyway).

 

[GotGibson?]

Oh ok. That makes sense.