Into the New ABA League Season with 18 Teams and Two Groups – Cedevita Olimpija in Group B

The revamped competition format of the ABA League, set to take effect in the 2025/26 season, has been officially confirmed. The league will feature 18 teams, divided into two groups of nine for the first stage of the regular season. Cedevita Olimpija will begin the campaign in Group B.

Alongside Cedevita Olimpija, the 2025/26 ABA League season will once again showcase a number of familiar teams from previous years: Borac Mozzart (Serbia), Budućnost VOLI (Montenegro), Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (Serbia), Dubai Basketball (UAE), FMP Soccerbet (Serbia), Igokea m:tel (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Krka (Slovenia), Mega Superbet (Serbia), Partizan Mozzart Bet (Serbia), SC Derby (Montenegro), Spartak Office Shoes (Serbia), and both Split and Zadar (Croatia). Newcomers for the 2025/26 season include Ilirija (Slovenia), Bosna Visit Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), U-BT Cluj-Napoca (Romania), and Vienna (Austria).

Compared to the 2024/25 season, Mornar-Barsko zlato and Cibona will no longer be part of the league. A particularly exciting development is the return of three Slovenian clubs to the ABA League for the first time since the 2020/21 season.

Cedevita Olimpija will compete in Group B, which also includes Crvena zvezda, Budućnost, Spartak, Bosna, Mega, Zadar, Ilirija, and Vienna. Group A features Partizan, Dubai, Cluj, SC Derby, Igokea, FMP, Borac, Split, and Krka.

Each group will play a double round-robin format – each team facing every other team both home and away – amounting to 18 rounds. One team will be idle each round. The top four teams from each group will advance to the next phase, the so-called ‘Top 8’. Teams finishing between fifth and ninth place will move into the ‘Play-Out’ phase. All points earned during the regular season will carry over to the second stage.

In the Top 8 phase, teams will again play in a double round-robin format, this time only against opponents from the opposite group, adding eight more games. The Play-Out phase will include ten teams, also playing in a double round-robin format across ten games.

The top six teams from the Top 8 phase will qualify directly for the quarterfinals of the playoffs. The seventh- and eighth-placed teams will have another chance through the Play-In round. In that round, the 7th-place team will face the 8th-place team from the Top 8 group, while the 1st- and 2nd-place teams from the Play-Out group will play each other.

The winner of the Top 8’s 7th vs. 8th matchup will secure a place in the quarterfinals. The final playoff spot will be decided in a match between the loser of that Top 8 duel and the winner of the 1st vs. 2nd Play-Out clash.

A final decision on whether the season will conclude with a traditional playoff (semifinals and finals) or a Final Four tournament will be announced soon. The new season is set to tip off the first weekend of October.

We warmly invite all fans to join us for what promises to be an exciting season across both regional and international competitions! Season tickets for all of Cedevita Olimpija’s home games are already on sale at vstopnice.olimpija.com, with even better deals available through the 6.Zmaj mobile app!