The Basketball Champions League, powered by Ameresco SUNEL, is set for its 11th season after Wednesday’s draw for the Qualification Round Tournaments and the Regular Season.
MIES (Switzerland) – The Basketball Champions League Season 11 draw was completed at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball, with 30 teams placed into the Regular Season groups and 24 teams discovering their path in the Qualification Round Tournaments.
Qualification Round Tournaments
The Qualification Round Tournaments will be played from September 14-20 in a single-game elimination format, with the two tournament winners advancing to the Regular Season.
Qualification Round Tournament 1
Quarter-Finals
- Patrioti Levice (SVK) vs. Salon Vilpas (FIN)
- Bakken Bears Aarhus (DEN) vs. Landstede Hammers (NED)
- Fribourg Olympic Basket (SUI) vs. BC Batumi 2010 (GEO)
- CSM CSU Raiffeisen Oradea (ROU) vs. Petrolina AEK Larnaca (CYP)
Semi-Finals
- Winner QF1 vs. Winner QF2
- Winner QF3 vs. Winner QF4
Qualification Round Tournament 2
Round of 16
- VEF Riga (LAT) vs. Landau Lions (AZE)
- BK Opava (CZE) vs. Dziki Warszawa (POL)
- FIT/One Würzburg Baskets (GER) vs. Manchester Basketball (GBR)
- Río Breogán (ESP) vs. Rilski Sportist (BUL)
- Promitheas Patras BC (GRE) vs. BC Vienna (AUT)
- Manisa Basket (TUR) vs. Kolossos H Hotels (GRE)
- SL Benfica (POR) vs. Lions de Genève (SUI)
- RASTA Vechta (GER) vs. Yukatel Denizli Basket (TUR)
Quarter-Finals
- Winner 1 vs. Winner 2
- Winner 3 vs. Winner 4
- Winner 5 vs. Winner 6
- Winner 7 vs. Winner 8
Semi-Finals
- Winner QF1 vs. Winner QF2
- Winner QF3 vs. Winner QF4
Regular Season Groups
The Regular Season will once again feature 32 teams divided into eight groups of four.
The winner of each group will advance directly to the Round of 16, while the second- and third-placed teams will compete in the best-of-three Play-In series in January.
Group A
- Nanterre 92 (FRA)
- Rytas Vilnius (LTU)
- Sabah BC (AZE)
- Trabzonspor (TUR)
Group B
- Cibona (CRO)
- Galatasaray MCT Technic (TUR)
- Legia Warszawa (POL)
- SIG Strasbourg (FRA)
Group C
- AEK BC (GRE)
- Falco KC Szombathely (HUN)
- Windrose Giants Antwerp (BEL)
- QRT1 Winner
Group D
- Bamberg Baskets (GER)
- Pallacanestro Varese (ITA)
- Peristeri Betsson (GRE)
- UCAM Murcia (ESP)
Group E
- BC Juventus Utena (LTU)
- BK KVIS Pardubice (CZE)
- Pallacanestro Reggiana (ITA)
- Unicaja (ESP)
Group F
- Cholet Basket (FRA)
- Hapoel Holon (ISR)
- Spartak Office Shoes (SRB)
- QRT2 Winner
Group G
- ALBA BERLIN (GER)
- Igokea m:tel (BIH)
- Slavia Praha ERA NBK (CZE)
- Surne Bilbao Basket (ESP)
Group H
- Joventut Badalona (ESP)
- Bnei Penlink Herzliya (ISR)
- FC Porto (POR)
- Telekom Baskets Bonn (GER)
Play-In Series and Round of 16
There will be no additional draw for either the Play-Ins or the Round of 16.
Adjacent groups will cross over in the best-of-three Play-In series:
- A2 vs. B3, B2 vs. A3
- C2 vs. D3, D2 vs. C3
- E2 vs. F3, F2 vs. E3
- G2 vs. H3, H2 vs. G3
The winners will advance to predetermined Round of 16 groups:
- Group I: A1, E1, C2/D3, G2/H3
- Group J: B1, F1, D2/C3, H2/G3
- Group K: C1, G1, B2/A3, E2/F3
- Group L: D1, H1, A2/B3, F2/E3
Club Workshop
As part of the event, club representatives also attended the Basketball Champions League Club Workshop, where NBA representatives shared their vision for the future of European basketball.
“We always expect the next season to be the best ever, but in this lineup, we have the data to back us up. Among the 32 Regular Season clubs, we will have 10 national league champions, and of the 54 teams in the entire draw, a striking 80 percent reached at least the Semi-Finals of their domestic championships,” Basketball Champions League CEO Patrick Comninos said.
“We are happy to confirm that the Basketball Champions League Season 11 winners and finalists will qualify for the first season of the NBA and FIBA-backed league expected to launch in the fall of 2027. It is our great pleasure that sporting merit will be an integral part of this new competition, and we are convinced that our collaboration with the NBA will reshape the European basketball landscape for the better,” Comninos added.
The discussions during the workshop highlighted a shared ambition to create new opportunities for clubs through sporting merit, support sustainable growth across the game and further strengthen the European basketball ecosystem for generations to come.
The Regular Season will tip off on October 6, 2026, with the detailed schedule to be announced soon.
Commenta
Visualizza commenti