2012-13 Euroleague to play 50 games on Fridays

Euroleague Basketball today released the calendar with the exact days on which Turkish Airlines Euroleague teams will play the upcoming 2012-13 regular season, with the big news being that more than 40% of the games will be on Fridays for the first time in the competition’s history.

A total of 50 out of the 120 regular season games will be on Fridays, an innovation tested last season and approved by the ECA Shareholders for introduction in the 2012-13 season and beyond. The advent of Friday games gives fans more options than ever before to enjoy Turkish Airlines Euroleague action, with families more likely to be able to bring children, fans of other sports facing fewer conflicts and clubs prepared to celebrate the start of the weekend at their facilities.

At the same time, Euroleague Basketball also selected the opponents for the Game of the Week, which will be held on Thursdays, for the first half of the regular season. The first Game of the Week will feature Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul hosting Khimki Moscow Region of Russia, last season’s Eurocup champion. Week 2 will see Partizan mt:s Belgrade host CSKA Moscow, last season’s Turkish Airlines Euroleague runner-up. In Week 3, newcomer Elan Chalon-Sur-Soane welcomes Maccabi Electra to France. Week 4 is a clash of Euroleague regulars, Caja Laboral Vitoria and Anadolu Efes Istanbul. And the halfway point of the regular season will be reached with Alba Berlin hosting Maccabi Electra in Week 5.

The Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular season begins on Thursday, October 11 and finishes on Friday, December 14 with the best 16 teams advancing to the next round, the Top 16, which begins on December 27.