Erie’s new basketball team is now undefeated. So what if it was just for one game. The Erie Bayhawks, a Gatorade League team affiliated with the Atlanta Hawks, rebranded themselves for a single game against the Maine Red Claws. Labeled as “What Could’ve Been Night”, staff and employees of the organization called themselves the “Pepperoni Balls” instead of the Bayhawks for the evening. Billy Hartman, Director of Public Relations for the team, was looking for something very specific to Erie, Pennsylvania. “‘What Could’ve Been Night’ was a promotion in which the BayHawks imagined what the team could have been named if the chosen identity was something truly unique to the Erie region – such as pepperoni balls,” he stated.

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The Bayhawks wanted to celebrate their tenth season with something fun and memorable. Hartman said keeping the promotion a secret was the most difficult task in the process in saying “We knew before the season even began this was an idea that we wanted to run with. We even brought pepperoni balls to media day for the guys to try.” Once their plan was clear, they went all in, “The players wore unique Pepperoni Balls uniforms and warmed up in Pepperoni Balls shooting shirts. Everything was transformed from the BayHawks to the Pepperoni Balls. Not only the uniforms, but other in-game elements were changed as well. Everything was Pepperoni Balls branded (rosters, score board, etc.) and PA guy Sean Peebles referred to the team as the Pepperoni Balls the entire night,” Hartman said.

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Not every National Basketball Franchise has a G-League affiliate, so the presence of the Bayhawks is a big boost for the Erie community. Erie has already been the affiliate of several teams, so the uncertainty of whether these teams stay for the long term is high. These teams need the support of the community to stick around and be successful. Gaining this support requires a lot of effort to get the fans out to the games and keep them involved. Some of their other frequent promotions are fan appreciation night and student nights when anyone with a valid student ID gain free entry. According to Hartman, “What Could’ve Been Night” was also a fundraiser for a local charity. “All game-worn Erie Pepperoni Balls uniforms were auctioned off during the game, with proceeds benefiting the United Way of Erie County’s Imagination Library. International Bakery donated pepperoni balls that night, which Erie Events allowed, and were sold for only $1.00. Pepperoni ball sales also went right to the United Way of Erie County’s Imagination Library.”

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The official attendance of 4,336 fans was the team’s largest turnout of the season thus far. A season that has produced some success for the Bayhawks, fighting to hold onto third place in G-Leagues Eastern Conference. The Pepperoni Balls did their part to assist that quest by defeating the visiting Red Claws 114-108. Hartman raved about the success of the entire event including the participation of ESPN’s Darren Rovell. As for the chances of the seeing the Pepperoni Balls putting their undefeated status on the line in the future, Hartman says you’ll just have to wait and see.

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As for the Bayhawks, they will be starting the G-League Playoffs today (Tuesday) as the three seed in the Eastern Conference against the Lakeland Magic at Erie Insurance Arena. They are coming off of a couple of wins to end the regular, so they will be looking to use that momentum in their playoff run.