BBL returns with 18 teams: the promoters are certain!

BBL returns with 18 teams: the promoters are certain!

The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) will start again with 18 teams in the coming season, after only 17 clubs started in the current season. This was announced on June 5, 2025. The league has awarded licenses for all 18 sporty qualified clubs. The promoters include Science City Jena and the Vet Concept Gladiators Trier, both clubs that have risen from ProA to the BBL and now have to meet the highest requirements of the league. This also means that a return to the unique competitive situation in the league is imminent, which will be of great importance for fans. tz.de reports that this season is for the first time at four million euros.

From the 16 clubs already existing in the BBL, 15 received the license without requirements, while Telekom Baskets Bonn received their approval under certain requirements. However, the details of these requirements have not been announced. The upcoming season of the BBL will start in the 60th round in September, and the playoffs are already in full swing, with the teams FC Bayern Munich, Ratiopharm Ulm, Würzburg Baskets and MLP Academics fight for the title. It is currently 1: 1.

licensing of the ProA teams

With regard to the 2025/2026 season, the EasyCredit Basketball Bundesliga license league committee rated the license applications from four ProA clubs. The teams concerned include the Gießen 46ers, Phoenix Hagen as well as the two promoters Science City Jena and Vet-Concept Gladiators Trier. However, these four clubs receive the license under conditions and dissolving conditions, which are granted by the sporting qualifications. In a complete licensing process, the documents are checked in various areas such as sports, finance, structures and sustainability.

dr. Christian Frystatzki, chairman of the license league committee, emphasized the commitment of the ProA clubs for professional further development and the efficient examination of the license applications. The licensing procedure for the EasyCredit BBL clubs takes place in the first June week, whereby the sporting qualification is only decided after the end of the championship round of the Barmer 2nd Basketball Bundesliga. There, the clubs in accordance with § 11 of the procedural and arbitration regulations have a appeal period of three days within which the BBL license league committee can react to any appeals.

The outlook on the future

The previous licensing and the approach to the quality standards in the BBL and ProA show an increasing awareness of financial stability and sustainable development in the league. A thorough examination of the clubs is indispensable for the coming seasons to secure both the sporting and the economic future of the basketball Bundesliga. In this context there is further information on licensing on the official website of the 2. Basketball Bundesliga .