Overview
- The Basketball Champions League board formally approved 30 clubs for direct entry to next season’s Regular Season after a record application process and set the remaining two places to be decided through qualifiers.
- Twenty-four teams will contest two Qualification Round tournaments for the final two berths, with the draws scheduled at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies on July 8.
- The Qualification Round tournaments are planned for mid-September and the Regular Season is slated to begin on October 6, giving clubs a clear calendar to prepare travel and rosters.
- The confirmed field mixes defending champions and established European sides with returning teams and three Regular Season debutants — BK KVIS Pardubice, Trabzonspor and FC Porto.
- BCL officials highlighted the quality of the lineup by citing a stronger average domestic finish for its clubs than rival competitions, and reports say next season’s champion is expected to gain a pathway into the first NBA Europe event in 2027.