Isaac
Years ago
NZ NBL delegate operations to one of its clubs
Interesting situation in the NZ NBL (season just about to get started in a week or so) where the cash-strapped operation has delegated league administration duties to one of the clubs.
(Insert joke about that already being the case with our NBL and the Tigers!)
Here's more from Stuff.co.nz:
BBNZ ... would manage the league and make decisions but was happy to let the Saints take care of day-to-day business.Full story
There was no cash and therefore no other option.
"When the new board was put in place we had a few issues," Rossiter-Stead said.
"We had no naming rights sponsor for the league, no TV deal and a few teams struggling financially and no money. So what we've had to do is cut our cloth accordingly and, in terms of administration of the league, BBNZ have handled that in the past but we couldn't afford that option and we couldn't afford to employ dedicated administrative staff."
The practical solution was to seek a deal with the Saints, who had "good existing structures".
While the arrangement appears fraught with pitfalls, and potential conflicts of interest, Rossiter-Stead played down those concerns.
"To be fair, the pains in which the Saints administration are going to, to make sure they're fully accountable and fully transparent, are far beyond what's necessary, to the verge of being paranoid about being accused of being biased."
He agreed the arrangement was "obviously not an ideal long-term solution" but was confident the cash-strapped nine-team league would still run smoothly and said the Saints had the full support of other clubs.
Shrewd move or will it only end in tears?