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2 September 2026  4 min read

NBL: Fixtures live, league structures & key dates for 2026/27 season

With the NBL structure once again hosting Men's, WNBL and Jnr. NBL competitions, the league season will get underway with the opening round of the National Cup on 12/13 September 2026 after East Durham Lions and Cleveland Steelers get things underway with a single fixture on 8 September.

Men's Division One will continue with a two pool format, with the BCB remaining as the second-tier league for Britain.

Senior NBL structures for 2026/27

NBL and Jnr. NBL fixtures for 2026/27

The first half of the season will come to a close on 19/20 December 2026 as teams head into the mid-season break off the back of the NBL and WNBL National Cup semi-finals, before starting again on 09/10 January 2027 ahead of the National Cup Finals on 23/24 January 2027.

Then the race will be on into April and the end of the regular season, with the Senior Playoff Finals (24/25 April 2027) and Jnr. NBL Final Fours (01/02 May 2027) bringing the upcoming campaign to a close.

The NBL has once again grown, increasing 3.4% to a total of 1,114 teams from 1,077 a year ago. That represents a historic third season in a row with over 1,000 teams involved in the NBL, and the first season to pass the 1,100 mark.

Membership, including individual NBL licencing, opened on 9 July 2026.

Registration links to join Basketball England will be sent to you directly by your clubs:

• Players, coaches, team managers and volunteers – You will receive an invite from your club to join
• Officials – You will receive an invite from your regional body to join

Information on 2026/27 membership and registration can be found from the button below:

2026/27 membership and licencing

Basketball England’s  Leagues, Competitions and Member Services Manager Dan Cox said:

“The NBL continues to break records and remains a cornerstone of competitive basketball in this country.

"The incredible interest at both senior and junior levels has been demonstrated by another impressive number of entries, with the Jnr. NBL competitions especially going from strength-to-strength."

D1M returns with two-pool format

The top tier of the NBL pyramid will remain a two-group affair for 2026/27, using the same format as a year ago.

Pool B champs Solent Kestrels saw off Pool A winners Worcester Wolves to take last season's title, with the regular season providing some thrilling action and twists and turns aplenty.

Gloucester City Kings (Pool A) plus Sussex Storm and Oaklands Wolves (Pool B) have joined the top flight for 2026/27, leaving both pools at 12 teams apiece.

Last season's playoff winners Anglia Ruskin University headline the 12 teams in WNBL Division One, with Barking Abbey, Milton Keynes Breakers and East London Phoenix all gaining promotion from 2025/26.

Making way are Bromsgrove Bears, who move back to D2W, and Loughborough Riders, who finished 9-10 a year ago but elected not to enter a D1W side for 2026/27.

The likes of league winners London Cavaliers, WNBL National Cup winners Manchester Mystics plus former D1W champs CoLA Southwark Pride and Ipswich Bobcats will all return to set up the prospect of another exciting season.

NBL Division Two will once again be split into four pools, with a further six leagues making up NBL Division Three.

WNBL Division Two has increased from two pools to three, providing another example of the increased popularity of the NBL.

In total, 162 senior teams will take part in the new season, an increase from 154 a year ago and a near-return to the 166 teams involved in 2024/25 before the creation of the BCB.

Jnr. NBL

The Jnr. NBL has once again increased, rising from 923 to 952 teams, continuing a remarkable increase of 85 teams across the last two seasons (867 in 2024/25)

As in previous seasons, there will be three premier competitions in the U18s, U16s and U14s on the boys side, with Northern, Eastern and Western pools at all three age groups.

The girls are split into a North and South premier across their three age groups, with a number of Conference leagues underpinning all the junior age groups.

Regional competitions are also in place for certain parts of the structure, with ten U12 leagues on offer.

Jnr. NBL structures for 2026/27

Handbook updates

Any team needing to update their coach or secretary details from those originally submitted during entry can do so using the button below

Update your coach or secretary details

eScoring and Hoops HQ app

After the introduction of eScoring via PlayHQ at the start of the 2025/26 season, the system will be mandatory in the NBL for 2026/27, fully replacing the old paper scoresheets.

The system has revolutionised the recording of a game at all levels - and feeds Basketball England's ground-breaking free HoopsHQ app with live scores, stats, standings and more.

eScoring FAQs

Get the HoopsHQ app