Initially slated to start this weekend, October 8-10, the 2021-22 season start date has been pushed back more than six weeks due to current COVID-19 restrictions.
Supporters of North East conference teams, Shepparton Gators, Benalla Breakers and Seymour Blasters will have to wait until the weekend of November 26-28 to catch a glimpse of their respective teams in action.
Continued stadium lockouts, due to Victorian Government restrictions, have severely hampered all three sides in trying to hold training for the upcoming season.
The later start date has the league aiming for an eight-week regular season, incorporating 10 games, along with two weeks of finals.
League competition manager Matt Royal said his team was working to pack in the most basketball in the time frame it had available.
“We want to do it bigger and better than what we could do last year,” Royal said.
“Last year was just getting back on the court, because we weren’t allowed in stadiums for so long.
“This year we’ve been back in, then out, and so forth, but hopefully we can get back in and stay in.”
The 2020-21 season ran as a six-week regular competition, after its season opener was moved from October 2020 to early January 2021.
The upcoming season was also set to reintroduce the All-State Conference finals weekend, where the winners of each conference go head-to-head to be named Victoria’s best.
This will again be shelved, though Royal said the league would aim to reintroduce the idea the following season.
“With the condensed season, we’ve had to take that weekend and that will now be our conference grand finals,” he said.
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