By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
FIBA’s Basketball Champions League announced the clubs that will participate in the upcoming regular season of the competition and those who will begin their journey from the Qualification Rounds.
There are overall 52 teams, including 18 domestic league champions.
Per the Basketball Champions League:
More than 70 teams applied for a place in the Basketball Champions League 2022-23 season, and 52 of them were confirmed as participants by the Basketball Champions League Board that met on Thursday, June 23. The list of clubs includes 18 current national champions.
Furthermore, seven national finalists also found their way to the lineup, and out of the 52 teams selected for the Regular Season and the Qualification Rounds, a total of 35 reached at least the Semi-Finals of their domestic championship.
The competition keeps expanding across the continent, too. Teams from 29 European countries will take part in the 2022-23 season, covering all parts of Europe.
The 2022-23 Basketball Champions League will start with the Qualification Rounds on September 21, with 24 teams hoping to be among the last four standing. They will join the 28 teams already qualified for the Regular Season, as a result of their recent success in their national competitions.
The Regular Season starts on October 4, and the format remains unchanged – 32 teams in eight groups of four, group-winners moving straight to the Round of 16, while second- and third-placed teams face off in the Play-In Series in January 2023. The 8 best teams from the Round of 16 will play best-of-three Quarter-Finals series in April, with the season concluding in a Final Four tournament tipping off in May.
The full lineup is as follows:
Regular Season (alphabetically):
AEK (GRE), Bahcesehir College (TUR), BAXI Manresa (ESP), Bnei Herzliya (ISR), Darussafaka (TUR), Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari (ITA), ERA Nymburk (CZE), Filou Oostende (BEL), Galatasaray Nef (TUR), Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (ISR), Hapoel Holon (ISR), Hungarian champion (Egis Kormend or Falco Szombathely), Igokea m:tel (BIH), JDA Bourgogne (FRA), Legia Warszawa (POL), Lenovo Tenerife (ESP), Limoges CSP (FRA), MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg (GER), PAOK mateco (GRE), Pau-Lacq-Orthez (FRA)*, Peristeri (GRE), Pinar Karsiyaka (TUR), Rytas Vilnius (LTU), Surne Bilbao (ESP), Telekom Baskets Bonn (GER), UCAM Murcia (ESP), Unahotels Reggio Emilia (ITA), VEF Riga (LAT).
* In the event Pau-Lacq-Orthez do not obtain the licence to participate in Betclic ELITE next season, they will be substituted by SIG Strasbourg in the Regular Season. In this event, TFT Skopje will participate in the Qualification Rounds.
Qualification Rounds (alphabetically):
Bakken Bears (DEN), Brose Bamberg (GER), Budivelnyk (UKR), CSO Voluntari (ROU), FMP Meridian (SRB), Fribourg Olympic (SUI), Golden Eagle Ylli (KOS), Heroes Den Bosch (NED), Hungarian runner-up (Egis Kormend or Falco Szombathely), Karhu Kauhajoki (FIN), Keravnos (CYP), Leicester Riders (GBR), NINERS Chemnitz (GER), Norrkoping Dolphins (SWE), Opava (CZE), Parnu Sadam (EST), Patrioti Levice (SVK), Rio Breogan (ESP), Siauliai (LTU), SIG Strasbourg (FRA), SL Benfica (POR), Swans Gmunden (AUT), Tofas Bursa (TUR), Unicaja (ESP).
An initial draw sorting the Qualification Rounds and the Regular Season phase will take place at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball on Thursday, July 7. The ceremony can be followed live on championsleague.basketball from 11:00 (GMT+2).
Greek club Aris Thessaloniki sent a letter to FIBA regarding the exclusion of the team from the upcoming Basketball Champions League. The club says that they have received official information that the deadline to apply expired on Wednesday (22/6) and asks FIBA to not ignore the Greek League standings and BCL, according to which Aris says that deserves to participate in the competition.