Following the completion of a 17-team season, the BBL has expanded, granting 18 new licenses.
Changing it Up:
Here's the scoop on the Basketball Bundesliga's upcoming season! The league's going back to their classic format with 18 teams instead of the current 17. They've given the green light to all 18 clubs that qualified, including the promoted clubs Science City Jena and VET-Concept Gladiators Trier.
This decision comes after they set a minimum budget of four million euros, which was no walk in the park. But they've managed to clear the hurdle, and the chairman of the BBL licensing committee, Christian Frystatzki, couldn't be happier. He noted that the licensing process has improved significantly over the years. The league will kick off its 60th season in September.
Last week, we knew that Jena and Trier had secured their licenses. Interestingly, 15 out of the 16 existing BBL clubs got theirs without any conditions. But, the Telekom Baskets Bonn have received their license with conditions. The league isn't dishing out the details just yet.
In the championship race, FC Bayern Munich, Ratiopharm Ulm, the Würzburg Baskets, and MLP Academics Heidelberg are locked in a tight battle for the title. The semifinals between Bayern and Heidelberg, as well as Ulm and Würzburg, are tied at 1-1 after two games.
As for the conditions for Bonn to secure their license, those details aren't publicly available yet. Usually, BBL teams need to show financial stability, have a suitable arena, and meet sporting standards. Teams like Gladiators Trier and Science City Jena earned their spots after reaching the ProA finals[2]. But for existing BBL teams like Telekom Baskets Bonn, the conditions would involve different criteria. Stay tuned for more updates as we get them!
Bonus Reads
Want more basketball chatter? Check out these articles! (If you can't see this, you might need to tweak your ad blocker settings.)
- Next season's Basketball Bundesliga will witness the return of the classic 18-team format, with sports enthusiasts eagerly anticipating the clash of giants such as FC Bayern Munich, Ratiopharm Ulm, the Würzburg Baskets, and MLP Academics Heidelberg in various fixtures.
- Despite the conditions placed on the Telekom Baskets Bonn for retaining their license, the League's focus remains on providing a vibrant platform for clubs likescience City Jena and VET-Concept Gladiators Trier, who have impressively earned their spots through sporting achievements.
