The stage is set for an electrifying showdown in the 2025 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) as defending champions Rivers Hoopers BC gear up to defend their title against fifteen fierce contenders.
According to a joint communiqué issued by League Chairman Babatunde Ogunade and Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Secretary General Amina O. Amanchi, the new season will tip off on 28 August and run through 16 November 2025, with team registration slated for early August.
This year’s NPBL will unfold in four phases — Group Stage, Inter-Group Stage, Playoffs, and the Final Four. The 16 teams have been split into four groups of four across the Savannah and Atlantic Conferences.
In the Atlantic Conference, Rivers Hoopers headline Group B alongside Delta Force, Oluyole Warriors, and Kwara Falcons. Group A features Comets, Police Batons, Lagos Legends, and Hoops & Read.
The Savannah Conference sees Nile University, Nigeria Customs, Gboko City Chiefs, and Correctional Service in Group A, while Group B boasts Kano Pillars, Plateau Peaks, Gombe Bulls, and Bauchi Nets.
The Group Stage will see each team play six games (home and away) before advancing to the Inter-Group Stage, where all eight teams in each conference face off at a central venue. From there, the top four sides from each conference will battle in knockout Playoffs. The remaining four will meet in a round-robin Final Four to determine the 2025 champions.
Rivers Hoopers, who clinched their sixth league title last November with a dominant 71–54 victory over Hoops & Read, will be chasing a third consecutive championship in what promises to be one of the most competitive NPBL seasons yet.
