MIES (Switzerland) - Two months after the colorful ending to Season 7 in Malaga, the stage is set for Season 8 after the official draw held in the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland on Wednesday morning.

Reigning champion Michael Kessens of Telekom Baskets Bonn and former captain of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem Lior Eliyahu helped the CEO of the BCL Patrick Comninos on stage, placing the 29 Regular Season in their respective groups, and further 25 teams across three tournaments in the Qualification Rounds.

The qualifiers tip off on September 25. All three tournaments will see eight teams start the competition in a single game elimination bracket from the Quarter-Finals. Only the three tournament winners will advance to the Regular Season.

Qualification Round

Champions Path

Quarter-Finals:
Bakken Bears  v KB Peja
Kalev/Cramo v Norrköping Dolphins

SL Benfica v TSU Tbilisi
Patrioti Levice v Petrolina AEK Larnaca

Tournament 2:

Quarter-Finals:
Cholet Basket v Telenet Giants Antwerp
FMP Soccerbet v Pallacanestro Varese

Happy Casa Brindisi v CSM CSU Oradea
Heroes den Bosch v BG Gottingen

Tournament 3:

Quarter-Finals:
SIG Strasbourg v Jonava CBet
Karhu Basket v Ironi Hay Motors Ness Ziona

Legia Warszawa  v Winner Pre-Qualifier
Mornar Barsko Zlato v Monbus Obradoiro

Once we learn the names of the three Qualification Round winners, the eighth edition of the Basketball Champions League Group Stage will start on October 17. All 32 teams will be in action for the first Gameday of the Regular Season, before getting every other week off from Gameday 2 to Gameday 5.

All eight groups will then be in action together once more for the final Gameday of the Regular Season.

Regular Season

Group A

Unicaja (ESP)
Falco Vulcano Szombathely (HUN)
Peristeri bwin (GRE)
Le Mans Sarthe (FRA)

Group B

JDA Bourgogne Dijon (FRA)
Rytas Vilnius (LTU)
Promitheas Patras (GRE)
BK Opava (CZE)

Group C

Lenovo Tenerife (ESP)
Darussafaka Lassa (TUR)
VEF Riga (LAT)
Winner QRT2

Group D

AEK (GRE)
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg (GER)
Dinamo BdS Sassari (ITA)
King Szczecin (POL)

Group E

Pinar Karsiyaka (TUR)
Filou Oostende (BEL)
EWE Baskets Oldenburg (GER)
Winner QRT3

Group F

Hapoel Holon (ISR)
Telekom Baskets Bonn (GER)
Bursaspor (TUR)
Rio Breogan (ESP)

Group G

Hapoel Jerusalem
Galatasaray nef
PAOK mateco
Winner QRT1

Group H

Tofas Bursa (TUR)
Igokea m:tel (BIH)
UCAM Murcia (ESP)
Bertram Yachts Derthona (ITA)

Group winners will move straight to the Round of 16, while second- and third-placed teams are advancing to the Play-In Series, to be played in January 2024. The pairings are predetermined by the draw, with teams going up against their neighboring group, and the second-placed teams having the home court advantage in best-of-three series.

Play-In Series

Team A2 v Team B3
Team B2 v Team A3

Team C2 v Team D3
Team D2 v Team C3

Team E2 v Team F3
Team F2 v Team E3

Team G2 v Team H3
Team H2 v Team G3

Round of 16

The eight Play-In winners will join the eight Regular Season group winners to form the four groups in the Round of 16 phase. Top two from each group move on to the best-of-three Quarter-Finals series, and the season concludes with a Final Four event scheduled in May 2024.

Group I

Team A1
Team E1
Winner C2/D3
Winner G2/H3

Group J

Team B1
Team F1
Winner D2/C3
Winner H2/G3

Group K

Team C1
Team G1
Winner B2/A3
Winner E2/F3

Group L

Team D1
Team H1
Winner A2/B3
Winner F2/E3

Over the past seven seasons, Lenovo Tenerife and Hereda San Pablo Burgos have won the BCL crown twice, while Telekom Baskets Bonn, Segafredo Virtus Bologna and AEK have one title each.

Distinguished guests and representatives from all 53 teams were in attendance