Francis Arana (left) led the San Pedro Tiger Sharks to the 2025 BPBL Championship over the Cayo Western Ballaz led by Arik Nicholas. Both teams will suit up for the NEBL season that tips off in February. Photo Credit: Shot By Iz
By Rubén Morales Iglesias: The National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) will resume competition in February 2026, following several years in which Belize’s top‑flight basketball operated under different league structures. The league confirmed its return through a press release and social media announcement on January 12, listing seven participating teams and introducing a $100,000 cash prize for the upcoming season.
The NEBL last competed in 2020, when the season came to an abrupt halt due to the COVID‑19 pandemic. Once restrictions eased, elite basketball resumed under a different banner: the Belize Elite Basketball League (BEBL), which effectively carried forward national competition in the post‑pandemic years. The BEBL operated until 2024, when disputes and organizational challenges led to a split among teams.
A Breakaway Season in 2025
The fallout from the 2024 BEBL season resulted in the creation of the Belize Premier Basketball League (BPBL) for 2025. The BPBL featured seven teams, including four former BEBL franchises—Griga Dream Ballers, Cayo Western Ballaz, San Pedro Tiger Sharks, and Punta Gorda Panthers—along with three new entrants: Belize City Thunderbolts, Belmopan Capital City Kings, and Corozal Cerros Suns.
Several established NEBL/BEBL teams, including the Belize City Defenders, Orange Walk Running Rebels, and Belmopan Trojans, did not participate in the BPBL season. The Tiger Sharks won the BPBL championship, while the Benny’s Belize Hurricanes remained the BEBL champions from 2024.
November 2025: Rebranding and New Leadership
In November 2025, the BEBL announced that it was rebranding and relaunching as the National Elite Basketball League (NEBL), appointing Attorney‑at‑Law Leroy Banner as commissioner. The league framed the move as an effort to stabilize governance and reestablish a unified national competition. At the time, the NEBL had not yet confirmed which teams would return.
San Pedro Tiger Sharks won the 2025 BPBL championship. Photo Credit: San Pedro Tiger Sharks
January 2026: Teams Confirmed for the Relaunch
The January 12 press release now confirms the seven teams competing in the 2026 season:
- San Pedro Tiger Sharks
- Cayo Western Ballaz
- EZ Investments’ Griga Dream Ballers
- Belize City Defenders
- Orange Walk Running Rebels
- Corozal Spartans
- Belmopan Trojans
The season is scheduled to open on Friday, February 20, 2026, at the Belize City Civic Center, in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports.
A Return to the NEBL Name
While the NEBL brand has been inactive since the pandemic‑related shutdown in 2020, elite basketball continued through the BEBL and later the BPBL. The 2026 season represents a consolidation of teams and leadership under the NEBL banner rather than a revival after a prolonged absence. The introduction of a $100,000 prize adds a new competitive element, though its long‑term implications for league stability remain to be seen.
The upcoming season marks the latest effort to reestablish a single, nationally recognized competition after several years of post‑pandemic transitions and organizational shifts in Belizean basketball.
The post National Elite Basketball League returns in February with 7 teams appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Francis Arana (left) led the San Pedro Tiger Sharks to the 2025 BPBL Championship over the Cayo Western Ballaz led by Arik Nicholas. Both teams will suit up for the NEBL season that tips off in February. Photo Credit: Shot By Iz By Rubén Morales Iglesias: The National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) will resume competition
The post National Elite Basketball League returns in February with 7 teams appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
