Cedevita Olimpija continues EuroCup journey with five year licence!

Cedevita Olimpija’s senior team will continue to compete in the BKT EuroCup in the years ahead. Europe’s second-tier club competition is set to undergo significant changes ahead of the new season, expanding to include 32 teams, with the Ljubljana Dragons among them.

A total of 32 teams will take part in the 2026/27 BKT EuroCup season. The expansion of the competition is a response to the tremendous interest shown by clubs across Europe, which have recognized the BKT EuroCup as a competition that provides stability, encourages investment, and supports the long-term planning of participating clubs, while also offering a high-quality environment for teams to compete at the highest level.

The selection of teams was based on the final standings in their respective domestic leagues, with 22 clubs, including Cedevita Olimpija, receiving long-term, five-year licenses or invitations to participate. The final Wild Card, which will complete the list of 32 participating teams, will be announced in the coming days and awarded to one of the clubs that submitted the required documentation. Should any club receive a Wild Card to compete in the EuroLeague and consequently vacate its place in the BKT EuroCup, that vacancy will also be filled by one of the clubs that has submitted the necessary documentation.

The following teams will compete in the 2026/27 edition of Europe’s second-tier club competition:

ARIS Thessaloniki Betsson (Greece)
AS Monaco (Monaco)
Bahçeşehir College Istanbul (Türkiye)
Bertram Tortona (Italy)
Beşiktaş Gain Istanbul (Türkiye)
Budućnost VOLI Podgorica (Montenegro)
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (France)
Dolomiti Energia Trento (Italy)
Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem (Israel)
Laguna Tenerife (Spain)
Le Mans Sarthe Basket (France)
Lietkabelis Panevėžys (Lithuania)
London Lions (England)
Neptūnas Klaipėda (Lithuania)
NINERS Chemnitz (Germany)
PAOK BC Thessaloniki (Greece)
ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
SKYLINERS Frankfurt (Germany)
Türk Telekom Ankara (Türkiye)
U-BT Cluj-Napoca (Romania)
Umana Reyer Venice (Italy)
Balkan Botevgrad (Bulgaria)
Basketball Club Roma (Italy)
BAXI Manresa (Spain)
Napoli Basketball (Italy)
Riga Zelli (Latvia)
Rostock Seawolves (Germany)
Šiauliai (Lithuania)
Śląsk Wrocław (Poland)
TOFAŞ Bursa (Türkiye)

Cedevita Olimpija has been a regular participant in the EuroCup since 2019, following the merger between Cedevita Zagreb and Olimpija Ljubljana. During this period, the Dragons have reached the quarterfinals of the competition on three occasions, most recently in the 2025/26 season, when they came agonizingly close to defeating eventual champions JL Bourg in France and advancing to the semifinals.

The participants in the 2026/27 season represent 16 different countries and territories. Italy will have the highest number of representatives, with five clubs – Dolomiti Energia Trento, Umana Reyer Venice, Bertram Tortona, Napoli Basketball, and Roma. Germany and Türkiye follow with four representatives each.

The complete list of teams for the 2026/27 BKT EuroCup season will be presented to the next ECA Board for formal approval and subsequently submitted to the General Assembly for final ratification. Following this expansion, Euroleague Basketball competitions will feature a total of 52 teams – 20 in the EuroLeague and 32 in the EuroCup – continuing to showcase the highest level of club basketball on the European continent.

Under the new competition format, the 32 participating teams will be divided into four groups of eight during the regular season. The top 16 teams will advance to the playoffs, which will consist of the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. All playoff series will be played in a best-of-three format.