Newcastle College Eagles return to Elite Academy Basketball League

Newcastle College Eagles are returning to the Elite Academy Basketball League after the Newcastle Eagles Academy partnership with Newcastle College secured Category 1 status and a place among the country’s top academy programmes.

The programme has spent the past three years competing in the College Basketball League, but will now rejoin the leading under-19 teams in the EABL after being recognised by Basketball England as one of the top five academy programmes in the country.

The move is a significant step for the North East pathway. The Eagles will also return to delivering Diploma in Sporting Excellence qualifications and, for the first time, enter a team into the Women’s Elite Academy Basketball League.

Newcastle College Principal Jon Ridley described the Category 1 award as “a significant milestone” and said it recognised the quality of the academy, the commitment of staff and the talent of its student-athletes.

The academy partnership between Newcastle Eagles and Newcastle College launched in 2019 and is built around allowing young players to combine high-level basketball with education, professional facilities and coaching support.

Eagles Community Foundation CEO Sam Blake said the club was proud to represent North East England at the top tier of under-19 performance basketball across both male and female academy competition.

For British basketball, the return strengthens the academy map outside the sport’s traditional hotbeds and gives players across the North East another elite route to develop on court while continuing their studies.

Image credit: Newcastle Eagles. Source: Newcastle Eagles.