University Basketball League Australia

Last updated

University Basketball League Australia
University Basketball League Australia logo.png
Sport Basketball
Founded2019
First season2021
CEO Mark Sinderberry [1]
No. of teams15
Country Australia
Continent FIBA Oceania (Oceania)
Sponsor(s) New Balance
Official website UniSport.com.au

The University Basketball League Australia (UBL) [2] is a basketball league in Australia run by UniSport. The UBL is the only national university league for any sport in Australia [3] and is the only student-based basketball competition that is supported by Basketball Australia. [4]

Contents

Fifteen universities from six states participate in the competition in both men's and women's divisions. The league's inaugural season took place in 2021.

History

In September 2018, the National Basketball League (NBL) announced a partnership with UniSport Australia to develop a men's and women's national university league. [5] [6] [7] Twelve months later, UniSport announced that the inaugural University Basketball League season would commence in 2020. [8] The league was endorsed by Basketball Australia. [4] Eight universities were set to compete in the new student-only league, [9] [10] but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was cancelled. [11]

The UBL launched in 2021 with seven universities [12] [13] and a four-month schedule, [14] but was forced to cancel its finals due to COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns. [15] The league grew by four universities in 2022, with two more joining in 2023 and one more joining for 2024. [2] The league grew to fifteen in 2025 with the addition of another university. [1]

Universities

As of March 2025, the UBL is affiliated with fifteen universities across six states, with all universities having men's and women's teams. [2] [1]

UniversityCityStateJoined UBLChampionships
Australian Catholic University [3] Melbourne Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Victoria 20230
Curtin University Perth Flag of Western Australia.svg Western Australia 20220
Federation University Australia Ballarat Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Victoria 20220
La Trobe University Melbourne Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Victoria 2021W: 2 (2022, 2023)
M: 1 (2024)
RMIT University Melbourne Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Victoria 20220
University of Adelaide Adelaide Flag of South Australia.svg South Australia 20220
University of Melbourne Melbourne Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Victoria 2021W: 0
M: 1 (2023)
University of New South Wales Sydney Flag of New South Wales.svg New South Wales 20240
University of Newcastle [1] Newcastle Flag of New South Wales.svg New South Wales 20250
University of Sydney Sydney Flag of New South Wales.svg New South Wales 2021W: 1 (2024)
M: 1 (2022)
University of Tasmania [16] [17] Hobart/Launceston Flag of Tasmania.svg Tasmania 20230
University of Technology Sydney Sydney Flag of New South Wales.svg New South Wales 20210
University of the Sunshine Coast Sunshine Coast Flag of Queensland.svg Queensland 20210
University of Western Australia Perth Flag of Western Australia.svg Western Australia 20210
Victoria University Melbourne Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Victoria 20210

Sources: [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

Sponsorship

Naming rights

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "New Balance University Basketball League (UBL) Enters 5th Season with Exciting Changes". UniSport Australia. 25 March 2025. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "New university announced to join the 2024 University Basketball League Australia". UniSport . 4 December 2023. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 "ACU Joins the University Basketball League". Australian Catholic University . 7 March 2023. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  4. 1 2 Prentice, Tristan (22 May 2023). "Finding balance: On the UBL's growth and how it's facilitating player and coaching development opportunities". PickAndRoll.com.au. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  5. ↑ Uluc, Olgun (27 September 2018). "NBL partners with UniSport to establish University Basketball League". Fox Sports . Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "University Basketball League First for Australian Sport". NBL.com.au. 27 September 2018. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  7. ↑ Rowbottom, Mike (28 September 2018). "UniSport Australia partner with National Basketball to develop new league system". Inside the Games . Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  8. ↑ O'Kane, Patrick (6 September 2019). "University Basketball League plans announced by UniSport Australia". Inside the Games . Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "Melbourne one of Eight Universities in New University Basketball League". University of Melbourne . 19 December 2019. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  10. ↑ Gillen, Nancy (21 December 2019). "Inaugural University Basketball League to begin in Australia next year". Inside the Games . Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Coaches looking forward to UBL tip-off". University of Melbourne . 21 February 2021. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "2021 UBL Founding Universities Announced!". UniSport . 23 March 2021. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  13. ↑ Morgan, Liam (29 March 2021). "UniSport Australia unveils founding teams for inaugural University Basketball League". Inside the Games . Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  14. ↑ Prentice, Tristan (7 April 2023). "Developing league of its own – UBL aims eventually to emulate college basketball". PickAndRoll.com.au. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "The 2021 UBL season wraps up following the cancellation of finals". UniSport . 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  16. ↑ "University enters intervarsity competition for the first time". TasmanianBrowser.com.au. 10 December 2022. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  17. ↑ Lawler, Jarrod (10 March 2023). "Tassie students ready to ball out against the nation's best in UTas first". The Mercury . Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  18. ↑ "2021 UBL Results" (PDF). UniSport . Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 December 2023.
  19. ↑ "2022 UBL Results" (PDF). UniSport . Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 December 2023.
  20. ↑ "2023 UBL Results" (PDF). UniSport . Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 December 2023.
  21. ↑ "Big upsets end the 2023 UBL season with Victorian universities taking home both champion trophies". UniSport . 1 June 2023. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "HISTORY MADE IN 2024 NEW BALANCE UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL SEASON". UniSport . 5 June 2024. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024.
  23. ↑ "UBL secures naming rights partnership with New Balance and signs Nagravision's Sporfie as a new broadcast partner". UniSport . 15 March 2024. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024.
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