Southern Huskies owner Justin Hickey has been quick to play down suggestions that his club has been pressured into changing its name.
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The New Zealand NBL rookies are set to be named the Tasmanian Huskies for the second season of a five-year deal in the competition.
The reasons behind the sudden change are two fold.
A push to play games out of Ulverstone - in addition to Launceston - and a shift from a perceived Hobart-centric bias over the decision for the Southern moniker were expected to draw more support.
"It was on the cards when we originally came up with our name because we are playing games statewide," Hickey said.
"When people read the back story on our website why 'We the South', they understand it better."
The brand marketing behind the doomed name was over "everything south" of Bass Strait, Victoria and the southern lights, Aurora Australis, which is responsible for the team's unique green, purple and blue colours.
It was also tied into Huskies mascot Mawson, named after Australian explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, who left from Hobart for Antarctica.
"We were first sort of oohing and aahing over what should we do," he said.
"But we had thought with our commitment to play up North and hopefully on the North West coast next year, it was probably good timing to make a name change sooner rather than later as well.
"Most people drop the first name and call us the Huskies and a lot of merchandising is around that big H anyway, so it's not a massive deal."
But the partnership with the state government, Events Tasmania and Tourism Tasmania while tying in with four free-to-air TV games in New Zealand sealed the deal.
"It was more about the fact that we are playing in another country," Hickey said.
"It makes a lot more sense in that way and it makes a lot easier to understand the branding behind it with the name Tasmania in it."