NBL1 South 2026 Fixture Released

The NBL1 South is pleased to launch the fixture for the NBL1 South 2026 season. 

The opening round will begin on Friday 27^th March with an incredible 38 games (19 women's and 19 men's) to be played heading into the Easter weekend! All teams will feature in two games each across the first 7 days of competition that is Round 1 and it won't be lacking in key matchups. The reigning NBL1 South Women's champions Knox Raiders will travel to Keilor on Saturday 28^th March. It was Keilor who the Raiders eliminated in a highly competitive 2025 Preliminary Final. The defending champions will then host Casey on Thursday 2^nd April at the State Basketball Centre. Meanwhile the 2025 NBL1 South Men's champion Sandringham Sabres, will travel up Warrigal Rd to go head to head against the Waverley Falcons on a Sunday afternoon blockbuster before hosting historical rival - Dandenong Rangers on Thursday 2^nd April.  

Club supporters and basketball lovers won't be short on opportunities to see their favourites in action right from the opening tip! All 19 clubs from across Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia will feature in 22 double headers (women and men), across 17 weeks of competition. 

Grand Final rematches always hold some added meaning, so mark in the calendar that you'll be at the Southern Basketball Centre on Thursday 16^th April, as the Sandringham men host the Melbourne Tigers. Speaking of added meaning; the Geelong United Women lost one game in 2025, the Grand Final; an extraordinary season from the team and they'll be looking to stamp their authority on he 2026 season, especially in Round 7 in a Saturday night (16th May) blockbuster at Geelong Arena as the 2025 champion Raiders come to town. 

Rivalries in NBL1 South come in many forms. Some are relatively new and developing, but others go back to the formation of the associations and run deep from NBL1 South to the VJBL or junior groundings. One such example of rivalries running deep which will see thousands across northern Melbourne marking Saturday 28th March in the diary is a season opener between Diamond Valley Eagles and the Eltham Wildcats, which will take place at Diamond Valley Stadium. Stalwarts of SEABL and previous iterations of senior Victorian basketball will suggest there is nothing bigger than a Ballarat v Bendigo matchup  and what better way to start 2026 for these legendary associations than to see them in Round 1 in Ballarat, also on Saturday 28^th March! 

A feature for a number of years now has been the annual Anzac Eve clash hosted by Frankston against the visiting Dandenong. The event has seen the Frankston association work closely with its local RSL and broader community annually with the game a major feature and fundraiser. With RSL Active as a key partner for the NBL1 South, now in its third year, this Anzac eve clash between two of Australian basketballs titans, has developed into one of the feature events on the Victorian basketball calendar. Aiming to do similar in Tasmania are the Hobart Chargers who will host Casey on the Anzac eve, in what promises to be a special night in Hobart.

The King's Birthday long weekend already brings all of Australia's basketball eyes to the south-east of Australia as the National Junior Classic, Nunawading and Ballarat junior basketball tournaments all take place drawing in tens of thousands from around Australia - so why not put NBL1 South on show too? The weekend will feature 6 games on Friday 5^th June, whilst in what is quickly becoming a staple on the calendar, the Monday public holiday (8th June) will see all eyes tune into the games between Waverley and the visiting Diamond Valley Eagles. 

A feature of every NBL1 South season is the annual league wide feature rounds. This year you'll see feature and awareness rounds for 'Mental Health,' 'ANZAC' and 'First Nations' all playing significant broader community roles and fundraising opportunities. A terrific initiative started many years ago by Kilsyth, has been the annual throwback that is 'Heritage Round' where it is an opportunity for associations to reflect on the successes, the legends and the uniforms of years gone by. Across all of these rounds, many terrific memories and moments are created; with some significant impacts on our community too. 

NBL1 South League Manager Alison Cody can't wait to see what 2026 brings with a jam-packed schedule full of blockbuster games every weekend. "After 15 of our 19 clubs were represented in the finals, I am excited to welcome back the players, communities, clubs, partners and fans for what promises to be a highly competitive and entertaining season!"

In recent seasons, the competition has been so close going into the final rounds, that for 2026 a new playoff structure has been adopted. The post-season will feature a top 10, all elimination finals series with the pinnacle of the NBL1 South season, the Championship game scheduled for Saturday August 15^th at the State Basketball Centre, promising an exciting climax to what is a highly anticipated and sure to be memorable 2026 NBL1 South season.