• Home
• News

30 September 2026  5 min read

Academy Leagues: EABL, WEABL set to tip for 2026/27

With a two-league structure in the past, those days are gone with both the EABL and WEABL now sporting a three-pool layout and 18 teams in each competition.

Some existing programmes have added new teams, like SGS and Myerscough putting out new WEABL sides and Nottingham Academy Wildcats adding to the EABL, whilst the likes of Newcastle College, UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, Xaverian College, New City College Hackney and The Canterbury Academy all add into the mix for 2026/27.

Two of those new EABL sides tip off the new season on Wednesday as UTC Sheffield head to Newcastle College, with the North East's WEABL outfit facing a stiff test from title contenders Nottingham Academy Wildcats in the day's other game.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Academy Basketball England (@academybballengland)

Week One Preview

Newcastle College don't have to wait long to get either of their teams into the action as they start both leagues for 2026/27.

Newcastle's EABL side make a return to the fold after missing out on the competition's last four-year cycle, with Luca Snee, Mo Sanyang and Tyler Cadete all showing plenty of promise for the Eagles.

Their opponents, UTC Sheffield, are a new entry to the league, and remain somewhat of an unknown quantity this year.

Ethan Gordon led the Sharks' U18 Prem side in scoring last weekend, dropping 23 points on City of Leeds and he could be a focal point for coach Norfolk's side.

In the WEABL, Nottingham Academy Wildcats made the Final Fours a year ago and will want to do all they can to make their first final since 2021/22.

They'll lean on returning All-Conference pick from 2025/26 Ophelia Larder-Lee, but reigning WEABL North MVP Tiarna Chambers-Desmond has moved on to pastures new at University of North Carolina Greensboro, with talented guard Mateya Georgieva also departing.

Newcastle's debut campaign may hang on the production of talent pathway trio Lexie Walton, Natasha Nkunku-Ntuela and Destiny Omojor, though coach Zoe Willis will need to carefully manage a seven-player roster across the 10 game campaign.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Academy Basketball England (@academybballengland)

Myerscough look to defend EABL title

Reigning champs Myerscough will be hoping to add to their three EABL titles with another 'chip in 2026/27. They start that journey next Wednesday, 7 October, with a trip to Nottingham Academy Wildcats, and returning Team of the Year pick Olivier Esingle is back for more after a great campaign a year ago.

EABL Final MVP Salomi Latidan has departed though, as have forwards Zach Trezvant and Harry Sheehan, leaving Lewis Scott in search of new replacements on his roster.

Myerscough's main challengers in the North could well be the team they beat in last year's showpiece Manchester Magic, though the loss of standout duo Jack Walton and reigning North MVP Demi Babalola will be a big miss.

Copleston's move to the EABL Central makes for some new match-ups, but Tristan Curran and Charnwood College Riders will be eyeing up that title, though former MVP Casey Burr and his Derby Trailblazers side may have a something to say about that alongside Birmingham, HHS and SGS College.

The South Conference should once again be dominated by CoLA and Barking, who's two meetings this year should provide plenty of interest.

CoLA will need to overcome the departure of standouts Toby Gass, Andrew Nwokolo, David and Daniel Banjoko, but Barking have losses of their own in Josh Mendes, Raffy Connolly and Kerby Mabaya, putting more onto the shoulders of the talented Oskaras Visockas.

Itchen are another team in flux, with some significant roster turnover that includes Ethan Round and Jakub Ofman, and Oaklands Wolves, plus new sides New City and the returning Canterbury, should make this division one to watch in 2026/27.

CoLA look for seventh WEABL win

City of London Academy - Southwark completed a perfect season in 2025/26 on their way to a sixth WEABL title, but the CoLA roster has been gutted by the loss of high-end talent Ayla Habbal, Debra Wilson-Osuide, Chloe Vella, Eva-Grace Yebila and Adaora Dioramma.

Habbal was a two-time former WEABL MVP, also claiming the finals MVP title in 2023/24, with Dioramma picking up that honour in last year's showpiece.

Copleston's move out of the division means the annual contests between the pair will be a thing of the past, putting former WEABL winners Barking and WNBL U17 Player of the Year Sharliyah Sutherland as potential front runners to stopping CoLA's dominance alongside Itchen, Oaklands, New City and Canterbury.

Last year's semi-finalists Nottingham will be hoping to start the season strong as they likely go head-to-head with Manchester in the North. The Sheffield College will try to keep their improvement going after a solid 2025/26 effort, and four new sides in this mix provides plenty of unknowns in that division.

Copleston's change of scenery should still leave them as pre-season favourites for the Central's top slot, but Maisie Keyes, Holly Ensoll and Kaiya Bateman leave coach Drane's side with plenty of minutes to find from elsewhere.

MK5D were last season's big improvement story, making the post-season after a solid second year in the league. BMET will also be hoping to take that second year leap after their own winless debut in 2025/26.

Tia May, Beth Parnell-Lea and Aida Djohore-Badiane will hope to make that a reality for the West Midlands' programme, with All-Conference and U17 Player of the Year Faith Deakin expected to anchor the MK5D charge.

Find out more about the Academy Leagues