FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2014
Contact:   Craig Fata, Vice President
(844) THE-MPBA / craig.fata@theMPBA.com

ST. LOUIS – The Champaign Swarm have been officially revealed as the third of six charter members of the Midwest Professional Basketball Association, the league announced today.

                    The Swarm join the Bloomington (Illinois) Flex and Chicago Force, which were both announced at the league’s launch in late August.  The Swarm will play their home games at Parkland College in Champaign.

                    The team will be operated as a joint venture between the MPBA and a group of local investors. 

                    “We are excited that the Swarm have been able to partner with Parkland College in order to provide such a high quality venue for MPBA games,” said C. Edward “Ed” Schumer, commissioner and chief executive officer of the MPBA.  “The great relationships we have begun to build with the administration and staff at Parkland offers us the opportunity to develop a successful team on the court, and gives us a chance to have a positive impact in the community.  Our goal is for a long-term relationship that will benefit everyone involved, and we are appreciative that Parkland College shares in our vision,” Schumer said.

                    The search for a head coach is already under way, but the team has already brought on Jim Sheppard to serve as General Manager.  Sheppard spent more than twenty years as the “Voice of the Illini,” thrilling University of Illinois home fans with his public address calls at Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium.  Sheppard was previously announced as the Director of Sales and Marketing for the MPBA, and will serve in both capacities in the start-up phase for the Swarm.

                    “With the league partnering in a joint venture capacity in this start-up phase, I asked Jim if he would be willing to take on the G.M. role, and he agreed immediately,” Schumer said.  “With his background and reputation in the community, he is the perfect choice to lead the front office.   We are fortunate to have him available for this position," Schumer said.

                    “It’s an honor to be approached for what is going to be a successful partnership,” said Sheppard, who also has extensive media sales experience.  “The business model for this league and its teams is like nothing that’s ever been done at this level, and it’s going to benefit the Champaign-Urbana community and the fans and players who get involved,” Sheppard said.

The team’s website, champaignswarm.com, will go live in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, the team can be found on Facebook at Champaign Swarm Professional Basketball.

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The mission of the MPBA is to attract the top minor league basketball players, coaches, owners and staff members from across the United States, and to provide that talent with the opportunity to develop their skills in a professional environment; the MPBA will also provide its fans and supporters with a fun, value-based entertainment experience, as well as incorporate community outreach programs into its members’ operations.