Slovakia launches new seasons for women's basketball and ice hockey

The 2026‑27 Slovak women's basketball extraliga begins on 26 September, featuring nine teams after Slávia ŠKP Banská Bystrica withdrew and merged with BK ŠK UMB Banská Bystrica. MBK Ružomberok, the defending champion, will defend its title and also compete in the EuroCup. The regular season will be played in a double‑round format, followed by a split into top‑five and bottom‑four groups, with play‑offs starting 20 March 2027. Director Miroslav Futo said, “We definitely aim to build on last season’s success and stay a tough opponent.”

The ice‑hockey Tipsport liga starts a week earlier on 15 September 2026. The opening round includes a replay of last season’s final, where champion Nitra hosts Slovan Bratislava, and several regional derby match‑ups such as Banská Bystrica vs Zvolen and Košice vs Prešov. The league will run 54 rounds, with the top six advancing directly to the playoffs and teams placed seventh to tenth fighting for quarter‑final spots. Andrej Šťastný noted, “We tried to bring together regional rivals in the first round to create exciting duels for fans.” Both competitions will run through the winter with scheduled breaks in November, December and February.