United States Basketball League (2026)
| Current season, competition or edition: 2026 USBL season | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2025 |
| Owner | all teams |
| Motto | "The League of Opportunity" |
| Countries | United States |
| Continent | North America |
| Official website | usbl |
The United States Basketball League (USBL) is a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985, and ceased operations in 2008. On November 6, 2025, it was announced that the league would be revived and rebooted in March 2026, comprising a mix of former Basketball League teams, as well as fresh teams from other leagues around the country.[1]
History
The original United States Basketball League was founded in December 1984 by Daniel T. Meisenheimer, from Connecticut.[2][3][4] The league management initially planned to schedule about 40 games during the summer, and started to look for new teams to join the newly formed USBL.[5] Former NBA referee Richie Powers was named the league's vice president and director of operations, while Earl Monroe was the commissioner.[6] Meisenheimer introduced a salary cap of $250,000 per team.[6][3] The teams for the first season were the Connecticut Colonials from New Haven, Connecticut; the New Jersey Jammers from Jersey City, New Jersey; the Long Island Knights from Long Island, New York (owned by Meisenheimer himself); the Rhode Island Gulls from Warwick, Rhode Island; the Springfield Fame from Springfield, Massachusetts; the Westchester Golden Apples from Westchester, New York; and the Wildwood Aces from Wildwood, New Jersey. The league dissolved in 2008.
In the summer of 2025, owners of west coast teams from the Basketball League met in Las Vegas and decided to revive the United States Basketball League. According to Salem Capitals owner Jason Conrad, "The new league is called the United States Basketball League, which was actually one of the original feeder leagues for the NBA from the mid-'80s until 2008... We resurrected it. We retained all the rights to the URLs, history, and logos."[7]
Teams
Current teams
| Conference | Team | City | Venue | Capacity | Founded | First season | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Northwest Conference | |||||||
| Lilac City Legends | Spokane, Washington | Spokane Arena | 12,210 | 2025 | 2026 | ||
| Salem Capitals | Salem, Oregon | Salem Armory Auditorium | 3,200[8] | 2020 | 2026 | Anthony Searcy | |
| Seattle Super Hawks | Seattle, Washington | Seattle Pacific University | 3,300[9] | 2022 | 2026 | Robert Pack | |
| Vancouver Bears | Vancouver, Washington | Hudson's Bay High School | 4,400[10] | 2021 | 2026 | Curtis Hill and Calvin Hampton | |
| Yakima Heat | Yakima, Washington | Yakima Community College | 3,300 | 2022 | 2026 | ||
| Western Conference | |||||||
| Bakersfield Majestics | Bakersfield, California | Bakersfield College | 2021 | 2026 | |||
| Los Angeles Blue Waves | Los Angeles, California | Los Angeles Southwest College | 2023 | 2026 | |||
| San Diego Surf | San Diego, California | MiraCosta College | 2006 | 2026 | Olden Polynice |
Future teams
| Team | City | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wenatchee Bighorns | Wenatchee, Washington | Wenatchee Valley College | [11] | 2022 | 2027 | Matt Riley |
References
- ^ "United States Basketball League Announces Rebirth". USBL. November 6, 2025.
- ^ "Daniel T. Meisenheimer". twst.com. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ^ a b "Summer baskets loop set". New York Daily News. December 21, 1984. p. 311.
- ^ "New Pro Basketball League Will Have Old Pros' Touch". Philadelphia Daily News. January 9, 1985. p. 76.
- ^ "Hoop team a name with which to conjure". New York Daily News. February 28, 1985. p. 88.
- ^ a b Goldaper, Sam (June 25, 1985). "N.B.A. Hopefuls Find a Showcase". The New York Times. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ Hansen, Christian (November 12, 2025). "Salem Capitals Help Revive Historic USBL, Ushering in New Era for Oregon Basketball". Salem Business Journal. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
- ^ Lynn, Capi (July 15, 2015). "When Salem first rocked: Show to celebrate anniversary of promoter's first show". Statesman Journal. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
- ^ "Royal Brougham Pavilion". SPU Athletics. February 20, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
- ^ Dake, Lauren (March 18, 2016). "Vancouver preps for Bernie Sanders visit". The Columbian. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
- ^ "Town Toyota Center". Venue Coalition. June 12, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2025.