Sport Basketball Country Italy Domestic cup(s) Italian LNP Cup Inaugural season 1937–38 Football League | No. of teams 64 Relegation to Serie C Gold Basket Number of teams 64 Promotion to Serie A2 Basket | |
Formerly Serie B Basket
1937–38 to 1954–55
(2nd tier)
Serie B Basket
1955–56 to 1964–65
(3rd tier)
Serie B Basket
1965–66 to 1973–74
(2nd tier)
Serie B Basket
1974–75 to 1985–86
(3rd tier)
Serie B2 Basket
1986–87 to 2007–08
(4th tier)
Serie B Amateurs Basket
2008–09 to 2010–11
(4th tier)
National B Division Basket
2011–12 to 2013–14
(4th tier)
Serie B Basket
2014–15 to Present
(3rd tier) Level on pyramid Italian basketball league system | ||
Format
Teams are divided into four groups by geographical contiguity. Promoted teams gain access to the second-tier Serie A2 Basket, while relegated teams get demoted to play in the Serie C Gold Basket.
History
Serie B Basket first began in the 1937–38 season as the second level of the Italian basketball league system, and it remained the 2nd-tier level of the Italian basketball pyramid until the 1954–55 season. Serie B Basket was downgraded to being the third-tier level on the Italian basketball pyramid from the 1955–56 season, until the 1964–65 season. From the 1965–66 season, through the 1973–74 season, it was once again the second-tier level on the Italian basketball pyramid, being one tier below the Serie A Basket.
Serie B Basket was then once again downgraded to being the third-tier level league on the Italian basketball pyramid from the 1974–75 season, through the 1985–86 season. With the creation of the Serie B Excellence (Italian: Serie B d'Eccellenza), Serie B2 was downgraded to being the fourth-tier level on the Italian basketball pyramid, and was renamed to Serie B2 Basket.
From 2008 to 2011, the league was known as Serie B Amateurs Basket (Italian: Serie B Dilettanti Basket). From 2011 to 2014, the league was known as the National B Division Basket (Italian: Divisione Nazionale B Basket). Since 2014, the league has once again been known as the Serie B Basket, and has once again been the third-tier level on the Italian basketball pyramid.