The most successful franchise in the history of British basketball will compete at the top level again next season after a deal was struck to secure the future of the sport in the UK.
Newcastle Eagles are part of a consortium of clubs awarded a three-year licence by the British Basketball Federation to run the professional arm of the sport.
And the positive move brings to an end weeks of uncertainty after Basketball League Limited (the operating company of the British Basketball League) had its licence revoked at the end of the 2023/24 season.
The Eagles have claimed 27 trophies since 2005 and play out of the 3,000-capacity Vertu Motors Arena in the west end of Newcastle — a venue owned and operated by the Eagles Community Foundation.
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And while club insiders always predicted there would be a positive resolution to the BBF’s decision, staff, sponsors and supporters can breathe a huge sigh of relief ahead of a proposed September restart.
The Eagles and the Vertu Motors Arena continue to play a central role at the heart of Tyneside’s buoyant leisure and entertainment sector.
The decision to stage Great Britain fixtures and European club basketball at the VMA has boosted Newcastle’s profile on the international stage and generated additional spend from visiting fans.
And securing the future of the professional game in the UK will allow Eagles managing director Paul Blake and his team to explore further opportunities for economic benefit to the region.
Chris Grant OBE, Chair of the British Basketball Federation said: “I’m delighted that fans, players, staff and partners can look forward with confidence to the continuation of top-level British club basketball.
“The fact that we’ve been able to move so quickly following the termination of the previous licence is down to the positivity and unity of the clubs, as well as the professionalism and focus of our BBF team and Board.
“The way we’ve worked together bodes well for the ongoing improvement and alignment of our player pathway so that the wealth of British basketball talent can translate to success on the international stage.”
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Speaking on behalf of the consortium of clubs, Vaughn Millette, new majority shareholder of Sheffield Sharks, said: “Since the licence was revoked, we (the clubs) have all worked together to sustain the elite professional pathway in the UK. There has been a huge amount of work undertaken in a very short amount of time to enable this to happen.
“We would like to thank Chris Grant and the team at the BBF for working with us to deliver this solution and reassure our fans that a professional basketball league will get underway this September.
“We are pleased that the British Basketball Federation has made the decision to award the men’s professional licence to our newly formed operating company ‘Premier Basketball Limited’.
“Our fans will appreciate there is a huge amount still to be done and more details will be released shortly — including the fixture schedule for the forthcoming season.”
The new league name, club line-ups, start date and fixtures will all be announced in due course.
