On Wednesday, July 2, the 2025–2026 FIBA Champions League draw took place in Switzerland, revealing Vilnius Rytas’ opponents for the upcoming season. The Lithuanian vice-champions were drawn into Group A, where they will face three clubs from different European countries: Patras Promitheas VikosCola, Warsaw Legia, and Heidelberg MLP Academics.
This season, Rytas was placed among the elite – in the first seeding pot, which includes the highest-ranked teams based on both club and national performance in the FIBA Champions League. Alongside Rytas, the first pot also featured European basketball heavyweights such as Malaga Unicaja, Berlin ALBA, Gran Canaria Dreamland, Tenerife La Laguna Tenerife, Istanbul Galatasaray MCT Technic, Athens AEK Betsson, and Badalona Joventut.
“Being placed in the first pot shows that our work and Lithuanian basketball have already been recognized,” said Rytas head coach Giedrius Žibėnas after the draw. “There are no easy groups. We know our opponents; now we just have to wait for the season to start, see full rosters, and prove ourselves on the court.”
The tournament format remains unchanged – 32 teams are divided into 8 groups of 4. The group winner advances directly to the Top 16 stage, while the teams finishing second and third will play in the playoffs for the remaining spots among the strongest clubs.
The regular season will begin on October 7.