What proposed 12,000 seat Southport stadium means for the Gold Coast’s NBL licence hopes

With a state of the art 12,000 seat arena slated for Southport, find out what it means for the Gold Coast’s hopes of securing an NBL licence.

If a proposed new stadium in Southport were to go ahead it would provide the Gold Coast’s hopes of regaining an NBL franchise a major boost.

The plans for Gold Coast’s new boutique stadium has left NBL powerbrokers with increased confidence the city can support a national basketball team.

The pieces are falling into place for the return of a Gold Coast franchise in the NBL after plans were released for a new 12,000 seat indoor stadium in the heart of Southport.

The Gold Coast is widely considered to be the frontrunner for a new NBL expansion licence, and it is now believed a Gold Coast team could be in the league by 2027.

NBL Chief Operating Officer Vince Crivelli said the league was pleased with the prospect of a new Southport stadium.

“We are encouraged and supportive of the exciting progress made on a potential new arena on the Gold Coast,” Crivelli said.

“We have made no secret about our desire to establish a team in the region and, as with any expansion bid, a world-class venue is vitally important to any new NBL team.

“We look forward to engaging with the relevant stakeholders in the future.”

Vince Crivelli. Picture: Graham Denholm/Getty Images.

The NBL has consistently maintained that one of the key stipulations for Gold Coast entering the league would be a new facility, and the proposed Southport stadium would fit the bill if it comes to fruition.

“We’re aware of plans to further develop sporting infrastructure in the region which truthfully really excites us as a league and gives us the option to continue on the path of exploring an NBL team,” Crivelli had said in July.

City of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate previously threw his support behind the possibility of an NBL franchise returning to the region, and the council voted on whether to support an NBL bid in August, where it was revealed that the deal would be dependant on 50 per cent of the funding being provided by the state government.

LNP MP for Southport Rob Molhoek and Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president Laura Younger are among those who have declared their support for the proposed new stadium in Southport.

Artist impression of the proposed Gold Coast Arena boutique stadium at Carey Park, Southport. Picture: Supplied by Gold Coast City Council

Artist impression of the proposed Gold Coast Arena boutique stadium at Carey Park, Southport. Picture: Supplied by Gold Coast City Council

The new stadium would be constructed at Carey Park along the Gold Coast highway, overlooking the Southport Broadwater, and would have a circular bowl design.

Mayor Tate said he hoped construction would begin on the stadium in the 2026-27 financial year. If the new Gold Coast franchise were to enter the league in 2027, it could play out of the Carrara Indoor Centre or the Gold Coast Convention Centre temporarily before moving to its new home.

City of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images for Football Australia.

The positive reaction of NBL chiefs means it could be the first time the Coast has had an NBL franchise since the Gold Coast Blaze disbanded in 2012, with the high cost of renting space at the Convention Centre among the reasons the club struggled.

The Blaze, established in 2007, were the second failed franchise on the Gold Coast after the Cougars – and then Rollers – competed from 1990 to 1996.

The Rollers moniker is still alive on the Gold Coast at the semi-professional level in the NBL1 North competition.

Originally published as What proposed 12,000 seat Southport stadium means for the Gold Coast’s NBL licence hopes