The ABA League has announced major changes ahead of the 2026-27 season, bringing back the Final Four format for the first time since 2014 and appointing Ostoja Mijailovic as the new president of the competition.
The decision was made during the league’s Assembly meeting, where clubs also completed the draw for the opening phase of the season and elected new leadership.
ABA League 2026-27 groups confirmed
The 20 teams participating in the upcoming season have been divided into two groups.
Group A:
Crvena Zvezda, Cedevita Olimpija, Buducnost, Cibona, Igokea, FMP, Borac Cacak, Krka, Slovan Bratislava and Siroki.
Group B:
Dubai, Partizan, Cluj-Napoca, Studentski centar, Zadar, Spartak, Bosna, Mega, Ilirija and Vienna.
The regular season will begin on the final weekend of September, with games scheduled from September 26 to 28.
Final Four returns after more than a decade
After the first phase, the top four teams from each group will advance to the Top 8, while the remaining 12 teams will compete in the Play-out phase.
All points collected in the opening phase will carry over to the second stage, which will also be played in a double round-robin format.
The top six teams from the Top 8 will automatically qualify for the playoffs, while the teams finishing seventh and eighth in the Top 8 will face the two highest-ranked teams from the Play-out phase (ninth and tenth overall) in a play-in tournament for the remaining playoff spots.
The playoff quarterfinals will be played in a best-of-three series, while the new ABA League champion will be crowned at the Final Four tournament, scheduled for May 28-30, 2027.
The host city for the Final Four will be announced at a later date.
Ostoja Mijailovic becomes new ABA League president
The ABA League Assembly also elected new leadership, with Partizan president Ostoja Mijailovic appointed as the new president of the competition.
Mijailovic will lead the ABA League for the 2026-27 season, continuing the league’s tradition of rotating the presidency on a yearly basis.
Buducnost president Dragan Bokan and Davor Uzbinec, general manager of Cedevita Olimpija, were elected as members of the ABA League Presidency.
