Wikipedia - FIBA Europe Cup

The FIBA Europe Cup (FEC) is an annual professional club basketball competition organised by FIBA for eligible European clubs. It is FIBA's second level competition. Clubs mainly qualify based on their performance in national leagues and cup competitions, although this is not the sole deciding factor. The winner is decided by a two-legged final.

The league was founded in 2015 as a replacement of the FIBA EuroChallenge.

History

Scene of the first leg of the 2017 FIBA Europe Cup Final

On June 30, 2015, FIBA announced it would start a new league to compete with Euroleague Basketball's EuroCup. The new competition, which replaced EuroChallenge, was supposed to be open for up to 100 teams to enter. A former 4th-tier FIBA competition, the FIBA EuroCup Challenge, was named as FIBA Europe Cup between 2003 and 2005.

The 2015–16 FIBA Europe Cup attracted 16 domestic champions and 8 runners-up including KK Cibona, Pallacanestro Cantu, ASVEL, Pallacanestro Varese, CEZ Nymburk, BK Ventspils, PBC Academic and Krka. The first FIBA Europe Cup game was played on October 21, 2015, when Donar Groningen beat Egis Körmend 78–71. Frankfurt Skyliners won the 1st edition in a Final Four tournament and represented Europe in the 2016 FIBA Intercontinental Cup, following the FIBA-EuroLeague dispute. In the 2016–17 season, FIBA started the Basketball Champions League and since then teams from the Champions League can be transferred to the Europe Cup through their position.