NBA Cup Eyeing a Major Change As Soon As 2026
The NBA Cup might be packing its bags and leaving the bright lights of Las Vegas. And honestly? It’s about time. Commissioner Adam Silver dropped a fascinating nugget during the “NBA on Prime” pregame show recently, hinting that the league is eyeing “storied college arenas” for future NBA Cup championships.
We are talking about potentially trading the glitz of the Strip for the sweaty, deafening, student-section mayhem of places like Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium or Kentucky’s Rupp Arena.
Why the Change Of Scenery?
Let’s be real: Vegas is great for a bachelor party or a title fight, but for a Tuesday afternoon basketball game? The energy just hasn’t fully translated. As The Ringer’s Kirk Goldsberry pointed out, a midweek neutral-site game in the desert is a tough sell for die-hard fans who have to book last-minute travel.
The NBA has already decided to move the Cup semifinals back to team home arenas next year to capitalize on local fan bases. But the championship game needs a home, and Amazon Prime, the league’s broadcast partner, is reportedly pushing for unique, high-energy locations.
Imagine the Knicks and Spurs battling for the NBA Cup not in front of a half-interested casino crowd, but surrounded by the Cameron Crazies. One executive even compared the idea to MLB’s “Field of Dreams” game. It is not about seating capacity (Duke only holds about 9,300); it is about the spectacle, it is about the noise, and it is about the vibes.
The Contenders: Where Could We Go?
If we are going collegiate, the list of candidates is juicy.
- Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke): The frontrunner. It is intimate, historic, and loud enough to make your ears bleed. Plus, it’s Adam Silver’s alma mater, so don’t be shocked if Durham is high on the list.
- Rupp Arena (Kentucky): With nearly 20,000 seats, it bridges the gap between a college gym and a pro arena. The NBA has held preseason games there before, and Kentucky basketball fans are a different breed of intense.
- Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas): Rock Chalk Jayhawk. The history here is palpable.
Beyond the Quad
It’s not just college towns in the mix. There’s chatter about other neutral sites like Seattle, Mexico City, or even Vancouver. The league loves the idea of international expansion, and testing the waters with a NBA Cup final makes sense.
But the college angle? That is the one that feels like a slam dunk. The NBA Cup is still finding its identity. It needs juice. It needs moments that feel distinct from the June Finals. Dragging NBA superstars into the most hostile, historic environments in basketball history might be exactly the spark this tournament needs.
So, get ready. In 2026, we might not be watching the NBA Cup from the T-Mobile Arena. We might be watching it from bleachers that have seen decades of buzzer-beaters, student section antics, and pure basketball soul.
