Eden Park is conspicuous by its absence on the Blues' 2024 Super Rugby Pacific schedule.
Each of the team's home games for next season were labelled with a 'TBC' on the SANZAAR release, leading to speculation over the ground's future as the team's headquarters.
According to chief executive Andrew Hore, the Blues are simply doing their due diligence around how they can expand their horizons to give supporters across the region more access to live matches and become less Auckland-centric.
"We thought this was a time to put foot on the ball, and take a good look at what options are available to us and what may match the needs of our fans," Hore told Newshub. "We just wanted to take a breather and have a look at what [those options] are."
Hore says they've surveyed their membership base and other ticket purchasers in regards to their venue preferences and will take the opportunity to thoroughly "cross-reference" those results to determine where they land for next year's matches - and they're in no rush to do so.
Alternatives include the likes of North Harbour Stadium on Auckland's North Shore and Whangārei's Semenoff Stadium, where they'll play their season opener against Fijian Drua on February 24.
The Blues have only played one official game in franchise history at the Northland ground. Hore says they've been targeting it for the past four years as a more frequent host, only for the pandemic to get in the way. They're keen to ensure that changes from next season.
Widely regarded as New Zealand's spiritual home of rugby, the iconic ground has been the home of the franchise since its inception in 1996 and the stage for some of its most memorable moments, including their back-to-back titles in 96/97.
Hore notes the Blues and Eden Park are synonymous, and they'd continue to remain as such.
"There's no doubt that it's still our stadium. It's our regional stadium of international significance so we'd be fools to write it off."
The relatively high costs involved with using a larger Eden Park are also a factor in their decision making, Hore concedes.
"It's a big stadium. It takes a lot to maintain it, so of course it can be more expensive to hire, so we've got to look at all of those variables.
"But most importantly, we're about 44 percent growth in membership last year - what do they want? What do our fans want? And we'll take it from there."
That said, the Blues are well aware of where their bread is buttered.
"There is a financial aspect involved, I'm not going to shy away from that," Hore added.
"It's getting that machination and seeing if there is a middle ground to be found. It could be that the best option that people want is to stay where we are
"There's no doubt that the business is in Kingsland. We're there every year.
"This competition is trans-Tasman. How much are we promoting the Blues and Auckland and the wider region by using [Eden Park]. I don't think enough."
Auckland-based Moana Pasfiika are also exploring other venues, confirming they'll relocate from their base at Mt Smart to a location yet to be announced from next season.
Eden Park chief executive Nick Sauntner says they remain committed to both the Blues and the growth of rugby in New Zealand, and are "confident the team will continue to call Eden Park their home".
