BSN Says No to Dion New: Indios de Mayagüez Stay Put in the Sultana del Oeste

The Board of Governors of Puerto Rico's National Superior Basketball league (BSN) shut the door on Indios de Mayagüez owner Dion New, who was seeking to relocate the franchise to the municipality of Isabela. At a special meeting held Friday, September 25, in San Juan, the request failed to secure the two-thirds majority vote from franchise owners present, the threshold the league's rules require to authorize any relocation ¹²³. With that vote, the Indios will keep representing Mayagüez next season.

What happened

New, an American businessman who acquired the team midway through last season, formally submitted a request to move the franchise to Isabela. The BSN convened a special session of its Board of Governors to address the matter, and after the vote, issued a short but firm statement reaffirming its commitment to institutional stability and the continued development of professional Puerto Rican basketball ¹. The league did not disclose the exact vote count or the specific reasons other owners had for withholding support, but the outcome makes clear there was not enough consensus among the ownership group ²³.

The numbers and the facts

• Vote date: Friday, September 25, 2026, at a special meeting in San Juan ¹.
• Threshold to approve a relocation: two-thirds (2/3) of the votes from franchise owners present ¹².
• Result: the request fell short of that threshold; the exact tally was not released ²³.
• Who filed it: Dion New, the American owner who bought the team midway through the previous season ²³.
• Proposed destination: the municipality of Isabela, on the island's northwest coast ¹²³.
• Immediate consequence: Indios de Mayagüez continue representing the Sultana del Oeste ("Queen of the West," Mayagüez's nickname) next BSN season ¹.

This kind of vote is not a minor procedural step. The BSN has historically run on a model where every franchise is tied to a strong municipal identity, with fan bases that have backed their teams by hometown name, not by owner, for decades. That's why the two-thirds requirement exists: it keeps a single investor, no matter how much capital they bring, from unilaterally uprooting a team from the community that sustains it through ticket sales, local sponsorships and generational loyalty.

What this means for you

If you're an Indios fan, the news is simple: your team stays yours, on your court, in your town. There's no need to plan trips to Isabela to catch next season's home games, and no uncertainty for the local sponsorships and jobs that depend on the franchise — ticket booths, concessions, arena security and game-day staff. For fans in Isabela who may have gotten excited about the possibility of landing their own superior-league basketball franchise, this particular chapter is closed for now, though nothing rules out a different push in the future, whether with this franchise or through league expansion. And for anyone tracking the BSN's institutional health, this vote sends a signal: the league is willing to block moves pushed by individual owners when there isn't broad support from the rest of the ownership group.

How to do it / Checklist

1. To stay current on the Indios de Mayagüez schedule, follow the team's official account and the BSN's news page (bsnpr.com/noticias), where the league posts its official statements ¹.
2. Confirm the next BSN season's opening date directly on bsnpr.com before buying tickets or planning to attend games in Mayagüez.
3. If you're following the story in the press, compare coverage from multiple outlets (Primera Hora, El Nuevo Día) alongside the league's official statement, since the BSN did not break down the individual votes ²³.
4. If you're a fan in Isabela hoping the municipality lands a superior-league franchise down the road, watch for municipal announcements or a possible league expansion process, which is a separate track from relocating an existing franchise.
5. To support the team locally, check the Indios' season-ticket sales channels, which are typically announced ahead of each new campaign.

What comes next

With the relocation rejected, attention now turns to how Dion New manages the team's operation heading into next season while required to stay in Mayagüez. It will be worth watching whether the owner invests in the relationship with the local fan base and western Puerto Rico sponsors, or whether he attempts to file a new relocation request down the line once — or if — the league sets additional requirements. It also remains to be seen whether the BSN will publicly clarify the vote breakdown, something it has not done so far ¹²³. In the meantime, the Sultana del Oeste is preparing to remain home to superior-league basketball, and next season will be the first real test of whether this Board of Governors decision stabilizes the franchise or whether the tension between the owner and the league resurfaces.

Sources

1. BSN — "La Junta de Gobierno del BSN no aprueba la mudanza de la franquicia de los Indios de Mayagüez a Isabela" — https://www.bsnpr.com/noticias/la-junta-de-gobierno-del-bsn-no-aprueba-la-mudanza-de-la-franquicia-de-los-indios-de-mayaguez-a-isabela
2. Primera Hora — "BSN rechaza mudanza de los Indios de Mayagüez a Isabela" — https://www.primerahora.com/deportes/baloncesto/notas/bsn-rechaza-mudanza-de-los-indios-de-mayaguez-a-isabela/
3. El Nuevo Día — "El BSN rechaza la mudanza de los Indios de Mayagüez a Isabela" — https://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/baloncesto/notas/el-bsn-rechaza-la-mudanza-de-los-indios-de-mayaguez-a-isabela/