The Southland Basketball Association has approval to enter a team in the 2010 National Basketball League but there is no guarantee the side will make it to the court, chairwoman Jill Bolger says.
Wary the semi-professional side could be a financial drain on the rest of the association, Bolger warned Southland would trash its plans unless the franchise could stand on its own feet.
"We're chuffed about the green light but there is a lot of work to do yet," Bolger said.
"And there is no guarantee."
The association needs up to $400,000 to set up and run the franchise.
Asked if the association was confident it could secure the required funding, Bolger's response was hardly emphatic.
"Probably," she said.
"I think the community funders will come to the party with some money.
"We haven't yet negotiated the amount of money that they will be prepared to put in.
"We've got meetings with them [this] week so we'll have a much better indication after that.
"I'm not going to go into it half-cocked . . . and there are several things we need to think about.
"One is the detriment of SBA and its operational needs on a daily basis.
"If there is any chance that will happen we won't go down the franchise line."
With the Otago Nuggets also back in the league after a season on the sidelines, South Island basketball had received a huge boost, she said.
Earlier this year it looked as though there would only be one South Island team - the Nelson Giants - remaining in the league after the Canterbury Rams folded.
The Christchurch-based Cougars took over the vacant franchise, but fans in the lower half of the South Island were deprived of top basketball.
Wellington Saints owner Nick Mills is critical of the league's expansion from nine teams to 11.
He believes it will water down the competition.
Bolger feels differently.
She is confident there are another 20 players in the country capable of playing in the NBL.
"And I'm sure there are some very good players who have sat on the bench of current NBL teams who are well capable but have a had a lot better players in front of them.
"We're under no illusion - we're going to have to buy in a team.
"We've got some really good local talent coming through but they are nowhere near ready for the NBL."
Bolger said Southland's success in the open championships (third division) gave the association the confidence to make a bid after earlier indicating 2010 would be too soon.
