Ten Teams, Three Trophies: The 2026/27 Super League Basketball Season Preview

If you thought last year’s Super League Basketball campaign was chaotic, this season could be an all-time great.

British basketball is entering a pivotal new era. Following a historic change in 2024 that saw the leading British basketball competition rebrand itself from the British Basketball League (BBL) to the Super League Basketball (SLB), the 2026/27 campaign tips off this evening with Bristol Flyers hosting last season's champions London Lions.

With an expanded 10-team Men’s Championship, a new postseason format, and a giant target on the London Lions’ back, there is a lot to be excited about in this upcoming season.

Whether you’re a long-time fan or someone who is just a casual viewer, here is everything you need to know ahead of tip-off.

Liverpool Officially Joins the League

The biggest off-season news was that Liverpool Basketball has officially joined the top flight.

Playing out of the M&S Bank Arena in front of 11,000 fans, this is a landmark addition to the SLB that brings an immediate injection of North-West derby drama against established powerhouses like Manchester Basketball and Cheshire Phoenix.

This also means that the league will be expanded to 10 teams. It will turn the regular season into a 27-week schedule. Every franchise will play 36 games (not including the SLB Cup and Playoffs) and will face each opponent four times (twice at home, twice away). More games mean deeper rotations, higher fatigue, and no room for slow starters.

Andy Webb, Chief Operating Officer of Super League Basketball, said: “Expanding to 10 teams is another important step in the continued growth of Super League Basketball and creates even more opportunities for great rivalries, competitive games and unforgettable moments for our fans.

"We can’t wait to see arenas across the country full of supporters as another exciting season gets underway.”

Can Anyone Stop the London Lions’ Treble Chase?

London Lions are coming off a historic 2025/26 campaign where they swept all four domestic trophies.

While a quadruple is off the table this time around as the SLB Trophy has been removed from the calendar, the treble is still the ultimate prize.

London hasn’t rested on its laurels either. While retaining core British talent like Ade Adebayo, Ethan Price, and Tarik Phillip, they’ve added serious firepower and depth to their roster such as Keenan Evans and Devonte Jones, setting London Lions up to compete in domestic and European competitions.

The rest of the league won't just be asking how to beat the champions, they'll be wondering how to keep games remotely competitive.

Summer Moves Across the League

While London holds the crown and Liverpool have entered the fray, several contenders spent the summer retooling:

• Cheshire Phoenix: After pushing London hard in the Championship standings last term behind league-leading scorer P.J. Robinson (who averaged 20.0 PPG according to SLB Stats), Cheshire re-signed veteran shooter Skyler White while bringing in explosive forward talent to maintain their fast-break identity.
• Sheffield Sharks: Sheffield made one of the boldest intra-league moves of the off-season, snapping up sharpshooting guard Maceo Jack directly from rivals Newcastle Eagles, while adding quick-point guard Tevin Brewer.
• Manchester Basketball & Leicester Riders: Manchester continues to build out its North-West hub with key domestic re-signings such as Elijah Walsh and Luke Nelson, while Leicester completed late summer deals for physical interior presence Bernard Pelote to shore up their glass rebounding.

New Postseason Format

The final and probably most underrated significant change of the 2026/27 season is the change to the Playoffs.

Despite the league expanding to 10 teams, SLB officials have tightened the playoff picture: only the top six teams will qualify for the postseason (down from eight in previous years).

Leaving four teams out completely means the bottom half of the table won't have the luxury of cruising through the season until March and then playing for something prestigious come playoff time.

The talent level across British basketball has never been higher, and the 10-team expansion gives the SLB the geographic reach it desperately needed.

London remains the gold standard, but with a tighter playoff race and zero easy nights on a 36-game slate, 2026/27 is set up to be the most competitive year in recent memory, and that is before even mentioning the British teams looking to make noise in Europe this season!

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