Genesis Brighton Bears want to pull out of the British League.

The club will tell season ticket holders of plans to leave the competition they dominated only three season ago.

However, Bears could re-emerge in an NBA-backed development league next summer.

Season ticket holders have been invited to a meeting at the Triangle in Burgess Hill tomorrow night but have been given no idea what will be on the agenda.

Nick Nurse, head coach and still the driving force behind the club, said fans would be advised at the meeting as to what direction Bears planned to take.

Birmingham Bullets have already pulled out of the BBL and London Towers will follow. Worcester have joined the league and will be joined by London United.

Bears have been plagued by financial problems and finished eighth with a low-budget team last season.

Meanwhile, Nurse has become increasingly disillusioned with the BBL and has been repeatedly linked with a switch to a proposed new summer league, possibly run by the NBA.

He told The Argus in January he would welcome such a move.

The Bears coach said: "What would it mean? It means the NBA and all that is wrapped up in that from a marketing standpoint.

"That would bring national sponsorship. I am sure it would catapult us back on to television.

"And I would expect the NBA marketing machine to be revving up its engines to back us. This would take us as high as we can be."

Bears could opt to "park" their franchise, giving them the option of returning to the BBL after a year's break.

British League spokesman Andy Webb said: "We are still in negotiations with the Brighton Bears."

Neighbours Worthing Thunder will watch developments with interest.

Thunder would be unlikely to want to move into the BBL in time for the new season, which is little more than two months away, but could consider it for 2007/08.

Bears will still be running their Summer Camp, headed by community coach Daniel Hildreth, at the Brighton Centre, from August 28 to September 1.