From the 2027 season, Big V will be renamed the Victorian Basketball League (VBL).

Basketball Victoria recently announced the change, coinciding with the competition's 25th anniversary. The clubs, rivalries, community and pathway all stay the same. The new name simply aligns Victoria's premier senior community competition more clearly with the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) and NBL1 South.

What is Changing

Big V is becoming the Victorian Basketball League (VBL). It's a name and identity change, not a change to how the competition runs.

• New name: Victorian Basketball League (VBL)
• Takes effect: 2027 season
• Announced: 6 September 2026, at the Big V Awards Night in Melbourne
• Marks: 25 years of Big V
• What stays: the clubs, rivalries, passion, community and pathway opportunities

The Basketball Victoria website and competition platforms will transition to the VBL identity as the 2027 season approaches.

Why is Big V Being Renamed?

The move creates a clearer, more connected pathway across Victorian basketball. Under the new identity, the senior league sits alongside the VJBL (juniors) and NBL1 South, so players, families and clubs can see the full journey more easily.

Basketball Victoria frames it as part of a broader vision — "Many Channels. One Basketball Victoria." Greater alignment across the three competitions is intended to strengthen recognition and support the continued growth of senior representative basketball.

As Basketball Victoria CEO Nick Honey put it:

"Big V has been part of the fabric of Victorian basketball for 25 years… The VBL proudly carries that legacy forward, with a strong identity for the future and community still firmly at its heart."

Is the History of Big V Being Lost?

No. Basketball Victoria has been explicit that the 25-year Big V legacy and the four senior leagues that came together to form it is being strengthened, not replaced. The competition's history remains a permanent part of Victorian basketball; the VBL simply carries that story forward under a name that better reflects the league's quality and standing.

What does the rebrand mean for clubs?

Between now and the 2027 season, Basketball Victoria will work closely with clubs and associations to provide:

• Brand assets and visual identity guidelines
• Communications resources
• Operational support for a smooth transition

For most clubs, the practical work sits around presentation how the club shows up under the new VBL banner. General Manager of Leagues and Competitions Greg Jeffers has framed the rebrand as a chance to lift how the league is presented and promoted, while keeping everything that makes the competition special.

What This Means for Victorian Basketball Clubs and How C2C Sport Can Help

A league rebrand is one of those rare moments when every club stops and looks at how it presents itself. New league identity flows down to clubs, and 2027 is a natural point to refresh on-court and off-court kit so your club looks the part in the VBL era.

That's exactly the work C2C Sport does with basketball clubs across Victoria. Since 1988, we've helped associations, clubs and schools get uniforms and club apparel sorted without the usual headaches — and a season with a fresh league identity is the ideal time to get ahead of it rather than scrambling in the pre-season.

Where C2C fits into a rebrand year:

• Design Your Own Team Uniforms (DYO) — playing kit built to your club's colours and identity, ready for how you'll present under the VBL.
• Locker Room & Exclusive Portal — a club store that lets members, families and supporters order team and supporter gear year-round, so your look stays consistent across the whole club.
• C2C Stock Staples — fast turnaround when you need reliable gear without a long lead time.

Our partnership with the Diamond Valley BA, 2025 Basketball Victoria's Association of the Year, with 7,000+ members is a good example of what a well-run apparel program looks like at scale.

If your club is thinking about how it'll look in the VBL era, the smart move is to start the conversation early. Reach out to the C2C team and we'll help you plan a kit refresh that's ready well before the 2027 tip-off.

The new VBL logo — and how it looks on kit

The logo family

The VBL identity comes in a few approved lock-ups:

• Wordmark logo (horizontal and stacked) — the full “Victorian Basketball League” name with the ball device
• Shorthand logo (horizontal and stacked) — the “VBL” version for tighter spaces
• Jersey patch — a dedicated lock-up for use on uniforms only

League colours

• Primary — PMS 295C:  HEX #172952  |  RGB 23 / 41 / 82  |  CMYK 100 / 53 / 0 / 67
• White for reversed use on dark or coloured fabric
• Each logo is approved in navy, white and black

The guidelines also set a minimum clear space around the logo (the height of the “V”) and rule out stretching, recolouring, rearranging or changing the font — all details we get right as part of production.

On kit: the VBL jersey patch

For 2027, every uniform carries the official VBL jersey patch. The guidelines are specific:

• Placement — front left lapel of the jersey and front left of the short
• Minimum size — 55mm wide
• Colour — full colour (Pantone 295C) with a white outline on coloured fabric

A sample on Diamond Valley's kit

Here's how the new patch sits on our basketball partner Diamond Valley's uniform — a real-world look at how the updated guidelines translate onto a playing kit.

Applying the VBL logo — your print options

There's more than one way to get the new VBL identity onto your kit. Depending on your uniform and the look you're after, we can apply it as:

• Fully sublimated — the VBL logo and jersey patch printed directly into the fabric as part of your DYO uniform design, so they're built into the kit rather than added afterwards
• Embroidered patch — a stitched logo patch, applied at our Port Macquarie office
• Heat-press patch — a heat-applied logo patch, also available through our Port Macquarie office

For the full range of options, see our embroidery & printing services page, email sales@c2csport.com, or call 02 6581 1558 (local 6) for more options. We'll help you get the new patch applied correctly based on your preferred option.

Big V to VBL: FAQ  

When does Big V officially become the VBL? From the 2027 season. The 2026 season has concluded, and the transition happens ahead of 2027.

Why is it called the Victorian Basketball League? The name aligns the senior competition with the VJBL and NBL1 South, creating a clearer, more recognisable Victorian basketball pathway.

Do clubs need to change anything for 2027? Clubs will adopt the new VBL identity, supported by brand assets and guidelines from Basketball Victoria. It's also a common time for clubs to refresh their own uniforms and apparel.

Is Big V's history being erased? No. Basketball Victoria has said the 25-year legacy is being strengthened and carried forward under the VBL name.

Who announced the change? Basketball Victoria, at the Big V Awards Night on 6 September 2026.

For more information, visit Basketball Victoria website 

C2C Sport is an Australian custom and stock sportswear company based in Port Macquarie, NSW, supplying clubs, associations and schools across basketball, netball, AFL, soccer and rugby league since 1988. For uniform enquiry, contact our Teamwear Specialists to get started.