plans to bring professional basketball to columbus were unveiled in september 1988 and the horizon began playing in november 1989 at the ohio expo center coliseum, where the franchise had a five-year lease. owner eli jacobson had previously owned the pensacola tornados and was able attract pensacola veterans gary youmans and tim sise to columbus as coach and general manager respectively. jacobsen was also a member of the league's expansion and rules committees. jacobsen told the press conference that the horizon would become involved in the central ohio community and said the economic impact on columbus would be to the tune $3–$4 million generated back into the city each year. cba commissioner jay ramsdell said columbus had all the elements to be a winning cba franchise. despite the team bearing the name columbus, team officials said they wanted the franchise to become a hometown favorite throughout the entire central ohio area. the houston rockets agreed to be the club's nba affiliate.