City negotiating with ownership, but new contract not guaranteed
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(All Photos/Kokomo Jackrabbits; Roc Ventures)
The Kokomo Jackrabbits have entertained crowds at Municipal Stadium for a decade. But will there be another 10 years of Jackrabbits baseball? The City of Kokomo doesn’t know.
The only thing that Mayor Tyler Moore is certain of at this point is, “Baseball will continue at Kokomo Municipal Stadium,” he said.
The current contract between the Jackrabbits’ owner, Michael Zimmerman and Roc Ventures, has lapsed. According to sources close to the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, the city reached out to Zimmerman through his general manager, Nathan Martin, during the season to discuss a new contract, but no response was given.
In the interim, the sources allege that another ownership group, National Sports Services, toured the stadium independently earlier this year and has expressed interest in establishing a team in Kokomo. Moore would not confirm any communication with the group, stating his current focus is on the Jackrabbits.
“We're in communications with the current operator of the Kokomo Jackrabbits, and we are working through issues with the most recent agreement,” said Moore.
That agreement, which had a five-year term, required the team to pay rental on office space within the stadium and a share of certain revenue over established attendance thresholds. Those attendance levels rarely are reached, so the revenue stream isn’t large, the sources claim.
Attendance at Jackrabbits games has steadily declined since Municipal Stadium opened in 2014. During the first two years of operation, games sold out the roughly 2,500 capacity stadium often. This year, weekday games often struggled to top 200 in attendance, and the stadium only filled when a special promotion or fireworks were promised as part of the evening.
The city has kept up with maintenance on the facility regardless of the product on the field. It has received a fresh coat of paint, and this year the city spent $750,000 replacing the turf. It is clear that Moore is following through on his statement that baseball will continue in the stadium.
Which team will take the field is the question.
The Jackrabbits competed in the Prospect League during their first four years but moved to the larger Northwoods League in 2019. That same year, Roc Ventures launched a second team, the Milwaukee Milkmen, which competes in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.
Given the sagging attendance and slow response from ownership, sources say that the interest from National Sports Services is being taken seriously by the city administration. The group also owns the Lafayette Aviators in the Prospect League, which was the team that most resembled a rival for the Jackrabbits during their first four years.
Moore confirmed the talks with Zimmerman and the Jackrabbits but gave no timetable for a new contract. He wouldn’t confirm that a contract with the team is even a certainty. He only expressed concerns that the negotiations must be concluded quickly.
“As we understand it, leagues are in the process now of setting their schedules, so the Kokomo program needs to be on a schedule for 2025,” said Moore.