BASKETBALL/PLG adds new franchise, to keep four teams next season

Taipei, Aug. 21 (CNA) The P.LEAGUE+ (PLG) announced Thursday it has approved a new franchise, ensuring the league maintains a four-team structure for the 2025-26 season after a failed attempt to cooperate with the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL).

The league's executive council approved an application from Yankey Engineering, which will establish a subsidiary focused on sports and entertainment to operate the team, the PLG said in a press release.

The announcement coincided with the exit of the Kaohsiung Steelers, who joined the league in the summer of 2021 and played four seasons. The Steelers had earlier applied to withdraw from the league, a request that was accepted, the PLG added.

While the addition of Yankey may seem sudden, it is crucial for the PLG, which struggled to maintain competitive variety after the 2024 offseason, when the league shrank from six teams to four.