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NBL ignites fixture with midweek, in-season tournament
Murray Wenzel, AAP • June 18th, 2025 12:00 pm
Champions Illawarra, along with the nine other NBL clubs, are excited to play for another trophy. | Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP
Twenty-one games will be added to the NBL's schedule as part of a new in-season tournament spruiking historic prize money for players.
The Ignite Cup will feature a game every Wednesday for 20 weeks from October 8 as the Australian league again follows in the NBA's footsteps.
The innovation aims to spice up the regular season, just as the NBA Cup did when introduced in 2023.
That same year the NBL introduced a finals play-in format that also mirrored the system brought in by the American league in 2020.
The LA Lakers celebrate winning the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023 by beating Indiana. | Photo: AP
A record $400,000 (AUD) will be on the table and in an NBL-first, players in the winning team will split 60 per cent, or $180,000, of the $300,000 prize.
The runners-up will receive $100,000.
Games will count towards the regular-season table but a quarter-by-quarter scoring system for Ignite Cup points will ensure each game is played until the final buzzer.
The NBL is spruiking an elevated game-day experience for fans and a "special location" for the February final.
"The Ignite Cup is a huge new chapter for the NBL," NBL chief executive David Stevenson said.
"We're building something that adds more competitive fire throughout the season, creates more blockbuster games, and brings fresh energy for our fans every single Wednesday night.
"It's high-stakes hoops and we think fans are going to love it."
