SLB questions legality of BBF’s actions over license
Super League Basketball Chair Vaughn Millette has issued a statement on behalf of SLB clubs this morning, questioning the legality of the British Basketball Fedation’s actions after they announced an investment group led by Marshall Glickman as the “preferred bidder” for the professional league operating license on Wednesday.
The SLB opted out of the process to tender for the license, which Hoopsfix understands included a £25,000 non-refundable application fee, and an annual license fee starting at £1.5million per year, not wanting to legitimise what they feel is an illegitimate process.
In the statement, Millette says the clubs have invested “over £15million” since the summer of 2024, engaging in “good faith” with the BBF on the understanding they would secure the long-term license for the professional league. He adds the league has communicated concerns to the BBF over a period of months without receiving “any substantive responses” with the tender document not allowing for any changes to fees and conditions.
BBF Chair Chris Grant, in a podcast with Hoopsfix released on Thursday repeatedly said the terms were open to negotiation, saying they “positively encouraged and enabled bidders within the logic of their own view of British basketball and their business plan, to depart from the suggested terms including the economic terms in the bid”, however, Hoopsfix has since seen a section of the invitation to tender (ITT) document that states:
“an application may be disqualified by BBF through the assessment panel if; the application does not substantially comply with the requirements set out in this ITT; the applicant makes or attempts to make any variation or alteration to this ITT.”
The BBF has been contacted for comment about this discrepancy on Friday but has yet to respond.
The full statement from SLB Chair Vaughn Millette reads as follows:
Super League Basketball was created by the existing clubs in the summer of 2024 and awarded the license to operate a professional league in Great Britain for a period of three years. Since then, clubs have collectively invested over £15 million to establish an exciting foundation for growth.
SLB clubs in good faith engaged with the British Basketball Federation throughout last summer to continue elite professional men’s and women’s basketball in Great Britain.
It was understood then that a collaborative approach would be undertaken to secure a longer-term licence on behalf of the SLB. This has not happened, and we have not at any time been consulted or included in its development, despite the fact we were listed as key stakeholders in the tender application process.
Following the BBF’s decision to run an open invitation to tender for the long-term license to run the men’s professional league in GB, the SLB’s shareholders and directors unanimously took the difficult decision to withdraw from the process after concerns were raised over the legality of the BBF’s actions.
Despite communicating these concerns to the BBF over a period of months, the SLB never received any substantive responses and the tender document did not allow for any changes to fees and conditions. This approach would have rendered the league un-investable.
We will continue to engage with all necessary stakeholders in order to safeguard the future of basketball in Great Britain.
Vaughn Millette
Chair, Super League Basketball
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