Pontiac 66ers set to join Midwest Professional Basketball Association

Posted on September 22, 2015

By WJBC Staff

ST. LOUIS – A new basketball team is coming to Pontiac.

The Midwest Professional Basketball Association has announced it is working with local investors to start the franchise that will be called the Pontiac 66ers, tying in the city’s connection to Route 66. It will begin play in Janurary. That’s the same league where the Bloomington Flex plays.

The 66ers will play at historic Pontiac High School, home of the oldest holiday high school basketball tournament in the United States.

“There were many factors contributing to the decision to add Pontiac to our league,” said C. Edward “Ed” Schumer, Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the MPBA. “The support of the Pontiac Superintendent and Athletic Director, the warm welcome and sincere interest of the mayor and civic leaders, the immediate interest of many key business leaders and the enthusiasm of the leadership of the Illinois Basketball Museum made this a very easy decision,” Schumer said.

“Pontiac is a wonderful community that’s right in the middle of our geographic footprint,” said Craig Fata, Vice President and Director of Communications for the MPBA. “There’s a great history of support for basketball, and we believe it will carry over to the 66ers. We look forward to being an engaging part of the community,” Fata said.

The search for a coach is under way, as is the search for a general manager and other front office positions. The team will announce those details, including its logo, at a news conference, to be scheduled in the upcoming weeks. The season, the MPBA’s second, will begin in January 2016.

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