The Illawarra Hawks will reignite professional basketball in Canberra and end a 10-year wait for NBL action when they move an Australia Day blockbuster to the capital in January.
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Fairfax Media can reveal the Hawks and the ACT government are set to announce details of a one-off deal for the Wollongong-based side to play against the Cairns Taipans at the AIS Arena on January 26.
The fixture was initially booked to be played at the Entertainment Centre at Wollongong, but it's understood the parties have been working to shift the game to the AIS for a 2.50pm tip-off.
It will kickstart a hectic week of sport in Canberra, with Australia to play Sri Lanka in a historic first cricket Test at Manuka Oval from February 1.
The Hawks-Taipains match will be the first regular-season NBL game in Canberra since 2008 and comes 15 years after the demise of the once-mighty Canberra Cannons.
The Hawks have been treading softly in Canberra in recent years in the hope of striking a similar arrangement to the 10-year, $23 million deal the government has with the GWS Giants.
The clash against Cairns will be a semi-audition for future games in the capital, with the Hawks believed to be open to moving as many as three home fixtures to the city in the coming years.
The Canberra basketball community proved there was an appetite for the NBL when the Hawks played in front of a sell-out crowd at Tuggeranong for a pre-season match two months ago.
But moving to the much-bigger AIS Arena and competing with the Australia Day holiday weekend will be a test for whether there will be a regular return of elite men's basketball.
News of the Illawarra-Canberra partnership emerged on the same day the capital's A-League bid joined forces with the Wollongong Wolves to strengthen the campaign for a licence in the soccer competition.
Both basketball and soccer and trying to win fans in the city given there is a lack of elite-men's summer sports in Canberra. The Hawks view Canberra as an area of potential growth and have been working with the government for years to try to find an appropriate partnership.
The Hawks want to make sure their move to Canberra doesn't impact existing fans in Wollongong and their support of the team, but the financial reality of a new market was too attractive to turn away from.
The NBL haven't had a regular-season game in Canberra since the now-defunct Sydney Spirit played against the Adelaide 36ers at the AIS in 2008. The Spirit were coincidentally coached by now-Hawks coach Beveridge, who grew up in Canberra.
The Hawks and the government are expected to confirm details of the Canberra move as early as Tuesday, with officials working on finalising the schedule and making sure the AIS Arena is available for hire.
If the game is well received, the government and Basketball ACT will be open to a new deal to give the Hawks an ongoing presence in Canberra.
The Giants have been successful in building an AFL fan base in Canberra, playing three games per season and a trial match at Manuka Oval as part a 10-year agreement.
Hawks general manager Mat Campbell has been in negotiations with government officials and was excited at the prospect of Canberra games after the sell-out crowd at Tuggeranong in September.
The Hawks-Taipans match is scheduled as a free-to-air game, giving Canberra national visibility on a Saturday afternoon.
