By Joe Ragusa
BLOOMINGTON – The Bloomington Flex will not be playing basketball next year.
Bloomington Flex Owner Scott Henderson said in a statement that the franchise will spend the next year evaluating its future.
“We are not saying this is the end, just a bump in the road,” Henderson said. “In our hearts, we would love to return to Flex Basketball and our fans ‘flexing’ their muscles on the FLEX-cam. With our heads, however, we must pause and say ‘stay-tuned.’”
Henderson said the U.S. Cellular Coliseum was an amazing venue to play in, but the cost to play there as well as scheduling conflicts with the hockey and football teams that play there forced the two sides to part ways for now.
The Bloomington Flex have played at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum since the franchise started in 2012, when the team was known as the Central Illinois Drive.
The MPBA is moving ahead with its 2016 season with the team. The Coliseum is still going to host the MPBA’s postseason championship tournament April 1-2. League officials said in a press release that the MPBA has already started discussions to keep playing basketball at the Coliseum in 2017.
Joe Ragusa can be reached at joe.ragusa@cumulus.com.
