They lost two weeks to WC Qualifiers this year.

I think 28-games as is the case at present is good. If it's a condensed season then you end up with a lot of bruise-free low intensity matches, which I wouldn't like to see happen to the league. Then there's what happened to WNBL's introduction of a condensed season, whereby fatigue and injuries turned the competition into a farce.

Anon if the players look rusty it's because they're rusty. it would have nothing to do with the fact they have to play one 40 minute game a week.
I wouldn't mind it being slightly shortened as long as they maintain 28 games.

No. couldn't give a whatsit about AFL or nrl. finish the regular season before these codes start and run the finals over the first few weeks. there'll be enough interest and ticket sales from fans invested in their team getting to the finals

I don't think we have polar opposite opinions Anon. All the players do is practice and if the nbl keep the 28 game model, why not compact it a little and avoid the footy season?
Like I said, I'm not suggesting reducing games.

CT... that's the silliest thing I’ve heard in a long while. You cannot compete with the AFL (biggest sporting code) and the NRL.

When there isn’t anything to really report on prior to those seasons commencing and at the conclusion of the big bash, the NBL needs to grab all the media it can and run its finals PRIOR to the start of the AFL/ NRL seasons.

To say that you couldn’t give a 'whatsit’ about those codes is all well and good, but the majority of fans would have interest in multiple sports. In addition, only so far the family budget will stretch for many people and we don’t want them to have the choice of football or NBL as I fear the NBL would lose out Mose of the time. .

I would be all for starting the season a bit earlier. The NBL's crowds are always at their best early in the season and once the Big Bash starts up interest begins to wane and as we've seen over the last few weeks of the regular season plus playoffs there is little interest in the NBL once the footy codes preseason games start.

I think it's worth the gamble to start the season 3-4 weeks earlier despite footy finals being on so people can go straight from that into an already up and running NBL season rather than this lacklustre finals build up into the end of March.

The length of the NBL season is fine. Does not need to be shorter. Its not their fault we are getting inundated with AFL preseason news. I find this boring anyway, and I follow the AFL.

If they make it shorter (despite maintaining 28 games) it then looks too much like a boutique mini league which will be hard to take too seriously. Whats the point of following a competition for just 15 weeks in a year. Makes it look like a try-out league for something better.

If theres a comp that definitely needs to be shorter its the A-League. That season just drags on all summer and deep into the AFL/NRL seasons. And they only play 1 game a week over what 28 rounds?

To say all the players do is practice may have once been right, but since the season was condensed they play on average a game every 4-5 days, or 3 games every 2 weeks.

The two FIBA breaks, combined with venue availability have created a later finish to the playoffs, and I think they need to condense the SF and GF schedule more so they are finishing this week coming.

I see more growth coming from families and kids who drag their families along than from trying to magically catch the attention of the 'casual fan'. kids and families don't go to midweek games and making the season longer produces fewer midweek games, whereas a shorter season increases them.

everyone keeps talking about casual fans and harking back to a golden age when nbl was in the public consciousness but I'm not convinced those days are going to come back through marketing and media alone. grow the game through grassroots involvement, make it easy for people to take their kids, make people fans early on and they'll keep coming when they're older. you can't do that if your team plays half it's games on a school night

I bet majority of the players would prefer to play 2 games consistently per week.
It's their full time job.

I'd like to see the regular season keep 28 games but go over 4 months, with playoffs to go over 1 month. Therefore 5 months in total.
EG Regular season to run over the months of Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan. With playoffs played in Feb, concluded by the start of March.

I don't see that being too short at all. For example:

The NFL season goes over 5 months (including playoffs)
The AFL season goes over 6 months (including finals)

It will be interesting come Game-3 where Crows fans need to make the decision whether to watch AFL Bombers v Crows or United v 36ers played at the same time. Same for Port fans too I guess - do they rather watch 36ers try for the win or Crows getting beaten?

I think the season is too long for the small number of teams. If it was a larger competition then running for 6 months would be fine but I get bored watching the same teams playing each other repeatedly up to 9 times per season.

Unfortunately you just cant avoid football. Starting during the football finals would be madness as its hype overdrive at that point, even with less games. The games are bigger, and media attention is nationwide even if your local team isnt in it.

During the summer there is still plenty going on - trade week, offseason updates, the football never really stops other than when the cricket is in full gear and that gets top coverage. Then after that, tennis.

Agree with condensing the finals though, however that makes it harder to sell tickets in a shorter timeframe. Its one of those things the NBL will never win I think.

It's not ideal that the finals will clash with the first round or two of the AFL.

But 28 games is a good number and has been consistent for a number of years, and the first game was 5th October- a few days after the Grand Final. It's probably not realistic to condense the 28 games into a shorter time period.

The clash with FIBA won't happen next year because the qualifiers won't be required again- is that right? If so, the season won't clash with the AFL next year?

NBL is getting boring. Same Teams playing the same X and O's.

We can need a 2 more teams.

Grand Final series should run from Friday to the following weekend. Not over 3 weekends.

Fine the way it is maybe tweak it a bit.
Bring back 48 minute games with 12 man squads being brought in.