NBL “exploring” mid-season tournament

NBL CEO David Stevenson has revealed the League is looking to push the envelope on the number of games played in the season, which could lead to the introduction of a mid-season tournament.

The first and only NBL Cup was held in 2021, but its return, or a similar concept, could be on the cards as the League looks to expand the regular season.

“We are absolutely exploring that,” Stevenson told The West Australian’s Dribble Podcast.

“We’ve seen the NBA Cup happen in the US, and obviously learned a lot from it. But even you look at soccer in Europe, and they have a number of other competitions that run in parallel to their regular season. So there’s lots of benefits for that.

“We just got to make sure the games count for something. We know the fans expect a lot and we want to make sure that they want to come and see the players trying their best and the coaches, and the same level of presentation you’d expect from the NBL. 

“It will likely mean we have to play on different nights of the week, so there’s a trade-off there, some of those weekday nights are better broadcast but maybe a little harder for families to get to.

“There’s a question about where those games are played. Do they get played in some of those non-traditional venues? 

“We got to have a look at what does a schedule density look like, when would you potentially play those games, at what stage of the season. 

“They’re all the things we are exploring and talking with the clubs and the ABPA and our partners with. We are really keen on being able to push the envelope on the amount of games for future seasons.”

Stevenson added there would also be an option to play a potential NBL Cup Final at an iconic location in Australia or overseas.