The Elite Academy Basketball Leagues tipped off this week with new and returning academy programmes joining the men’s and women’s competitions. The changes follow Basketball England’s review of Category 1 academies for the upcoming three-year cycle.
The new academy line-up shows how education providers, professional clubs and Basketball England each bring something different to help young players develop.
Elite Academy Basketball Changes
Both the Elite Academy Basketball League (EABL) and the Women’s Elite Academy Basketball League (WEABL) will grow from 12 to 18 teams for 2026/27. Five programmes enter both leagues and three existing programmes add a second team.
| Programme | Change for 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| New City College Hackney | Joins both EABL and WEABL |
| Newcastle College | Joins both EABL and WEABL |
| The Canterbury Academy | Joins both EABL and WEABL |
| UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park | Joins both EABL and WEABL |
| Xaverian College | Joins both EABL and WEABL |
| Nottingham Academy Wildcats | Adds EABL alongside WEABL |
| Myerscough College | Adds WEABL alongside EABL |
| SGS College | Adds WEABL alongside EABL |
| Charnwood College Riders | Leaves WEABL but remains in EABL |
The number of academy programmes with teams in both leagues will rise from nine to 16. The expansion brings more of the boys’ and girls’ academy game within the same programmes.
Three of the five programmes entering both leagues have connections to Super League Basketball (SLB) clubs: New City College with London Lions, Newcastle College with Newcastle Eagles, and UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park with Sheffield Sharks.
Category 1 Academies
During the review behind these changes, Basketball England assessed the academy programmes against 42 areas of evidence across seven Academy Delivery Standards.
| Delivery Standard | Description |
|---|---|
| Athlete Recruitment | Recruit ethically and give players clear advice about the programme. |
| Educational Partnership | Provide good teaching and a choice of academic courses. |
| Quality Leadership, Coaching and Athlete Support | Employ qualified teachers, coaches and support staff. |
| Facilities and Equipment | Provide suitable spaces and equipment for lessons, training, matches and sports science support. |
| Athlete Welfare Provision | Support players’ mental and physical health, keep them safe and manage their training load. |
| Club Links and Competition Outlets | Maintain club links and provide opportunities for players to compete and progress. |
| Performance Gain and Destination Support | Help players succeed in higher education, with advice on their next steps. |
The assessment reaches beyond the team’s results. Teaching, welfare and advice about life after college are part of how Basketball England judges an academy programme.
Category 1 status is separate from delivering the Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE). There are 18 Category 1 programmes for the 2026–29 cycle, while 13 are currently DiSE Partnerships.
The partnerships bring several organisations together. Basketball England sets the standards, SportsAid distributes the DiSE funding, and education providers work with Basketball England to deliver the qualification.
New City College and London Lions
New City College’s (NCC) partnership with London Lions shows how a college and professional club can share the work of running an academy. In July 2025, NCC announced it was investing £250,000 in refurbishing its Hackney sports hall.
The plans included a sprung wooden floor, new basketball equipment and spectator seating. The venue now also serves as the home of London Lions’ women’s professional team.
NCC provides education and facilities, while the Lions connect the programme to the professional game. The Lions want to build three more partnerships like this in North, West and South London, aiming to open the programmes in 2027/28.
They are looking for colleges that can provide teaching, welfare support and regular court access for boys’ and girls’ programmes. Repeating the NCC arrangement will depend as much on the education partners the Lions find as on the club itself.
Building the Pathway Together
The expanded leagues include more programmes linking colleges with professional clubs. Basketball England sets the standards, but making an academy programme work for student athletes takes the daily work of teachers, coaches and support staff across colleges and clubs.
