 | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2023; 2 years ago (2023) |
| First season | 2023–24 |
| Owners | Dave Magley Evelyn Magley |
| CEO | Evelyn Magley |
| President | Dave Magley |
| Commissioner | Devin Kinsella |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Countries | Canada United States |
| Continents | North America |
| Most recent champion | Sudbury Five (1st title) |
| Most titles | London Lightning Sudbury Five (1 each) |
| Broadcasters | BeIN Sports Xtra BSL TV |
| Official website | basketballsuperleague |
The Basketball Super League (BSL) is a professionalbasketball league in Canada and the United States that was formed in 2023.
It was started by the ownership ofThe Basketball League (TBL) after theNational Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) dissolved and left several Canadian teams without a home.
BSL teams engage ininterleague play with TBL franchises, and their regular season runs from November through March.
For their 2021–22 season, theNational Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) announced that they had agreed tointerleague play with several teams fromThe Basketball League (TBL).[1] On June 18, 2022, the NBLC announced thatDave Magley, president of TBL, would work alongside NBLC commissioner Audley Stephenson in overseeing the growth of both leagues.[2]
After the dissolution of NBLC following their 2022–23 season,Dave Magley announced the formation of the Basketball Super League (BSL) to begin play in December 2023.[3] BSL teams have nosalary cap and play in venues with a minimum capacity of 2,500, unlike TBL teams which have a salary cap and play in smaller venues.[4]
In April 2023, theNewfoundland Rogues of the TBL were announced as the first BSL franchise.[5] TheKW Titans,London Lightning andSudbury Five of the defunct NBLC joined in May 2023.[3] TheQuebec Pioneers were originally announced as the fifth team in June 2023, but folded before the season began.[6] TheWindsor Express, another former NBLC franchise, announced in August 2023 that they would also join the league.[7]Montréal Toundra, formerly of the TBL, rounded out the inaugural 2023–24 BSL season's six teams.[8]
BSL's six teams engaged ininterleague play with TBL franchises in addition to their intraleague games, and the top four teams were awarded a playoff berth.[8] TheLondon Lightning defeated theKW Titans 3–1 in their May 2024 finals series to become inaugural BSL champions.[9]
Devin Kinsella was appointed as the league's first commissioner in August 2024.[10]
American teams from TBL joined the BSL for its 2024–25 season, including theGlass City Wranglers,Jamestown Jackals, andPontiac Pharaohs.[11][12] TheMontréal Toundra announced it was taking a hiatus from the league in November 2024.[13]
TheSaginaw Soul were announced as an expansion franchise for the 2025–26 season in April 2025, but announced in September 2025 they will delay joining the league until 2026.[14]
In early October 2025, theLondon Lightning announced that they will not be participating in the 2025-26 season.[15]
| Team | City | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KW Titans | Kitchener, Ontario | Kitchener Memorial Auditorium | 7,241[16] | 2016 | 2023 | Cliff Clinkscales |
| Lake Erie Jackals | Erie, Pennsylvania | Joann Mullen Gymnasium | 1,800[17] | 2016 | 2024 | Raheem Singleton |
| Montréal Toundra | Montreal, Quebec | Centre Pierre Charbonneau | 2,501[18] | 2023 | 2023 | Damian Buckley |
| Sudbury Five | Greater Sudbury, Ontario | Sudbury Community Arena | 5,000[19] | 2018 | 2023 | Logan Stutz |
| Windsor Express | Windsor, Ontario | WFCU Centre | 6,900[20] | 2012 | 2023 | Bill Jones |
| On hiatus | ||||||
| London Lightning | London, Ontario | Canada Life Place | 10,000[21] | 2011 | 2023 | Jerry Williams |
| Team | City | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Joining | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saginaw Soul | Saginaw,Michigan | Buena Vista High School | 1,000 | 2025 | 2026 | Isiah Thomas |
| Team | City | Arena | Seasons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass City Wranglers | Toledo, Ohio | Maumee Valley Country Day School | 2024 | Joined fromThe Basketball League, returned to the TBL following 2024 season |
| Newfoundland Rogues | St John's, Newfoundland | Mary Brown's Center | 2023-2024 | Joined fromThe Basketball League, returned to the TBL following 2024 season |
| Pontiac Pharoahs | Pontiac, Michigan | Pontiac High School | 2024 | Joined fromThe Basketball League, played 2nd half of season astravel team due to venue issues, folded after 2024 season |
| Québec Pioneers | Québec City,Québec | N/A | N/A | Announced as participating in 2023–24, but folded prior to season starting. |
| Season | Regular season champion | Regular season MVP | Playoff champion | Playoff runner-up | Playoff MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | KW Titans | Armani Chaney (Newfoundland) | London Lightning | KW Titans | Chris Jones |
| 2024–25 | Sudbury Five | Latin Davis (Windsor) | Sudbury Five | Windsor Express | JD Miller |
All games stream live on the league'sBSL TV subscription website, with many games simulcast for free onBeIN Sports Xtra.[22]
