BBO has asked the Dunedin City Council for a $50,000 grant to help get the Otago Nuggets back into the NBL.
In its submission at the annual planning meeting on Wednesday, it was revealed the association turned down a Tall Ferns test, and without a franchise "would struggle to resource any major national tournament or test match".
"As far as I'm aware, no men's test has gone to a city that does not have an NBL franchise for the last six years," Rogers told the Otago Daily Times.
"Having the Nuggets franchise here obviously means that we have the structures up and running," he said, adding the association could demonstrate its capacity to host major events and draw crowd.
But without the Nuggets franchise the association did not have that ability, he said.
BBO turned down the women's test primarily because of cost.
"There is a confidential agreement that whoever hosts a test is required to sign, which outlines where all the costs lie.
"I can't go into those details."
Rogers said BBO did not approach the DCC to underwrite the event.
"The timing did not work for us in terms of their annual plan and being able to source that funding."
The city last hosted an international in October 2007, when the Oceania championships were held at the Lion Foundation Arena.
The Tall Blacks last played in Dunedin in August, 2006 when they beat Qatar 94-77.
