Sport Basketball Inaugural season 1981 No. of teams M: 15
W: 15 | Founded 1981 as SEBL President Simon Brookhouse Country Australia | |
The South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) is a semi-professional basketball league in Australia, comprising both a men's and women's competition. Formerly part of the Australian Basketball Association (ABA), the SEABL is considered the strongest second-tiered basketball league in the country, developing many emerging Australian Boomers and Opals players, as well as fostering a highly competitive second-tier competition under the National Basketball League (NBL) and Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). The league boasts teams from every state or territory other than Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Contents
History
In 1981, the South Eastern Basketball League (SEBL) was born when the Australian Club Championships ceased to operate due to the rise of Australia's first truly national competition, the National Basketball League (NBL). After five SEBL seasons, an East and South Conference was formed in 1986, a move that made the league more competitive and generated a more meaningful finals series. Two years later, the SEBL was renamed the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL). Another name change came in 1992 with the SEABL changing to the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). In 1994, a North Conference from Queensland was added to increase the CBA's number of conferences to three. In 1998, a Central Conference from South Australia became the fourth CBA conference.
The CBA was later renamed the Australian Basketball Association (ABA) for the 1999 season, and subsequently added a Big V Conference (from Victoria) in 2000 and a Waratah Conference (from New South Wales) in 2001. The following year, the East and South Conferences became known as the South East Australian Basketball League again, and the remaining four conferences, while still affiliated with the ABA, were devised into formal leagues as well – Big V, Waratah League, Central ABL and Queensland ABL. In 2009, the ABA ceased operations and the five leagues became independent.