Don Zierden served as the Bobcats head coach during their inaugural 1996–97 season.[2] The team held their first open tryouts at Viterbo College from October 25 to October 27, 1996.[3]
In 1997, the Bobcats marketing campaign featured commercials depicting La Crosse players hawking sub-par team endorsed products in a home shopping parody. The team's tagline for the commercials were, "Lousy endorsements. Great basketball". No actual La Crosse players were in the commercials since they were filmed during the off-season, so actors were used.[4]
During the 1999 CBA draft, the Bobcats selected former Wisconsin Badgers forward Sam Okey in the eighth round. Okey declined a contract from La Crosse, opting to play in a Turkish professional league. In September 2000, the Bobcats announced that Okey had signed a contract for the upcoming season. Okey first received basketball notoriety in Wisconsin while attending a Cassvilleprep school. He was a McDonald's High School All-American in 1995.[5]
In 2006, the City of La Crosse dedicated a time capsule which included objects from the city's 150-year history. Buried under a marble slab, the capsule is set to be opened for the city's bicentennial celebration in 2056. A Bobcats pin-back button and program from their inaugural season were included in the capsule.[6]
All-time roster
Stephen Jackson played for the Bobcats in 1997 and 1998.Mark Hendrickson had three separate stints with La Crosse (1997, 1999 and 2000).
^"CBA appears to be finished; Two teams join the IBL, while others -- including the La Crosse Bobcats -- say they're done". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin: Capital Newspapers. February 4, 2001. p. D3.
^"Locally". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin: Capital Newspapers. May 30, 1996. p. 2B.
^"Locally". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin: Capital Newspapers. October 6, 1996. p. 2B.
^Baar, Aaron (December 1, 1997). "Taking it to the hoopla". Adweek. Adweek, LLC. p. 7.
^"Former UW star Okey tries CBA". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin: Capital Newspapers. September 21, 2000. p. 2C.
^Jungen, Anne (October 15, 2006). "Buried in time: La Crosse celebrates 150 years with time capsule dedication". La Crosse Tribune. La Crosse, Wisconsin.