LEAGUE OPENER IS A SCORCHER...

LEICESTER Riders will start the BBL Championship season on the road at Surrey Scorchers on Saturday, December 5.

That match precedes Riders’ final qualifying match in the BBL Cup North Group against Sheffield Sharks on Monday, December 7 at the Morningside Arena.

Riders’ first league match at home is against Sheffield Sharks on Friday, December 11.

Teams will play each other three times in the BBL Championship this season.

The delay in the release of the fixtures was due to Covid-19, to determine if there would be any relaxation in allowing the return of spectators.

The BBL Championship season begins on Thursday, December 3 with a double header live on Sky Sports, featuring Sheffield Sharks v Cheshire Phoenix, followed by Newcastle Eagles v London Lions, with both games at the Eagles Community Sports Arena behind closed doors.

The BBL Trophy first round will involve five clubs from the National League and will take place the first week in February, with the knockout stages taking place thereafter before moving onto the final, with details of the location still to be announced.

The draw for the Trophy matches will take place at the conclusion of the BBL Cup qualifying stages, with the Riders versus Sharks match-up on December 7.

The BBL Championship will wrap up on the weekend of Friday, April 23, with the Play-Offs then starting the week after and the season concludes with the Play-Off Final, with the location still to be confirmed.

CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES:

Sat, Dec 5 - Surrey Scorchers (A) Fri, Dec 11 - Sheffield Sharks (H)

Fri, Dec 18 – Bristol Flyers (H)

Wed, Dec 23 – Bristol Flyers (H) Sun, Jan 3 – Surrey Scorchers (H) Fri, Jan 8 – Plymouth Raiders (A) Fri, Jan 15 – Plymouth Raiders (A) Fri, Jan 22 – Worcester Wolves (A) Sat, Jan 23 – Glasgow Rocks (H) Fri, Jan 29 – Worcester Wolves (A) Sun, Jan 31 – Surrey Scorchers (H) Fri, Feb 5 – Manchester Giants (H) Sun, Feb 7 – Glasgow Rocks (A) Sun, Feb 14 – Sheffield Sharks (A) Wed, Feb 17 – Newcastle Eagles (H) Sun, Feb 21 - Manchester Giants (A) Fri, Feb 26 – Worcester Wolves (H)

Sun, Mar 7 – Cheshire Phoenix

Fri, March 12 – Newcastle Eagles (A)

Sun, March 14 – London Lions (H)

Fri, March 19 – London Lions (H, prov)

Wed, Mar 24 – Cheshire Phoenix (H)

Sat, Mar 27 – Bristol Flyers (A)

Sat, April 3 – Sheffield Sharks (H) Sun, April 4 – Manchester Giants (A)

Sat, April 10 – Plymouth Raiders (H) Fri, April 16 – Newcastle Eagles (A) Fri, April 23 – Glasgow Rocks (H) Sun, April 25 – Cheshire Phoenix (A)

Tbc – London Lions (A)

BBL TROPHY

Sixteen teams in a straight knockout competition, involving the BBL teams and five invited teams.

First Round (Single Leg) – Feb 5-7; Quarter Finals (Single Leg) – Feb 19-21; Semi-Finals (Two Legged) – March 5-7; Final – TBA.

BBL PLAY-OFFS

Top eight teams qualify with ties assigned by seeding. Two-legged quarter-finals and semi-finals with a single leg Final (at neutral venue).

Quarters: 1st v 8th; 2nd v 7th; 3rd v 6th; 4th v 5th

Quarter Finals (Two Legged) – April 30-May 2; Semi-Finals (Two Legged) – May 7-9; Final - TBA.