Nigerian Basketball League

Our guide

The Nigerian Premier Basketball League

The Nigerian Premier Basketball League (NPL) is an outstanding men’s professional basketball league in Nigeria. The league comprises of sixteen teams who are classified into two conferences based on the geographical location. The conferences are known as Savannah and Atlantic conferences.

The League was subsidized by the DSTV until 2017; through their understanding agreement they had both title and TV rights. Formerly the league was known as the DSTV premier Basketball league. In the year 2017, an agreement was reached on the title rights of the league between Nigeria Basketball Federation and the Kwese Sports and the deal will be on till 2021 which worth $12 million.

Usually, the league period starts from March till midyear. A total of 14 games are being played by each team in a regular season after which the top four teams qualify for the final eight playoffs that normally takes place at the National Stadium Surulere Lagos.

In each conference, the team at the bottom of the table is downgraded from the league. The Division 1 championship is held to know who will be upgraded to the DSTV League for the new season towards the end of the year.

Two teams which include the Royal Hoopers of Rivers was relegated as well as the Niger Potters of Niger State from the Atlantic and Savannah Conference respectively in the 2014 season, also some of the basketball teams that performed well were promoted such as the Delta Force and FCT Rocks who were promoted to the league table as they emerged as the Winner Division 1 Championship.

Some adjustments were made as it regards to this season event schedule where the first top teams (1st-6th position) from each conference will be expected to play in the conference playoffs to know the winner of each conference before the top four of each conference will play eight playoffs to finally dictate the winner of the league. This will help to increase the number of games being played by each team in a particular season.

The Nigeria Basketball League Clubs Includes;

Savannah Conference

• Mark Mentors (Abuja)
• Bauchi Nets B.C. (Bauchi)
• Kano Pillars (Kano)
• Defenders (Abuja)
• Plateau Peaks (Jos)
• Gombe Bulls (Gombe)
• Niger Potters (Minna)
• Kada Stars (Kaduna)

Atlantic Conference

• Oluyole Warriors (Ibadan)
• Delta Force (Asaba)
• Hoops and Read (Lagos)
• Nigeria Customs (Lagos)
• NAF Rockets (Lagos)
• Police Baton (Lagos)
• Kwara Falcons Basketball Club (Ilorin)
• Royal Hoopers Basketball Club (Port-Harcourt)