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College Park Skyhawks to welcome fans back for 2021-2022 season

College Park Skyhawks (College Park Skyhawks)

ATLANTA — The College Park Skyhawks, the NBA G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks, says fans will be welcomed back for the 2021-2022 season.

The 50-game schedule marks their first regular-season action since March 11, 2020 and their first home game since Feb. 29, 2020.

Fans will be back at Gateway Center Arena @ College Park on Friday, Nov. 5, when the club hosts the Maine Celtics at 7 p.m. ET in the first of seven scheduled theme games this season.

“We are beyond excited to return to action and welcome our fans back into the building this season,” said Janice Koon, Vice President of G League Operations and 2K League Operations for the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena. “Now, more than ever, the Atlanta metropolitan area is on fire for basketball, and we can’t wait for our passionate fans to cheer us on in person.”

The Skyhawks’ seven theme games for the upcoming season feature ticket bundles, which begin at $15 and include a seat for the contest as well as a team-branded hat and water bottle.

DateTimeOpponentTheme
Friday, Nov. 57 p.m.Maine CelticsHome Opener
Friday, Nov. 197 p.m.Delaware Blue CoatsHoops and Heroes­
Sunday, Jan. 22 p.m.Cleveland ChargeKids Day
Thursday, Feb. 1011 a.m.Westchester KnicksEducation Day
­­Saturday, Feb. 126:30 p.m.Fort Wayne Mad AntsCelebrating Black History
Friday, March 47 p.m.Greensboro SwarmFaith and Family
Friday, March 187 p.m.Wisconsin HerdFan Appreciation

The Skyhawks enter the season with a new coaching staff led by Head Coach Steve Gansey, who was head coach of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA G League from 2015-20, where he recorded a 123-120 mark and became the club’s all-time wins leader. Highlighting the roster are two players on two-way contracts with the Atlanta Hawks: Sharife Cooper, a former Mr. Georgia Basketball and Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year at McEachern High School in Powder Springs; and Skylar Mays, a second-year professional who saw action in 33 games for the Hawks during the 2020-21 regular season.

“After more than a year away from our fans in College Park, our players, coaches and staff are enthusiastic about returning to competitive action,” said Skyhawks General Manager Tori Miller. “Coach Gansey and his staff are diligently preparing to lead our team to the next level on the court.”

Only players with three-or-fewer years of NBA experience are permitted to sign two-way contracts. Per league rules, teams are allowed to have up to two two-way players on their roster at any given time, in addition to their 15-man regular season roster. A two-way player for the Hawks will spend time with the Skyhawks but can be on the Atlanta Hawks’ active list for up to 50 games during the 2021-22 regular season.

In a change from past seasons, the NBA G League will crown two champions at separate points this year to compliment the fluidity of rosters and fluctuation of players during the season. The league is implementing an innovative structure for 2021-22 which will include two parts: a 14-game Showcase Cup to begin the season; and a 36-game regular season in advance of the traditional NBA G League Playoffs.

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