National Basketball League (Bulgaria)

For other organizations with a similar name, see National Basketball League (disambiguation) and NBL (disambiguation).
National Basketball League
Founded1942
First season1942–43
CountryBulgaria
ConfederationFIBA Europe
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s)Bulgarian Cup
SupercupSuper Cup
International cup(s)Basketball Champions League
FIBA Europe Cup
Current championsRilski Sportist (1st title)
(2023–24)
Most championshipsAcademic Sofia (26 titles)
TV partnersMax Sport
Websitenbl.basketball.bg
2024–25 NBL Season

The National Basketball League (NBL) (in Bulgarian: Националната баскетболна лига) is the highest-level professional basketball league in Bulgaria. The current league was founded in 2008, though the first-tier level existed since 1942 and was previously called the Bulgarian A Division. The games in the NBL are played under FIBA rules.

The most successful team in NBL history is PBC Academic, which has won 26 national titles.

Current teams

Club Last season Arena Location Capacity
Academic Plovdiv 5th Arena SILA Plovdiv 1,700
Balkan Botevgrad 1st Arena Botevgrad Botevgrad 4,500
Beroe 8th Municipal Hall Stara Zagora 1,000
Cherno More Ticha 11th Hristo Borisov Varna 1,000
Chernomorets 2nd Arena Burgas Burgas 6,000
CSKA Sofia 3rd CSKA Sofia 450
Levski Lukoil 7th Universiada Hall Sofia 4,000
Minyor 2015 1st (second division) Boris Gyuderov Hall Pernik 1,700
Rilski Sportist 4th Arena Samokov Samokov 2,500
Shumen 10th Arena Shumen Shumen 1,500
Spartak Pleven 6th Balkanstroy Pleven 1,200
Yambol 9th Diana Yambol 3,000

Title holders

[1]

Titles by club

Club Winners Runners-up Winning years
Academic Sofia 26 10 1957, 1958, 1959, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
Levski Sofia 16 20 1942, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2014, 2017–18, 2020-21
CSKA Sofia 12 15 1949, 1950, 1951, 1965, 1967, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1991, 1992
Balkan Botevgrad 7 6 1974, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23
Lokomotiv Sofia 6 5 1943, 1948, 1955, 1961, 1964, 1966
Spartak Sofia 4 2 1954, 1956, 1960, 1962
Slavia Sofia 3 2 1952, 1953, 1997
Cherno More Port Varna 3 7 1985, 1998, 1999
Spartak Pleven 2 1 1995, 1996
Rilski Sportist 1 2 2024
Yambol 1 1 2002

Latest finals

Season Champions Score Runners-Up
2000–01 Levski 3–0 Yambol
2001–02 Yambol 3–0 Lukoil Academic
2002–03 Lukoil Academic 3–0 Levski
2003–04 Lukoil Academic 3–0 CSKA
2004–05 Lukoil Academic 3–0 CSKA
2005–06 Lukoil Academic 3–0 Cherno More
2006–07 Lukoil Academic 3–0 CSKA
2007–08 Lukoil Academic 3–0 Balkan
2008–09 Lukoil Academic 3–1 Cherno More
2009–10 Lukoil Academic 3–1 Levski
2010–11 Lukoil Academic 3–0 Levski
2011–12 Lukoil Academic 3–0 Levski
2012–13 Lukoil Academic 3–2 Levski
2013–14 Levski 3–2 Lukoil Academic
2014–15 Lukoil Academic 3–2 Balkan
2015–16 Lukoil Academic 3–0 Balkan
2016–17 Lukoil Academic 3–1 Beroe
2017–18 Levski 3–1 Balkan
2018–19 Balkan 3–1 Levski
2020–21 Levski 4–1 Rilski Sportist
2021–22 Balkan 3–1 Rilski Sportist
2022–23 Balkan 3–0 Chernomorets
2023–24 Rilski Sportist 3–1 Balkan

References

  1. ^ Holders by year