Basketball SA and Adelaide Premier League clubs agree to join NBL1 competition in 2020
The expanding NBL1 has entered South Australia, with Adelaide’s top basketball league set to become part of the national second-tier competition for 2020.
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South Australia’s top basketball league will become part of NBL1 – the expanding national second-tier competition – from this season.
The National Basketball League, Basketball SA and the Adelaide clubs announced on Friday they had reached an agreement for the SA Premier League to become NBL1 Central.
SA joins NBL1 South and NBL1 North in a growing conference-based competition, which will culminate in a national finals series.
Basketball SA chief executive Phil Sinnott said moving the NBL1 brand would help to put the state’s basketball on the map.
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“Basketball South Australia and the clubs have all worked together to collectively reach an agreement that we believe will benefit the entire sport,” Sinnott said.
“We look forward to our athletes receiving the exposure they deserve under the NBL1 brand.
“NBL1 also provides a stronger pathway to the elite level for male and female South Australian basketballers, strengthening retention and connecting with grassroots.”
NBL1 played its inaugural season in 2019 with primarily Victorian clubs drawn from the defunct South East Australian Basketball League.
Last month it was announced those teams, which were joined by Mount Gambier in the off-season, will now play in NBL1 South, while the Queensland Basketball League was absorbed to become the North conference.
Teams will play a regular season against their own conference before the winners progress to an NBL1 finals series in September, where the conference champions will battle for the national title.
NBL chief operating officer Andy Crook said it was an exciting time for SA basketball and the NBL.
“We applaud Basketball South Australia and the clubs for embracing the opportunity to launch NBL1 Central in 2020,” Crook said.
“Huge credit also needs to be given to Basketball South Australia and the Basketball Adelaide Board for collectively leading this change process and for sharing the NBL’s vision for NBL1.”
Basketball Adelaide executive officer Michael Sweeney said the SA basketball community was extremely excited about being a part of NBL1 in 2020.
“With previous MVPs changing clubs and a raft of fantastic imports, local stars and returning college players, it promises to be an exciting season and we can’t wait for the action to begin,” Sweeney said.
The NBL was also in discussions with Basketball Western Australia and Basketball New South Wales about introducing NBL1 in those states in 2021.