Just days before bj-league teams begin playing preseason games, the Takamatsu Five Arrows' season and future existence are in limbo.

The Western Conference squad lost its main sponsor, Anabuki Construction Inc., in May, and the team has failed to find a replacement during the ongoing global financial crisis. As a result, Takamatsu announced Monday it is ¥80 million short of the necessary ¥190 million it needs for operating expenses this season.

If a sponsor or sponsors cannot be found to secure the necessary cash by mid-September, the team said it will suspend operations for the 2009-10 season, which tips off on Oct. 3.