By Eric S. Cavallo, Editor-in-Chief, Hampton Roads Construction News Network (HRCNN)
For half a century, Virginia has lived in a kind of basketball limbo: talent-rich, fan-crazy, and home to one of the country’s largest metro areas without a major league franchise—yet still standing just outside the big-league doorway. From Norfolk to Virginia Beach to Northern Virginia, the Commonwealth has repeatedly convinced itself that this time the NBA is within reach. Each wave of optimism leaves behind feasibility studies, political drama, and ambitious renderings, but no NBA tip-off on Virginia soil.
The modern quest begins with a ghost: the Virginia Squires. From 1970 to 1976, the Squires barnstormed the American Basketball Association (ABA) through the Norfolk Scope, Hampton Coliseum, Richmond Coliseum, and other mid-Atlantic arenas. They showcased Julius Erving and a young George Gervin, only to fold weeks before the ABA–NBA merger. When the NBA absorbed four ABA teams, Virginia wasn’t one of them—and the moment cemented a hard lesson for the region’s future arenas: unless financing, market alignment, and political support are airtight, the league simply moves on.
By the mid-1990s, Hampton Roads leaders tried to correct that mistake. Norfolk coordinated a full-scale regional campaign for NBA expansion, backed by the Hampton Roads Partnership—a coalition of more than 50 civic, business, and military leaders presenting the region as unified and growth-ready. Editorials of the time were blunt: every city wanted the prestige of an NBA team, but none wanted to share the cost. That early disconnect foreshadowed the structural challenge that continues to haunt every major-league effort in Hampton Roads: fragmented regional governance.
In the early 2010s, Virginia Beach became the next epicenter. An NBA-ready arena was proposed for the Oceanfront, and national outlets began listing Hampton Roads as one of the largest U.S. markets without a major league team—a potential sleeper for NBA expansion. Renderings circulated, financing models surfaced, and speculation grew that the league might take Virginia Beach seriously if the building came first. It didn’t. Political hesitation and financial complexity doomed the project, leaving the region again with ambition but no venue.
Northern Virginia mounted the most recent, and arguably most serious, effort—this time for relocation rather than expansion. In 2023–24, Governor Glenn Youngkin and Monumental Sports & Entertainment pursued a $2 billion sports and entertainment district in Alexandria to move the Washington Wizards and Capitals out of D.C. The plan included state-backed bonds, city investment, and a new arena at Potomac Yard. But labor concerns, public-financing backlash, and Senate skepticism derailed the deal in Richmond. By spring 2024, the relocation collapsed, and Monumental accepted more than $500 million in public funding to remain in the District.
In 2025, a new name entered the conversation: Coleman Ferguson, a Virginia Beach entrepreneur spearheading a privately driven arena concept called “Neptune’s Pinnacle.” His 20,000-seat proposal, marketed as NBA- and NHL-ready, includes a mock franchise dubbed the Virginia Beach Frogmen—a nod to the Navy SEALs and the region’s military identity. Still conceptual, Ferguson’s approach signals something different: a bottom-up, resident-energized push rather than a government-led initiative.
Market analysts periodically reinforce the instinct behind these efforts. Some national studies place Hampton Roads among the top mid-tier U.S. metros capable of supporting an NBA franchise, citing population size, military stability, tourism strength, and the absence of competing major-league teams. Others list Virginia Beach as a “dark horse” expansion market with natural rivalry potential against the Washington Wizards. But structural hurdles remain: modest corporate density, lower average household incomes compared to existing NBA markets, and an NBA expansion priority list historically topped by Seattle and Las Vegas.
All of this leaves Virginia in a persistent “almost” zone. Residents remember that Hampton Roads surfaced as a candidate when MLB relocated the Montreal Expos—and that Virginia ultimately served more as leverage than a true contender. Today the pattern continues: the Commonwealth is attractive enough to mention, but internal political divisions and the absence of a shovel-ready arena keep Virginia on the periphery of major-league sports.
About the Hampton Roads Construction News Network (HRCNN):
HRCNN is an independent, Virginia-based news platform covering construction, infrastructure, zoning, and major development across Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth. Led by Editor-in-Chief Eric S. Cavallo, HRCNN delivers accurate, deeply reported coverage that connects residents, builders, policymakers, and stakeholders to the decisions shaping how—and where—Virginia grows.