Basketball Champions League Will Begin 11th Season
The 2026-27 campaign features 32 teams competing for a chance to reach a new top-tier continental league.
Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Basketball
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The Basketball Champions League will open its 11th season on October 6, 2026, with 32 teams vying for a spot in a newly formed top-tier competition called NBA Europe. This year marks the latest iteration of the tournament, which first launched in 2016.
Why it matters
The league serves as a critical developmental stage for young basketball prospects and provides an opportunity for clubs outside of traditional powerhouses to compete on the international level. Success in this tournament now offers a direct pathway to the upcoming elite NBA Europe circuit.
The league consists of 32 teams divided into eight groups to begin play. Teams that finish at the bottom of their groups are eliminated after playing six games, while group winners advance directly to the Round of 16.
The players
Rytas
This professional basketball club based in Lithuania is the current defending champion of the tournament.
AEK
This basketball club based in Greece is the only team to have participated in every season since the league was founded.
Frank Bartley IV
He is a professional basketball player who earned the Most Valuable Player title during the 2025-26 season.
The details
The competition includes play-in series for second and third place teams to determine their standing in the Round of 16. Rytas enters the 2026-27 season as the reigning champion, while AEK holds the record as the only club to participate in every season since the league started in 2016.
Timeline
The league launched originally in 2016.
Frank Bartley IV was named Most Valuable Player for the 2025-26 season.
The regular season begins on October 6, 2026.
The 2026-27 campaign runs throughout the current season.
Season Trajectory
The 11th season follows the operational precedent established by the 2016 launch of the Basketball Champions League. This season significantly raises stakes by offering finalists a direct entry pathway into the newly formed NBA Europe tier.
Teams that finish at the bottom of their groups will end their campaign after exactly six games. The introduction of the NBA Europe entry incentive changes the competitive importance of reaching the final round for all participating rosters.
The takeaway
This season represents a pivotal shift as the league transitions from a standalone competition into a feeder system for top-tier continental play. Fans and analysts should track group performance early as only the top finishers avoid the high-stakes play-in series.
Further reading
For more information on the evolving professional basketball landscape, visit the Basketball section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Eurohoops.
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