Newcastle Eagles will begin their 2026/27 Super League Basketball campaign at home to Bristol Flyers on Friday 25 September at the Vertu Arena.
The fixture was confirmed as part of the Eagles’ men’s schedule release, giving Marc Steutel’s side a home start to what the club describes as its 30th anniversary season.
The new campaign also marks a significant change for the men’s top flight, with Liverpool Basketball joining the competition and expanding the league to 10 teams. Each club is set to play 36 Championship games across a 27-week regular season, facing every opponent four times — twice at home and twice away.
For Newcastle, the opener against Bristol gives supporters an early chance to see the club’s reshaped roster, with captain Josh Ward-Hibbert among the returning faces noted by the Eagles alongside new additions for 2026/27.
The SLB Cup will also return in a refreshed knockout format. The top six sides from last season’s Championship receive byes to the quarter-finals, while the remaining four teams contest single-leg play-in ties on Friday 8 January.
Newcastle’s play-in tie is scheduled at home to Caledonia Gladiators, with the winner due to face London Lions away in a single-leg quarter-final on Sunday 10 January. The semi-finals are set for two legs on Friday 15 January and Sunday 17 January, before the Cup Final returns to the AO Arena in Manchester on Sunday 21 March 2027.
The Play-Offs will feature the top six Championship teams, with the top two seeds moving straight into the semi-finals. The season concludes with the Play-Off Final at The O2 in London on Sunday 16 May 2027.
With Liverpool entering the league and the schedule now public, the Eagles’ Bristol opener gives UK basketball fans one of the first key dates to circle for the new SLB season.
Source: Newcastle Eagles.