B.League

The B.League^[1] is a men's professional basketball league that will commence in Japan in October 2016.^[2] The league will be operated by the Japan Professional Basketball League and has been formed as a result of a merger between the National Basketball League that is operated by the FIBA-affiliated Japan Basketball Association and the independently operated bj-league. The merger had been mandated by FIBA as a condition to Japan having its membership resumed following suspension in November 2014.^[3]

Format

The league will consist of three divisions; the first two divisions will have 18 teams each. The third division will have nine teams made up of de facto semi-professional teams. There will be a system of promotion and relegation between the first and second division. Each of the first two divisions will be further divided into three conferences.^[4]

Teams

In the 2014-2015 season, there were 12 teams in the NBL, 10 teams in the National Basketball Development League (NBDL, the NBL's second division league) and 23 teams in the bj-league. All 45 teams sought entrance to the B.League's inaugural 2016-17 season. The allocation of the teams into the three divisions was announced in two phases in July^[2] and August 2015.^[4]

First division (18 teams)

Team name	City, Prefecture	2015-16 League
Aisin Seahorses Mikawa	Kariya, Aichi	NBL
Akita Northern Happinets	Akita, Akita	bj-league
Chiba Jets	Funabashi, Chiba	NBL
Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix	Hamamatsu, Shizuoka	bj-league
Hitachi SunRockers	Tokyo	NBL
Kyoto Hannaryz	Kyoto, Kyoto	bj-league
Levanga Hokkaido	Sapporo, Hokkaido	NBL
Link Tochigi Brex	Utsunomiya, Tochigi	NBL
Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins Nagoya	Nagoya, Aichi	NBL
Niigata Albirex BB	Niigata, Niigata	bj-league
Osaka Evessa	Osaka, Osaka	bj-league
Ryukyu Golden Kings	Okinawa, Okinawa	bj-league
Sendai 89ers	Sendai, Miyagi	bj-league
Shiga Lakestars	Ōtsu, Shiga	bj-league
Toyama Grouses	Toyama, Toyama	bj-league
Toshiba Brave Thunders Kanagawa	Kawasaki, Kanagawa	NBL
Toyota Alvark Tokyo	Fuchū, Tokyo	NBL
Yokohama B-Corsairs	Yokohama, Kanagawa	bj-league

Second division (18 teams)

Team	City, Prefecture	2015-16 League
Aomori Wat's	Aomori, Aomori	bj-league
Bambitious Nara	Nara, Nara	bj-league
Cyberdyne Tsukuba Robots	Tsukuba, Ibaraki	NBL
Earth Friends Tokyo Z	Ōta, Tokyo	NBDL
Fukushima Firebonds	Kōriyama, Fukushima	bj-league
Gunma CraneThunders	Maebashi, Gunma	bj-league
Hiroshima Dragonflies	Hiroshima, Hiroshima	NBL
Iwate Big Bulls	Morioka, Iwate	bj-league
Kumamoto Volters	Kumamoto, Kumamoto	NBL
Nishinomiya Storks	Nishinomiya, Hyogo	NBL
Pas lab. Yamagata Wwyverns	Yamagata, Yamagata	NBDL
Oita Ehime HeatDevils	Beppu, Ōita Matsuyama, Ehime	bj-league
Renova Kagoshima	Kagoshima, Kagoshima	NBDL
Shimane Susanoo Magic	Matsue, Shimane	bj-league
Shinshu Brave Warriors	Chikuma, Nagano	bj-league
Takamatsu Five Arrows	Takamatsu, Kagawa	bj-league
Tokyo Excellence	Itabashi, Tokyo	NBDL
Toyota Tsusho Fighting Eagles Nagoya	Nagoya, Aichi	NBDL

Third division (9 teams)

Team	City, Prefecture	2015-16 League
Aisin AW Areions Anjo	Anjō, Aichi	NBDL
Kanazawa Samuraiz	Kanazawa, Ishikawa	bj-league
Otsuka Corporation Alphas	Tokyo	NBDL
Rizing Fukuoka	Fukuoka, Fukuoka	bj-league
Saitama Broncos	Tokorozawa, Saitama	bj-league
Tokio Marine Nichido Big Blue	Nerima, Tokyo	NBDL
Tokyo Cinq Rêves	Chōfu, Tokyo	bj-league
Tokyo Hachioji Trains	Hachiōji, Tokyo	NBDL
Toyoda Gosei Scorpions	Kiyosu, Aichi	NBDL

References

1. Nagatsuka, Kaz (15 September 2015). "New pro basketball league unveils name, logo". The Japan Times. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
2. "JPBLの「1部～3部階層分け発表記者会見」について" [Regarding the JPBL's "Division 1-3 Assignment Press Conference"] (in Japanese). Nishinomiya Storks. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
3. "Japan suspended by FIBA". ESPN. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
4. Nagatsuka, Kaz (29 August 2015). "JPBL finalizes division placements for 2016-17". The Japan Times. Retrieved 16 September 2015.