Basketball England Announce NBL Division Lineups for 2016-17 Season

Mansoor Ahmed/Ahmedphotos

The NBL Senior division lineups have been announced with Basketball England releasing the league structure for the 2016-17 season.

After being changed to NBDL (National Basketball Development League) last season, the fourth tier returns as ‘Division 4′ with a number of new teams involved in four regional groups as opposed to five.

Loughborough Student Riders and Solent Kestrels are the new teams promoted to Division 1, while Team Newcastle University, Thames Valley Cavaliers and Doncaster Danum Eagles have been promoted to Division 2 with an extra place granted due to Brixton Topcats’ withdrawal.

Eight teams from last year’s NBDL will compete in Division 3, while there are 14 new additions to Division 4 including teams from the likes of Barrow, Exeter and Richmond.

Here is the full list of teams for next season in their respective divisions:

NBL Division 1

Bradford Dragons
Derby Trailblazers
Essex Leopards
Hemel Storm
Lancashire Spinners
Leicester Warriors
London Lituanica
Loughborough Student Riders (promoted)
Manchester Magic
Reading Rockets
Solent Kestrels (promoted)
Team Northumbria
Westminster Warriors
Worthing Thunder

NBL Division Two

Derbyshire Arrows
Doncaster Danum Eagles (promoted)
Ipswich
Kent Crusaders (relegated)
Liverpool
London Greenhouse Pioneers
London Westside
Newham Neptunes (formerly East London All Stars)
Nottingham Hoods
Team Newcastle University (promoted)
Tees Valley Mohawks (relegated)
Thames Valley Cavaliers (promoted)

NBL Division Three

North:
Birmingham Mets
Charnwood Riders (formerly Loughborough Student Riders II)
Coventry Tornadoes (promoted)
Gateshead Phoenix (promoted)
Mansfield Giants
Myerscough College Spinners
Newcastle-under-Lyme Knights
Sefton Stars
Sheffield Hallam Sharks (promoted)
Team Birmingham Elite
University of Chester (promoted)
Worcester Wolves II (relegated)

South:
Brunel University Ducks
Cardiff Met Archers (promoted)
Eastside Eagles (relegated)
Greenwich Titans (promoted)
London United
Middlesex LTBC
Northants Thunder
Oxford Brookes University
Solent Kestrels II (formerly Team Solent)
Southwark Pride (promoted)
Sussex Bears (promoted)
Thames Valley Cavaliers II

Division 4

North
Barrow Thorns (new team)
Calderdale Explorers
Kendal Warriors
Kingston Panthers
Leeds Force Academy (relegated)
Manchester Giants (new team)
Manchester Magic II
Nelson & Colne Basketball Academy (new team)
Sefton Stars II (new team)
Stockport Falcons (new team)
Tameside
Team Sunderland (formerly Sunderland City Predators)

Midlands
Birmingham Mets II
City of Birmingham
Derby Trailblazers II (relegated)
King’s Lynn Fury
Northants Taurus
Nottingham Hoods II
Sheffield Sabres
Shropshire Warriors
Team Birmingham Elite II
Team Wolverhampton (new team)
Warwickshire Eagles (new team)

South East
Anglia Ruskin University
Barking Abbey
Chelmsford Lions (new team)
Cambridge Cats
Essex Blades
Folkestone Saints
Kent Crusaders II
London Lituanica 2 (new team)
London Thunder Lewisham
Oaklands College Wolves (new team)
West Herts Warriors (formerly Hertfordshire Warriors)
Woking Blackhawk Flyers

South West
Bristol Academy Flyers II
Bristol Storm (new team)
Cardiff City
Exeter Eagles (new team)
Middlesex Saxons (new team)
Oxford Stealers
Plymouth Raiders II
RCT Gladiators
Reading Rockets II
Richmond Knights (new team)
Southampton University Sharks
Swindon Shock

The league fixtures and cup draws will also be announced in due course.

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