The Lake Erie Jackals are a professional basketball team based in the Erie, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area, and members of the Basketball Super League (BSL). Formerly located in Jamestown, New York, the team relocated to Erie for the 2025–26 season and play at the McComb Fieldhouse on the campus of PennWest Edinboro.[1][2] The team uses "Lake Erie" as its regional identifier as a way to include both Erie County, Pennsylvania and Chautauqua County, New York.
| Lake Erie Jackals | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| League | Basketball Super League | ||
| Founded | 2016 | ||
| History | Lake Erie Jackals 2025–present Jamestown Jackals 2016–2025 | ||
| Arena | McComb Fieldhouse | ||
| Location | Edinboro, Pennsylvania | ||
| Team colors | Blue, black, grey, white | ||
| Head coach | Raheem Singleton | ||
| Ownership | Kayla Crosby | ||
| Conference titles | 2 (2018, 2022) | ||
| Division titles | 2 (2018, 2022) | ||
| Website | lakeeriejackals.com | ||
|
| |||
History
editThe Jamestown Jackals were established in 2015 by entrepreneur and community leader Kayla Crosby under the nonprofit organization #IntegrityFirst, Inc. The team was founded with a dual mission: to compete at a high level of professional basketball while promoting positive character development, youth mentorship, and community engagement throughout western New York.[3] Crosby’s leadership emphasized a holistic model of sport, blending athletic excellence with social impact.
The franchise began play in the Premier Basketball League (PBL) during the 2016 season.[4] The Jackals competed in the PBL for two seasons before the league folded following the 2017 campaign, leaving the organization temporarily without a competitive home.[5]
In 2018, the team joined the North American Basketball League (NABL) as part of the league’s newly created Northeast Division.[6] The Jackals quickly proved to be a dominant force, capturing the NABL Northeast Division Championship in their debut season. They advanced to the 2018 NABL Championship Game before ultimately falling to the Dallas Mustangs in the national final.[7]
On August 29, 2018, Crosby announced that the Jackals would join The Basketball League (TBL) for the 2019 season, marking the organization’s elevation to a fully professional circuit.[8] Under Crosby’s continued leadership as owner and general manager, the franchise gained a reputation for its disciplined play, community service, and regional influence. Following the team’s first TBL season, Crosby was appointed the league’s Director of Team Development, where she helped expand the league’s national footprint and support emerging franchises.[9] During their tenure in TBL, the Jackals were widely recognized for their “Be The Change” initiative, which used basketball as a platform for mentoring youth and promoting social responsibility.[10]
The 2024 season ended in controversy when referees called off a playoff game between the Jackals and the Raleigh Firebirds after a fan threatened a Jamestown player who was subsequently ejected. The unusual circumstances led to a forfeit victory awarded to Raleigh and an abrupt conclusion to Jamestown’s postseason run.[11]
In October 2024, the organization announced its departure from TBL and its acceptance into the Basketball Super League (BSL), a higher-tier professional league seeking to unify elite North American teams under a single competitive structure.[12] During a December 2024 community banquet, Crosby reaffirmed the team’s long-term commitment to western New York while acknowledging the increased financial and logistical demands of joining the BSL.[13] The Jackals earned their first BSL victory later that season with a 122–111 win over the Pontiac Pharaohs.[14]
Relocation to Pennsylvania
editIn October 2025, the Jackals announced that the franchise would relocate to Erie for the 2025–26 season, marking a new era in the organization’s history.[1][2] The Jackals are the first professional basketball in the Erie market since 2021, when the former Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League moved away.
Season-by-season record
editNote: Statistics are correct as of the 2024–25 season.
| League champions | Conference champions | Division champions | Playoff berth |
| Season | Conference | Finish | Division | Finish | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | Playoffs | Awards | Head coach | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | — | — | Northeast | 2nd | 11 | 8 | .579 | Lost quarterfinal (716ers) 87–92 | [15] | |||
| 2017 | — | 4th | — | — | 9 | 7 | .500 | Lost semifinal (Razorsharks) 91–98 | Brandon Siskavich | [16] | ||
| 2018 | Eastern | 1st | Northeast | 1st | 4 | 2 | .667 | Won conference championship (Titans) 118–107 Lost NABL championship (Mustangs) 105–112 |
Mark Anderson | [17] | ||
| 2019 | — | 6th | — | — | 14 | 13 | .519 | Did not qualify. | Mark Anderson | [18] | ||
| 2020 | — | 3rd | — | — | 8 | 3 | .727 | No playoffs held due to COVID-19 pandemic. | Kayla Crosby | [19] | ||
| 2021 | East | 2nd | — | — | 16 | 6 | .727 | Won quarterfinal series (Coyotes) 1–2 Lost semifinal series (Stallions) 1–2 |
Brandon Lesovsky | [20] | ||
| 2022 | Midwest | 1st | Upper Midwest | 1st | 18 | 5 | .783 | Lost second round series (Glass City B.C) 0–2 | Raheem Singleton | [21] | ||
| 2023 | — | — | Upper Midwest | 4th | 11 | 13 | .458 | 7 | Did not qualify. | Raheem Singleton | [22] | |
| 2024 | — | — | Northeast | 4th | 13 | 10 | .565 | 6.5 | Lost play-in (Firebirds) by forfeit | Raheem Singleton | [23] | |
| 2024-25 | — | 4th | — | — | 15 | 10 | .600 | Won play-in (Lightning) 104–100 | Raheem Singleton | [24] | ||
References
edit- 1 2 "Jamestown Jackals Set to Move to Erie". Erie News Now. October 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
- 1 2 "Basketball Is Back in Erie: Jamestown Jackals Announce Move". YourErie. October 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
- ↑ "Our History". Jamestown Jackals. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ Andy Close (January 7, 2017). "Jamestown Jackals set to begin second season in PBL". The Times Observer. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Jamestown Jackals". Wikipedia. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Jackals Open Season Tonight". The Post-Journal. January 19, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Jackals Fall in NABL Championship Game". The Post-Journal. August 6, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Moving On Up – Jackals To Join Minor League Professional Ranks This Season". The Post-Journal. August 29, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Kayla Crosby Named The Basketball League's Director Of Team Development". The Post-Journal. June 29, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Welcome to the Team: A Beginner's Guide to the Jamestown Jackals". myCHQ.org. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ Blakeslee, Christopher (May 31, 2024). "Jamestown Jackals Season Ends With Forfeit Fiasco". The Post-Journal. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Jackals Join Basketball Super League For Upcoming Season". The Post-Journal. October 3, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Jackals Join New League, Ask for Community Support". The Post-Journal. December 2, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "History Made: The Jamestown Jackals Secure Their First Win in the Basketball Super League". Facebook. December 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Premier Basketball League 2016, News, Teams, Scores, Stats, Standings, Awards". usbasket. April 25, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Premier Basketball League 2017, News, Teams, Scores, Stats, Standings, Awards". usbasket. April 24, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "North American Basketball League 2018, News, Teams, Scores, Stats, Standings, Awards". usbasket. August 6, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "The Basketball League 2019, News, Teams, Scores, Stats, Standings, Awards". usbasket. May 30, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "The Basketball League 2020, News, Teams, Scores, Stats, Standings, Awards". usbasket. March 28, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "The Basketball League 2021, News, Teams, Scores, Stats, Standings, Awards". usbasket. July 25, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "The Basketball League 2022, News, Teams, Scores, Stats, Standings, Awards". usbasket. July 11, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "The Basketball League 2023, News, Teams, Scores, Stats, Standings, Awards". usbasket. June 28, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "The Basketball League 2024, News, Teams, Scores, Stats, Standings, Awards". usbasket. June 24, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "2024-25 Basketball Super League Schedule". Basketball Super League Stats. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
