UPC Telemach League
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The UPC Telemach League (Slovenian: Liga UPC Telemach), also known by the abbreviation 1. A SKL (Slovenian: 1. A slovenska košarkarska liga), is the top-level professional men's basketball league in Slovenia. The league, operated by the Basketball Federation of Slovenia, consists of 13 clubs, with the best-known internationally being reigning league champions Union Olimpija of Ljubljana.
The league was founded in 1991, shortly after Slovenia gained its independence from Yugoslavia.
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[edit] Competition format
The league is conducted in two phases.
[edit] Regular season
In the first phase, 12 teams compete in a home-and-away round-robin series (22 games in all), with the defending league champion being exempt from this stage. All teams advance from the regular season to one of two postseason stages, depending on their league position.
[edit] Second phase
The top seven teams from the regular season are joined by the defending league champion in the second phase. These teams start the second phase from scratch, with no results carrying over from the regular season. Each team plays a total of 14 games in this phase; as in the regular season, a home-and-away round-robin is used.
The top four teams at the end of this stage advance to the semifinals, conducted as a best-of-three playoff. The semifinal winners advance to the best-of-five championship finals, with the winners being crowned league champion and also earning an exemption from the next season's first phase.
[edit] Playouts
The bottom five teams play a home-and-away round-robin series with one another; these teams' results from the regular season carry over to the playouts. At the end of the playout phase, the bottom finisher is automatically relegated to the second level of the Slovenian league system, and is replaced in the following season's league by the champion of the second league. The second-from-bottom finisher enters a home-and-away round-robin mini-league with the second- and third-place teams from the second league, with the team finishing on top of the mini-league taking up a place in the next year's UPC Telemach League.
[edit] Clubs (2006-07)
Sponsored name of club, if applicable, in parentheses; teams are alphabetized by sponsored name.
| Team | City | Arena |
|---|---|---|
| KK Šentjur (Alpos Šentjur) | Šentjur | |
| KK Elektra (Elektra Esotech) | Šoštanj | |
| KD Slovan (Geoplin Slovan) | Ljubljana | |
| ŽKK Domžale (Helios Domžale) | Domžale | |
| KK Koper-mladi | Koper | |
| KK Kraški zidar Sežana (Kraški zidar JK) | Sežana | |
| KK Krka | Novo Mesto | |
| KK Postojna (Mikel Postojnska jama) | Postojna | |
| KK Škofja Loka (TCG - Loka kava) | Škofja Loka | |
| KK Triglav Kranj | Kranj | |
| KK Union Olimpija | Ljubljana | Dvorana Tivoli |
| KK Zagorje | Zagorje | |
| KK Pivovarna Laško (Zlatorog) | Laško |
[edit] Past champions
- 1992 — Smelt Olimpija (now Union Olimpija)
- 1993 — Smelt Olimpija
- 1994 — Smelt Olimpija
- 1995 — Smelt Olimpija
- 1996 — Smelt Olimpija
- 1998 — Union Olimpija
- 1999 — Union Olimpija
- 2000 — Krka
- 2001 — Union Olimpija
- 2002 — Union Olimpija
- 2003 — Krka
- 2004 — Union Olimpija
- 2005 — Union Olimpija
- 2006 — Union Olimpija
[edit] Sources
- Official site of Slovenian Basketball Federation — most of site in Slovenian; news feed also in English
- (Slovenian) Competition system
