The 2026-27 American Basketball Association (ABA) season finally arrived in the ABA Central Region Blue Division with five of the six teams in action over the weekend of Oct. 17-18, 2026.
The defending Blue Division champions, the Steel City Yellow Jackets, were idle this week.
The Blue Division finalists, the Hoosier State Instigators, had the unenviable task of facing the reigning ABA Central Region champions, the Nashville Aces, on Oct. 17 at Best Choice Fieldhouse in Fishers, Indiana. The Instigators fought hard, but the champs prevailed, 111-100.
Meanwhile the Indiana Lyons opened their season at home on Oct. 17 and cruised past the visiting Indiana Shuckers, 124-75, at Bosstick Gym in Danville, Indiana.
In the Oct. 17 nightcap, the brand new Naptown Pirates took the floor for the first time in the ABA, facing off against the Indiana Legends at Stanley Strader Park in Indianapolis. Led by Demetrius “Meech” Brown‘s 36 points and Tee Williams‘ 29 points, the Pirates won their first game in franchise history, 125-113.
Mike Saunders, Jr. of the Indiana Legends matched Meech’s 36 points, and Dwayne Gibson, Jr. recorded a double-double in his first game as a Legend, scoring 17 points, gobbling up 14 rebounds, and adding an assist, three steals, and three blocks to his stats line just for good measure despite leaving the game early with an injury.
Originally, the Pirates were scheduled to host the Aces on Oct. 18, but that game was cancelled due to unavailability of the Pirates’ home venue. That game may be rescheduled later in the season.
