They already have NBL1: https://nbl1.com.au/

nah

School holidays must of started.

Bris div 2??

Next u will b saying knox and Dandenong in div 1.

Can see why ur baller 3 and not baller 1 or 2.

"They already have NBL1"

To be fair to the OP, NBL1 doesn't have any competition with the NBL. There is no relegation system between NBL and NBL1.

I'm surprised that this idea is being dismissed so quickly. Not to say that I'd support it, but it is worth discussing. It is a novel approach to an apparent league disparity. I'm not sure how Australians would respond to a 2-division format league and a relegation system. It might help solve the problem of perceived NBL instability by making instability a part of the system. Relegation would be an option instead of folding. NBL teams folding every few years is a blight on the NBL. As much as the NBL appears to be on the up, any teams folding now would do a lot of damage to that perceived upward momentum.

NBL1 is in its infancy and there's every chance it’s viewed as having stronger links to the NBL down the track. I mentioned it in response to the final point.

The concept has been discussed many times before - I’ve suggested it in the past too. Argument against relegation is that it would mean upheaval for a club moving down/up - too much for a "bottom two on the ladder, down you go" arrangement. Maybe if it was as a suggestion it could work.

People might say the Hawks, for example, already have a team in a lower league.

Issaac, perhaps some sort of challenge system could work. If you finish in top spot of division 2 you earn the right to challenge bottom spot of division 1 to a best of 5 series or something at the conclusion of the season. The team finishing bottom can then decide to drop out of division 1 or play the series to stay in it.

The approach of the OP is a bit different and I don't hate it. It means the two divisions will still play against each other, but they're not really competing with each other. You can put in a budget team and still have a chance of winning a championship.

Also, importantly the NBL wouldn't call these division 1 and 2. But perhaps the NBL Regional Conference and NBL National Conference. Obviously the consistent followers may know the difference but the casual may not, considering they still play each other.

I like the ideas, Baller #3

The only uncertainties for me are around the 'optional' playoffs and challenges, and ensuring that teams wanting to go up can meet the criteria required at the higher level.


If the higher-division teams feel they will lose money or fans, can they avoid the playoff or challenge? The only way challenges might end up happening is if a higher team genuinely wants to go down, which makes it a bit farcical.


I’d like to see entry to the second division being decided by playoffs between the bottom two of the second division and the top two of every NBL1 conference, PROVIDED each team could meet the criteria for entry (such as stadium size, account balance, ownership model, etc).


Regardless, timing would be an issue with regard to teams still having access to their coaches, imports and other players. In the case of NBL vs NBL1 candidates, given they don’t play seasons at the same time, some teams would be in their off-seasons and so would probably not be at full strength.

Hoopie, i think this would have to be somewhat separate from NBL1 for that factor. I also think you would want the second division to still be a somewhat higher standard than the current 2nd tier. Somewhere between the SEABL and the NBL.

I think it definitely has to be difficult to to move up from the second division. Perhaps you are required to either win the division 2 final or be minor premier, plus have minimum crowd numbers of say 5,000.

It shouldn't happen often, but imagine this scenario:

SEM come into the comp into the second division as required. All of a sudden they are top of the division, and Adelaide are sitting in last with 2 rounds to go. Adelaide would be freaking out and playing their hearts out to try and get back off the bottom and avoid a potential challenge. That could be very interesting in the late season.

Fair enough.

And if Adelaide lost that challenge series, do you think their fans hang around paying the same amount? Or would they struggle on top of the ladder position?

Hmmm

I wouldn't automatically dismiss any proposal to improve the league.

Multiple divisions work where you have a lot of clubs, and people's allegiance is very tribal. Even if you keep the Branding as all NBL, and just have divA & divB, I think teams dumped into the 2nd division would really struggle.
As I understand it, many ex-NBL teams effectively wound up in the SEABL or NBL1, and none of those are back knocking on the door of the NBL. Ithink "relegation" would be a one-way street.

Teams like Cairns and the Hawks have had some very good seasons, do they really deserve to be banished as soon as they have a bad one?
What about those like Brisbane, Sydney, and NZ, who's performance is entirely dependent on the ownership at the time?

For it to work, you'd have to keep the two divisions very even, with teams able to move between the two without too much disruption.

' have to agree that the way the league is heading, some teams are just not going to survive. You would have to think that cairns and Illawarra are essentially dust at this point. No way in hell a Tassie team can come in either if this is the way we head with City clubs becoming even bigger.'

I couldn't get past the above opening statement of bias and opinionated garbage, so I am not even entertaining discussion on how to improve the League, seriously Baller#3, where are your supporting facts for such an uneducated and subjective opening...?

Settle Petal...

I just dont think the current model is sustainable for the smaller clubs. The gap is only growing bigger. I just think the NBL needs to think beyond the major cities. Do we really want to end up with a 6 team league?

Fair enough then, no of course we would like the league to actually consolidate and expand slowly, I have previously supported the league as a whole concept.

The AFL supports the whole league, giving hand outs to the smaller clubs or more regional if you wish to use that term.

The NBL must do the same, make sure the whole money pool is there to support every club, then some of the disparity can be reduced, or at least the smaller clubs can stay viable until they win more games and solidify their supporter base.

I tend to agree that sometimes it looks like the major cities are the focus, but that will always be the case in a national competition as it establishes itself.

We are just too early into this new branding to get too carried away with concerns that the league will fall apart again, those signs are not evident, there is no evidence for it that I have seen, just rumour and opinion...

Bear, i do admit my idea is probably a little extreme. Honestly, all that probably needs to happen is a luxury tax system that is actually enforced.