Liga Leumit (Israel) 2026/27

Liga Leumit serves as the second-tier professional basketball league in Israel, positioned directly below the top-flight Israeli Basketball Premier League. Founded in 1966, the competition was formerly known as Liga Artzit until it was renamed in 2000 to reflect its status as the primary second division. The league is organized by the Israel Basketball Association and currently features 16 teams, an expansion from 14 clubs in the previous season. The season format utilizes a home-and-away round-robin structure for the regular season. Following this phase, teams are divided into two groups based on performance: a Top-teams League Group comprising the top six sides and a Bottom-Teams League Group containing the remaining participants. The winner of the Top-teams Group secures direct promotion to the Premier League. Teams ranked second through ninth overall enter a playoff bracket to determine the second promoted team. Relegation rules see the bottom two teams from the Bottom-Teams Group drop to the third-tier Liga Artzit. Promotion and relegation are strict between the tiers. One team is relegated from the Premier League to Liga Leumit, while two teams are promoted from the second division to the top flight. Conversely, two teams are relegated from Liga Leumit to Liga Artzit. A notable reform occurred in the 2024–25 season, introducing the split-group format and expanding the league to 16 teams to increase competitiveness. Key differences from the Premier League include prestige and international eligibility. Only Premier League clubs can compete in European tournaments such as the EuroLeague, EuroCup, and Basketball Champions League. Additionally, the Premier League allows four non-Israeli players per roster, whereas Liga Leumit has different, less restrictive quotas. Financially, Premier League teams operate with significantly higher budgets and infrastructure requirements. Ironi Ra'anana were the champions for the 2024–25 season, while the current champion for the 2025–26 ongoing season is listed as Ironi Eilat.