The NBL1 is a semi-professional basketball league in Australia run by the National Basketball League (NBL). The league consists of five conference: NBL1 South, NBL1 North, NBL1 Central, NBL1 West and NBL1 East, with each consisting of both men's and women's competitions. Each conference is run by their respective state governing body, with the league including 72 clubs from across every state and territory.
| Most recent season or competition: 2024 NBL1 season | |
 | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 |
| First season | 2019 |
| General Manager | Dean Anglin |
| No. of teams | 20 (South Conference) 12 (North Conference) 10 (Central Conference) 14 (West Conference) 16 (East Conference) |
| Country | Australia |
| Continent | FIBA Oceania (Oceania) |
| Most recent champion(s) | M: Knox Raiders (2nd title) W: Waverley Falcons (1st title) |
| Most titles | M: Knox Raiders (2 titles) W: Multiple (1 title) |
| Sponsor(s) | Mitsubishi |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Related competitions | NBL |
| Official website | NBL1.com.au |
The NBL1 in 2019 was a single league and consisted of one conference. That conference would go on to become the South Conference in 2020 after the inclusion of the former Queensland Basketball League (QBL) and South Australian Premier League saw them become the new North and Central conferences. The league grew to four conferences in 2021 with the inclusion of the former WA State Basketball League (SBL) and then five conferences in 2022 with the inclusion of the former NSW Waratah League.
History
editIn October 2018, following the demise of the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), Basketball Victoria announced a new senior elite league to take the reins as Australia's pre-eminent semi-professional basketball league. All Victorian-based SEABL teams joined the new league, while Eltham Wildcats, Knox Raiders, Ringwood Hawks and Waverley Falcons also joined the league from the Big V.[1] The North-West Tasmania Thunder men and Launceston Tornadoes women also kept their place, as did Basketball Australia's Centre of Excellence teams.[1] In February 2019, the league was named NBL1 after Basketball Victoria partnered with the National Basketball League (NBL).[2][3]
After a successful first season in 2019, the NBL expanded the NBL1 in 2020 by introducing Basketball Victoria's inaugural 2019 league and teams as the new South Conference and partnering with Basketball Queensland and Basketball South Australia to make the Queensland Basketball League (QBL) and South Australian Premier League the new North and Central conferences.[4][5][6] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was cancelled for all three conferences.[7]
In 2021, the league expanded to four conferences after partnering with Basketball Western Australia to make the State Basketball League (SBL) the new West Conference.[8] The inaugural NBL1 National Finals was set to take place in 2021, comprising the champions of the four conferences.[9][10] However, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] The South Conference later cancelled the remaining weeks of its season due to ongoing complications with the pandemic.[12]
In 2022, the league expanded to five conferences after partnering with Basketball New South Wales to make the Waratah League the new East Conference.[13] Additionally, a club from Darwin, Northern Territory, the Darwin Salties, joined the North Conference in 2022 which saw the NBL1 become the first Australian sport league to have clubs based in and playing out of every state and territory in Australia.[14] The NBL1 National Finals took place for the first time in 2022.[15][16]
Conferences
edit
South Conference
editFounded in 2019, the South Conference was the only NBL1 conference during its inaugural season and predominantly consisted of teams from the defunct South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL). The South Conference currently has 20 clubs spread across Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
North Conference
editIn 2020, the North Conference joined the league, becoming the second conference introduced following NBL1's merger with the former Queensland Basketball League (QBL). The North Conference currently consists of 12 clubs, all based in Queensland.
The Darwin Salties from the Northern Territory featured in the North Conference for three seasons before withdrawing following the 2024 season.[17]
Central Conference
editIn 2020, the Central Conference joined the league, becoming the third conference introduced following NBL1's merger with the former South Australian Premier League. The Central Conference currently consists of 10 clubs, all of which are based in South Australia.
West Conference
editIn 2021, the West Conference joined the league, becoming the fourth conference introduced following NBL1's merger with the former Western Australian State Basketball League (SBL). The West Conference currently consists of 14 clubs, all of which are based in Western Australia.
East Conference
editIn 2022, the East Conference joined the league, becoming the fifth conference introduced following NBL1's merger with the former New South Wales Waratah League. The East Conference currently consists of 16 clubs, with 14 based in New South Wales and two based in the Australian Capital Territory.
Current clubs
editSpread across the five conferences, a total of 72 clubs compete in the league.
- South Conference: 20 clubs (includes 19 female teams and 19 male teams)
- North Conference: 12 clubs
- Central Conference: 10 clubs
- West Conference: 14 clubs
- East Conference: 16 clubs
List of National champions
edit| Team | Men's | Women's | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titles | Winning Seasons | Titles | Winning Seasons | |
| Rockingham Flames | 1 | 2022 | 0 | |
| Warwick Senators | 0 | 1 | 2022 | |
| Knox Raiders | 2 | 2023, 2024 | 0 | |
| Bendigo Braves | 0 | 1 | 2023 | |
| Waverley Falcons | 0 | 1 | 2024 | |
Sponsorship
editNaming rights
edit- 2021 to 2023: Coles Express[18][19]
- 2023 to present: Mitsubishi Motors Australia[20]
References
edit- ^ a b Ward, Roy (31 October 2018). "Basketball Victoria announces new elite league to replace SEABL". SMH.com.au. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "NBL1 to Showcase Next Level of Australia's Basketball Talent". NBL.com.au. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "Basketball Victoria partners with NBL to launch NBL1 league". pickandroll.com.au. 15 February 2019. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "NBL1 To Come To Queensland In 2020". NBL1.com.au. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ "NBL1 Expands To North And South Conferences". NBL1.com.au. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
- ^ "NBL1 Central To Tip Off In 2020". NBL1.com.au. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ "NBL1 Season Cancelled". NBL.com.au. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- ^ "NBL1 West to tip off in 2021". NBL1.com.au. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ "NBL1 Finals format revealed". NBL1.com.au. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ^ "Coles Express NBL1 season update". NBL1.com.au. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ "Coles Express NBL1 National Finals cancelled". NBL1.com.au. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ^ "NBL1 South season cancelled". NBL1.com.au. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ "NBL1 East to tip off in 2022". NBL1.com.au. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ "Darwin/ Basketball Northern Territory to make NBL1 a truly national competition". NBL1.com.au. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "NBL1 National Finals Recap | Women's Championship Game". NBL1.com.au. 11 September 2022. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ "NBL1 National Finals Recap | Men's Championship Game". NBL1.com.au. 11 September 2022. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ Chambers, Nathaniel (20 September 2024). "Darwin Salties leave NBL1 North after three years". Northern Territory News. Archived from the original on 22 September 2024.
- ^ "Coles Express supports basketball across the country as new naming rights partner of NBL1". NBL1.com.au. 15 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023.
- ^ "Thank you". facebook.com/NBL1. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "NBL1 READY FOR MITSUBISHI". NBL1.com.au. 2 November 2023. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023.