Happy to see it return.

lame

An "in season tournament" in a 10 team league is unbelievably cringe

What's bad about it? More games for the fans and prize money for teams.

Are we sure it's more money for the teams? Diminishing returns and all that. Wouldn't it mean more midweek games which are traditionally not a good draw.

Maybe more money for the league though...

Personally I'm good with the length of the season and the number of games my team plays. I don't want to be oversaturated with games, given more games = a more expensive season to attend. Plus to me the whole concept of an in-season tournament is dumb. Just my 2 cents.

Fair enough, I don't see any negativity in this decision. LK said during the finals he wants to see the NBL season expanded and eventually a game every night of the week. Perhaps the Novelly stuff has brought forward some of these plans.

But prize money for teams, an increase of four games per team for the fans and something to watch on Wednesday nights makes me think this is an absolutely fantastic idea.

Personally, I think it is too gimmicky. And the Blitz is way too early, most teams will be incomplete at the end of August.

Meh, in-season tournaments have spread like a virus since the NBA implemented one.

At least do it the correct way and have a separate cup competition.

With the continuation of HoopsFest and addition of this in-season tournament, each team will now play 33 regular season games over the 2025-26 NBL campaign, up from the 29 games played in the previous season.

Just copying the NBA at every opportunity. Will they bring in special brightly coloured courts as well for it.

Hope so, can only imagine how eye-sore certain courts could be, SEM, NZ...

I don't want to be oversaturated with games, given more games = a more expensive season to attend.

This is pretty much expected based on one of the Perth podcasts with the NBL CEO a few months ago.

I don't see a problem with this. I’m anti-over saturation of sport in the sense of the Big Bash over did it a few years ago and the NBA is ridiculous with 82 games when it should be something closer to 60. A-league feels like it has gone too long and intrusive into the calendar.

But the NBL at 33 games is perfectly fine, the sweet spot is more than the 29 they previous had IMO. The actual length of the NBL season is pretty good, it’s short and sharp.

I suspect we will see teams like Perth use it as an opportunity for regional games without taking away from their normal 14 home games for members. A team like Adelaide perhaps uses it as an opportunity for an extra couple of games of revenue in a stadium that is consistently filled out.

I am pro-sports playing most days personally. I think the idea of Fri night to Sunday only is a dying concept.

For example, the AFL should be Thurs-Mon, even if Monday night is more of a TV game like at Marvel with plebby supported sides of North/Bulldogs/Saints. I’d rather that than 2 games playing simultaneously.

For summer sports, like the tennis and cricket and basketball, playing most days or every day is valid. It’s nicer weather, more sunlight, people are more interested in doing things and engaging with it opposed to bunkering down with Netflix.

The NBL should have games every day during the "festive period" between December through to end of January. Outside of that, play games regularly Wednesday-Sunday.

The festive period is a great opportunity to have a variety of home game demography catered for: weeknights for the corporates, weekend during the day for families, weekend nights for people that want a night out and go out to bars after.

If a team only plays 2/3 home games across 2 (or 3) weeks, we might see demographics not really have options across the prime “go out and do things” period.

I don't mind an in-season tournament. I hate the timing of this one.

They're saying the Grand Final of the in-season tournament will be in February, on the same day as the MVP awards (which would be in the evening).. so that would mean the Grand Final would be right before the playoffs? Plus what crowd is going to turn up to an afternoon game? And I can only assume the Grand Final will be a neutral location to accommodate the MVP night; and are we sure fans will travel like NBA ones do to Vegas?

It's very, very odd. I'd much rather an in-season tournament early in the season to have a Grand Final in early January. Yes, there's plenty of cricket at the same time - but Finals action? Don't think there'll be any of that.

I'm hoping the NBL vs owners fight doesn’t ruin it, but perhaps the tournament + a bit more clarity on expansion + even clarity on wnbl can assist with the broadcast deal.

ESPN might value the additional quantity of games and might make them more amenable to an increase in FTA games.

If 7 is indeed interested, could we dream of the NBL then filling that Saturday night spot on the main channel? I think that spot is available save for the Test D/Ns and Big Bash finals?

Why increase the season to 33 games, instead of 36? Then all teams can actually play each other 4 times.

I don't mind an in season tournament, but agree with the comments above about the grand final being too close to the playoffs. Could disadvantage a team if it plays in the grand final then has to backup quickly for a playoff game. Should be a few weeks before the end of the regular season I think.

I'm not sure that the NBL feels a particular need for all teams to play each other the exact same amount at the expense of gather round or whatever it’s called.

Once there’s expansion, which probably comes in the next few years, throws it out of whack anyway.

https://nbl.com.au/news/ignite-cup-everything-you-need-to-know

For the uneducated punters like me, ::))) how many games in a season now for each team.

33 games

28 + 1 (HoopsFest) + 4 (Ignite Cup)

Wednesday night games not included in memberships, novelty factor plus convenience of watching it on FTA TV (potentially) = half full or near empty arenas.

Do we really need this? It will end up being a bad look for the league. Completely unnecessary.

WC95 the 2 additional Wednesday night games are included in the 36ers memberships.

I saw a post by the Wildcats saying their games weren't included in the memberships.

They've completely fumbled this having it spread over four months. Do they really expect it to build people's attention over that period. If so they don't know their audience.

The worst part though will be the commentators talking about it incessantly as though anyone else cares

I see the whole point of the tournament as to open it up to other broadcasters i.e. Ch 7 in the hope of getting them interested in the whole thing. Regular season still on ESPN & Ch 10, Ignite Cup on Ch 7, it's a genius idea really.

More basketball imo is a great thing, it will be interesting to see if attracts more viewers.

Wow, they even copied the Ignite name from the NBA.

Regardless of tournament it makes sense to have that small increase in games per club.

For Ignite Cup Year 2, I am hoping they:

1. Have top 4 with elimination Semis - keep more clubs in it for longer. It's not a drastic addition but it’d be much better IMO.

2. Avoid the East Coast time zone double up. They did it twice I think? Start a week earlier if need be. NYE is fine this year, they can do one at 7pm EDT and 8pm EST.

3. Keep Wed-Sun fixturing outside of the festive period (where games should be every day), but move the cup games to a Saturday night.

That way they could have it live on the 7 main channel for non-NZ home games and when not conflicting with the cricket.

Problem with Wednesday is that just means it can only be on 7mate for most of the Tournament.