Caledonia Gladiators takes part again in the BCL Qualifiers

Caledonia Gladiators return for a second try as one of 24 clubs set to compete in next season’s Basketball Champions League (BCL) qualifiers.

Gladiators will compete for one of the four remaining spots in the regular season, having fallen to Fribourg in the opening stages last season.

“We are excited to be heading to Europe to compete against a range of international clubs as we fight for a place in the Champions League tournament,” said Tony McDaid, CEO of Caledonia Gladiators.

“It’s fantastic to represent British basketball and we’re gearing up this summer to prepare for next season so we can be in the best possible shape as we face stiff competition from across Europe.”

They become the first British team confirmed to compete in Europe next season, with London Lions left out of the EuroCup.

Meanwhile, Hoopsfix has learned that both Bristol Flyers and Newcastle Eagles will play in the European North Basketball League (ENBL) for the second season in a row.

A series of 28 clubs have already been announced as part of the BCL Regular Season line-up and have secured their places within the tournament following their success in their respective domestic competitions, with domestic champions automatically receiving a spot if they wish to secure it .

Caledonia will be drawn as part of four tournaments, with the winner of each tournament advancing to the regular season. There are some strong opponents in the qualifying rounds, including PAOK (Greece), Baskets Bonn (Germany), Cholet (France) and Sassari (Italy).

The draw ceremony for the regular season groups and qualifying round tournaments will take place at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball at 11:00 AM CEST on Wednesday, June 26 and will be streamed live on the official BCL YouTube channel.

After the draw, the qualifying round tournaments will take place in mid-September, while the regular season will start on October 1, 2024.

Should Caledonia Gladiators fail to qualify for the BCL regular season, the European journey will continue in the group stage of the FIBA ​​Europe Cup.