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AAP
AAP
Sport
Murray Wenzel

NBL Blitz dangles expansion carrot on Gold Coast

The Blaze, defunct since 2012, were the last NBL franchise to play out of the Gold Coast. (PR HANDOUT IMAGE PHOTO) (AAP)

NBL bosses have offered Gold Coast a chance to show it deserves an NBL team again by awarding the city hosting rights to the league's pre-season tournament.

The NBL Blitz will take place at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 16-22.

The city hasn't had an NBL team since the Blaze's demise in 2012.

But NBL1 outfit Gold Coast Rollers, who competed at the top level in the 1990s, are among a host of bidders vying to rejoin the league as early as next season.

The NBL took their pre-season tournament to Tasmania before awarding the JackJumpers a license, while the annual event was held in Darwin last season.

Canberra, Newcastle, Sydney and New Zealand are also in the mix to join the resuscitated league.

"The Gold Coast is one of many cities in our expansion considerations," NBL chief executive David Stevenson said.

"Gold Coast fans now have the chance to vote with their feet and turn up to the games, and show us why they deserve a team."

Games are worth a maximum of seven points, with one point awarded to the side that wins each quarter - half a point awarded if the quarter is tied - on top of three points to the winning team.

The winning team will be awarded the Loggins-Bruton Cup, while the tournament's most outstanding player will take home the Ray Borner Award.

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