Virginia Beach is the largest media market without a major league team in the United States.
In the here we go again department, a Virginia Beach, Virginia businessman wants to build a National Basketball Association state-of-the-art 21st century arena in town. Coleman Ferguson does not have the money for the project yet but he wants Virginia Beach residents and others to kick in money in a grass roots campaign to help fund the project. Ferguson estimates his proposed building will cost between $300 million and $700 million to build, but could bring in $200 million in revenue annually. “We plan to sell out all these concerts and events year-round and then make a real strong push for a professional sports team,” Ferguson said. “You cannot get any team unless you have an arena.”
The Norfolk area is the largest United States market without a Major League Baseball franchise, without a National Football League team, without a National Basketball Association franchise, without a National Hockey League club, without a Major League Soccer squad, without a Women’s National Basketball Association team. The area once had an American Basketball Association team on a part-time basis. The Virginia Squires franchise operated as a regional franchise and played games across the state. The Squires franchise employed some of the biggest names of the 1970s including Rick Barry, Julius Erving and George Gervin. Squires’ ownership had money problems and shut down before the NBA took in four ABA teams in June, 1976. In 1997, the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn proposed bringing an NHL expansion franchise to the area but other than making a presentation, nothing came of the notion. In 2013, the then owners of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, the Maloof brothers, visited the market and made some announcement that they were interested in moving to Virginia. Other arena plans have been proposed. But nothing ever materialized.
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The Scope in Norfolk hosts a minor league hockey team.
