National Basketball League (Bulgaria)

For other organizations with a similar name, see National Basketball League (disambiguation) and NBL (disambiguation).

The National Basketball League (NBL) (in Bulgarian: Националната баскетболна лига) is the highest-level professional basketball league in Bulgaria. The current league was founded in 2008, though the first-tier level existed since 1942 and was previously called the Bulgarian A Division. The games in the NBL are played under FIBA rules.

National Basketball League

Founded	1942
First season	1942–43
Country	Bulgaria
Confederation	FIBA Europe
Number of teams	12
Level on pyramid	1
Domestic cup(s)	Bulgarian Cup
Supercup	Super Cup
International cup(s)	Basketball Champions League FIBA Europe Cup
Current champions	Rilski Sportist (2nd title) (2024–25)
Most championships	Academic Sofia (26 titles)
TV partners	Max Sport
Website	nbl.basketball.bg
2024–25 NBL Season

The most successful team in NBL history is PBC Academic, which has won 26 national titles.

Current teams

Club	Last season	Arena	Location	Capacity
Academic Plovdiv	9th	Arena SILA	Plovdiv	1,700
Balkan Botevgrad	2nd	Arena Botevgrad	Botevgrad	4,500
Beroe	12th	Municipal Hall	Stara Zagora	1,000
Cherno More Ticha	6th	Hristo Borisov	Varna	1,000
Levski Lukoil	8th	Universiada Hall	Sofia	4,000
Minyor 2015	11th	Boris Gyuderov Hall	Pernik	1,700
Rilski Sportist	1st	Arena Samokov	Samokov	2,500
Shumen	7th	Arena Shumen	Shumen	1,500
Spartak Pleven	4th	Balkanstroy	Pleven	1,200

Title holders

• 1942–42 Levski Sofia
• 1943–43 JSK Sofia
• 1945–45 PSK Levski '45
• 1946–46 PSK Levski '45
• 1947–47 PSK Levski '45
• 1947–48 Lokomotiv Sofia
• 1948–49 CDNV Sofia
• 1949–50 Narodna voiska Sofia
• 1950–51 CDNV Sofia
• 1951–52 Udarnik Sofia
• 1952–53 Udarnik Sofia
• 1953–54 Spartak Sofia
• 1954–55 Lokomotiv Sofia
• 1955–56 Spartak Sofia
• 1956–57 Academic
• 1957–58 Academic
• 1958–59 Academic
• 1959–60 Spartak Sofia
• 1960–61 Lokomotiv Sofia
• 1961–62 Spartak Sofia
• 1962–63 Academic
• 1963–64 Lokomotiv Sofia
• 1964–65 CSKA Cherveno zname
• 1965–66 Lokomotiv Sofia
• 1966–67 CSKA Cherveno zname
• 1967–68 Academic
• 1968–69 Academic
• 1969–70 Academic
• 1970–71 Academic
• 1971–72 Academic
• 1972–73 Academic
• 1973–74 Balkan Botevgrad
• 1974–75 Academic
• 1975–76 Academic
• 1976–77 CSKA Septemvriisko zname
• 1977–78 Levski-Spartak
• 1978–79 Levski-Spartak
• 1979–80 CSKA Sofia
• 1980–81 Levski-Spartak
• 1981–82 Levski-Spartak
• 1982–83 CSKA Sofia
• 1983–84 CSKA Sofia
• 1984–85 Akademik Varna
• 1985–86 Levski-Spartak
• 1986–87 Balkan Botevgrad
• 1987–88 Balkan Botevgrad
• 1988–89 Balkan Botevgrad
• 1989–90 CSKA Sofia
• 1990–91 CSKA Sofia
• 1991–92 CSKA Sofia
• 1992–93 Levski Sofia
• 1993–94 Levski Sofia
• 1994–95 Spartak Pleven
• 1995–96 Spartak Pleven
• 1996–97 Slavia Sofia
• 1997–98 Cherno More Varna
• 1998–99 Cherno More Varna
• 1999–00 Levski Sofia
• 2000–01 Levski Sofia
• 2001–02 Yambolgas
• 2002–03 Lukoil Academic
• 2003–04 Lukoil Academic
• 2004–05 Lukoil Academic
• 2005–06 Lukoil Academic
• 2006–07 Lukoil Academic
• 2007–08 Lukoil Academic
• 2008–09 Lukoil Academic
• 2009–10 Lukoil Academic
• 2010–11 Lukoil Academic
• 2011–12 Lukoil Academic
• 2012–13 Lukoil Academic
• 2013–14 Levski Sofia
• 2014–15 Lukoil Academic
• 2015–16 Lukoil Academic
• 2016–17 Lukoil Academic
• 2017–18 Levski Sofia
• 2018–19 Balkan Botevgrad
• 2019-20 Abandoned
• 2020-21 Levski-Lukoil Sofia
• 2021–22 Balkan Botevgrad
• 2022–23 Balkan Botevgrad
• 2023–24 Rilski Sportist
• 2024–25 Rilski Sportist

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Titles by club

Club	Winners	Runners-up	Winning years
Academic Sofia	26	10	1957, 1958, 1959, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
Levski Sofia	16	20	1942, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2014, 2017–18, 2020-21
CSKA Sofia	12	15	1949, 1950, 1951, 1965, 1967, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1991, 1992
Balkan Botevgrad	7	6	1974, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23
Lokomotiv Sofia	6	5	1943, 1948, 1955, 1961, 1964, 1966
Spartak Sofia	4	2	1954, 1956, 1960, 1962
Slavia Sofia	3	2	1952, 1953, 1997
Cherno More Port Varna	3	8	1985, 1998, 1999
Rilski Sportist	2	2	2023–24, 2024–25
Spartak Pleven	2	1	1995, 1996
Yambol	1	1	2002

Latest finals

Season	Champions	Score	Runners-Up
2000–01	Levski	3–0	Yambol
2001–02	Yambol	3–0	Lukoil Academic
2002–03	Lukoil Academic	3–0	Levski
2003–04	Lukoil Academic	3–0	CSKA
2004–05	Lukoil Academic	3–0	CSKA
2005–06	Lukoil Academic	3–0	Cherno More
2006–07	Lukoil Academic	3–0	CSKA
2007–08	Lukoil Academic	3–0	Balkan
2008–09	Lukoil Academic	3–1	Cherno More
2009–10	Lukoil Academic	3–1	Levski
2010–11	Lukoil Academic	3–0	Levski
2011–12	Lukoil Academic	3–0	Levski
2012–13	Lukoil Academic	3–2	Levski
2013–14	Levski	3–2	Lukoil Academic
2014–15	Lukoil Academic	3–2	Balkan
2015–16	Lukoil Academic	3–0	Balkan
2016–17	Lukoil Academic	3–1	Beroe
2017–18	Levski	3–1	Balkan
2018–19	Balkan	3–1	Levski
2020–21	Levski	4–1	Rilski Sportist
2021–22	Balkan	3–1	Rilski Sportist
2022–23	Balkan	3–0	Chernomorets
2023–24	Rilski Sportist	3–1	Balkan
2024–25	Rilski Sportist	3–1	Cherno More