Basketball QLD announce new QSL competition to tip-off on August 7
In a major boost for the sport, Basketball Queensland have announced its new elite senior competition will tip-off next month with NBL and WNBL talents set to feature. But that’s not the only exciting news for basketball in the state. READ MORE HERE.
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ELITE level basketball in Queensland is back after the state’s governing body announced a new senior competition to start next month.
The Queensland State League (QSL) will tip-off on August 7, filling the gap created by the cancellation of the inaugural NBL1 North season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Basketball Queensland announced the 12-team competition today with all teams to play each other once and the top six teams to qualify for finals.
The season would then finish with grand finals on October 24.
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No overseas players will be allowed to play, however teams can suit up one restricted Australian player.
Basketball Queensland chief operating officer Joshua Pascoe said it was always their plan to have some sort of shortened season this year.
“Realistically our goal once COVID happened was to still have a shortened NBL1 season but as soon as the NBL pulled the pin on that, we thought there was no way we could let this large amount of players go without having a serious competition to play in,” he said.
“Initially our discussions were to have it as a summer season, start in October and have the finals in December but with restrictions easing so much quicker, we’ve been able to move it forward.
“With these new dates it means we can avoid clashes with our junior competitions as far as under-18 players who would play in QSL but it also means we will have NBL and WNBL players suiting up in the QSL, which is huge.
“Being able to have those NBL and WNBL players play allows us and the clubs to maintain that connection and also those players can use QSL essentially as a preseason.”
Pascoe said the amount of talent which will be on show in the QSL exceeded their expectations.
“I think we have the best home grown talent who then go on to play in our state league in the country,” he said.
“On top of that, the amount of players who usually get paid for their services, and deserve to, but have agreed to play in this competition for free because they just want to play and help their association has been amazing.”
No teams from north or central Queensland will feature in QSL due to costs of travel post coronavirus.
A QSL Division 2 will also be held across the same dates with six teams in the women’s competition and 14 in the men.
In another boost for the return of basketball in the state, The Courier-Mail and News’ regional titles are working with Basketball Queensland to ensure livestream coverage of as many of the junior competitions, and at least finals coverage of the QSL.
a partnership is in the works with Basketball Queensland and NewsCorp to livestream hundreds of games across junior and senior competitions in the coming months.
“The amount of vision that will be out there for our members will be incredible,” Pascoe said.
“Obviously we’re allowed to have crowds from Friday but streaming will still allow families, fans and others to see a lot of games, which will be great for the sport in Queensland.”
The NBL1 North will still go ahead in 2021 but the start date may be later due to the NBL season running until April.
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Pascoe also said no associations around Queensland were in danger of folding.
“It’s been really tough, from the state body right down to club land,” he said.
“All associations and BQ rely on memberships. We just extended around 33,000 memberships by 120 days because it was right thing to do.
“The JobKeeper payments were a lifesaver for sport in my opinion because clubs who were losing majority of their staff were then able to keep their staff on.
“There’s some things from a BQ perspective as far as investment opportunities we’ve had to kick down the road a couple of years but that’s fine.”
QUEENSLAND STATE LEAGUE
– August 7 to October 24
– All teams to play each other once
– Top six teams qualify for finals
Teams (Division 1): Southern Districts Spartans, Logan Thunder, South West Metro Pirates, Gold Coast Rollers, North Gold Coast Seahawks, Toowoomba Mountaineers, Northside Wizards, RedCity Roar, Sunshine Coast Phoenix, University of Sunshine Coast Rip, Ipswich Force, Brisbane Capitals
QSL DIVISION 2
– Teams to play each other home and away in the women and once each in the men
– Top four to qualify for finals in women, top six in men
Teams (women): Logan Thunder, Brisbane Capitals, Gold Coast Rollers, South West Metro Pirates, Southern Districts Spartans, University of Sunshine Coast Rip
Teams (men): Southern Districts Spartans, Logan Thunder, South West Metro Pirates 1, South West Metro Pirates 2, Gold Coast Rollers, Toowoomba Mountaineers, Toowoomba Mountaineers 2, RedCity Roar, Sunshine Coast Phoenix Black, Sunshine Coast Phoenix Orange, University of Sunshine Coast Rip, Moreton Bay Suns Dark, Moreton Bay Suns Light, Brisbane Capitals