Super Basketball League 2026-27: Full Season Preview
The 2026-27 campaign is particularly significant for British basketball, with Super League Basketball (SLB) expanding to 10 men’s teams following the arrival of Liverpool Basketball.
The defending champions, London Lions, enter the campaign after an exceptional 2025-26 season in which they won all four domestic trophies. They will now attempt to defend their Championship title in a competition that features a longer regular season and a new-look play-off format.
With a new franchise, reshaped squads and another busy domestic schedule ahead, there is plenty to follow throughout the campaign.
Here’s a clear look at the format, the calendar, the teams and what to watch as the 2026-27 season unfolds.
How Does The Super Basketball League Work?
Super League Basketball is the top-level men’s professional basketball competition in Great Britain. The 2026-27 Championship features 10 teams, with every side playing every other team four times — twice at home and twice away. That gives each club 36 regular-season Championship games across a 27-week schedule.
Unlike the previous 2025-26 season, when nine teams competed, the expanded 2026-27 competition includes Liverpool Basketball as the league’s 10th franchise.
The Championship regular season begins in September and runs through Friday 23 April 2027. League standings determine qualification and seeding for the post-season. The 2026-27 play-offs have also been reduced from eight qualifying teams to six.
The top two teams in the Championship standings advance directly to the semi-finals. Teams finishing third to sixth contest two-legged quarter-finals, with the aggregate score determining who progresses. The two semi-final winners then meet in the Play-Off Final at The O2 in London on Sunday 16 May 2027.
The domestic calendar also includes the SLB Cup. The SLB Trophy is no longer part of the men’s domestic programme for 2026-27, leaving three pieces of domestic silverware available: the Championship, the Cup and the Play-Offs.
When Does The Super Basketball League Start?
The 2026-27 men’s Super League Basketball season begins on Friday 18 September 2026, when Bristol Flyers host the defending champions, London Lions. The opening weekend then continues with further Championship fixtures, including London Lions’ home meeting with Newcastle Eagles on Sunday 20 September.
Liverpool Basketball will make its SLB debut later in the opening phase of the campaign. The new franchise’s first listed home Championship game is against Manchester Basketball at M&S Bank Arena on Sunday 4 October 2026.
The expanded schedule means each club will play 36 Championship matches, with the regular season continuing until April 2027. The final league positions will then determine the six teams that enter the new-look play-off structure.
The SLB Cup will also form part of the season. The competition has been refreshed for 2026-27, with the top six teams from the previous Championship receiving automatic places in the quarter-finals and the remaining four teams entering single-leg play-in games. The Cup Final is scheduled for the AO Arena in Manchester on Sunday 21 March 2027.
Who Won The 2025-26 Super Basketball League?
London Lions won the 2025-26 SLB Championship and went on to complete a domestic clean sweep, winning the Championship, Play-Offs, SLB Cup and SLB Trophy. The Lions secured the regular-season Championship title in April before completing their remarkable campaign with further silverware.
The Lions finished the Championship regular season at the top of the standings and entered the play-offs as the number one seed. They eventually defeated Cheshire Phoenix in the Play-Off Final at The O2 Arena, completing their four-trophy domestic campaign.
The achievement gives London a significant target to defend in 2026-27. However, the structure of the competition has changed: only six teams will reach the play-offs this season, compared with eight in the previous campaign.
The Lions also face changes to their squad. Among the confirmed departures are guards Kameron McGusty and Amin Adamu, who were members of the quadruple-winning side.
Which Teams Are Competing In The Super Basketball League?
Ten clubs will contest the 2026-27 men’s Super League Basketball Championship. Liverpool Basketball is the new addition, expanding the competition from nine teams to 10.
The teams are:
- Bristol Flyers
- Caledonia Gladiators
- Cheshire Phoenix
- Leicester Riders
- Liverpool Basketball
- London Lions
- Manchester Basketball
- Newcastle Eagles
- Sheffield Sharks
- Surrey 89ers
Liverpool Basketball’s arrival is one of the main storylines of the season. The franchise will play its home games at M&S Bank Arena, with 18 regular-season home Championship fixtures scheduled as part of its inaugural campaign.
The competition therefore brings together established clubs from across England and Scotland alongside the new Liverpool franchise, creating a 10-team league with a significantly expanded regular-season schedule.
Who Are The Favourites To Win The Super Basketball League?
The 2026-27 title race begins with London Lions as the defending Championship winners and the team that enters the season with the most recent domestic success. Their 2025-26 campaign ended with four domestic trophies, including the Championship and Play-Off titles.
However, the new season should not be treated as a repeat of the previous campaign. Rosters change during the off-season, Liverpool Basketball joins the competition, and the longer 36-game Championship schedule creates more opportunities for form, injuries and squad depth to influence the standings.
Cheshire Phoenix also arrive with recent play-off experience after reaching the 2026 SLB Play-Off Final. Newcastle Eagles remain another established name in the competition, while clubs such as Manchester Basketball, Leicester Riders, Sheffield Sharks, Bristol Flyers, Caledonia Gladiators and Surrey 89ers will all be competing for one of the six available post-season places.
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