Super League Basketball steps up season plans despite BBF legal row
Super League Basketball (SLB) chiefs have announced further ticket sales for next season despite the campaign being threatened by a legal battle with the British Basketball Federation (BBF).
SLB says its men’s and women’s Trophy Finals will take place at Birmingham’s Utilta Arena on 1 February 2026, with tickets set to be made available via a pre-sale from this Friday.
It follows confirmation last month that the SLB plans to stage its men’s and women’s Play-Off Finals at the O2 on 17 May 2026.
“The season’s first final is always popular with fans and for the finalists, the road to a possible double or treble in 2025-26 starts here,” said SLB Head of Events Clare Holmes.
“Last season’s final was watched by nearly 10,000 people in what is a superb basketball arena and we’re delighted to return to Birmingham for what will be another memorable occasion.”
Dates for the regular championship season remain unknown, however, with SLB’s ability to plan severely hindered by a High Court dispute over its recognition by the BBF.
SLB clubs insist the campaign will go ahead, although that looks impossible until any breakthrough in their bitter row with the BBF.
Why SLB and BBF are at war: the latest
The governing body withdrew SLB’s licence to run the top flight earlier this summer amid the dispute over a new operator, GBBL, being brought in to take over next year.
SLB says it doesn’t need a licence, merely recognition and the freedom to compete without commercial constraints – issues at the heart of legal action it brought last month.
But the BBF has continued to block SLB clubs’ efforts to obtain visas for overseas players, restricting their recruitment and planning for a new season.
Without recognition, SLB will not be able to call on officials from world governing body Fiba, which would further impede their plans to organise a 2025-26 campaign.
The BBF is understood to be due to file its defence to the High Court this week, although it is unclear how the cash-strapped body will fund a long legal battle.
Its reserves stood at around £30,000 in its last published accounts and its funding bodies, UK Sport and Sport England, do not allow their contributions to be spent on lawyers.
In their legal filing, SLB clubs say they are seeking recognition from the BBF, the annulling of a 15-year licence handed to GBBL and damages.
It is understood they could seek an injunction against the BBF’s removal of their licence as a short-term measure to allow them to press ahead with staging the new campaign.