The NBA announced that beginning with the 2026-27 season, the Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals will no longer be held at a neutral venue. Instead, the higher-seeded team in each conference will host the game in its home arena.
This marks a major shift from the current format, where both the semifinals and championship are staged at a neutral site. For the 2025-26 campaign, T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will again serve as the host location.
Starting in 2026-27, only the Emirates NBA Cup Final will be played at a neutral site. The league has yet to announce the specific location for future championships.
The change aligns the in-season tournament with traditional playoff structures, giving teams with better group-stage and knockout performance the advantage of playing in front of their home fans during the semifinals.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has previously emphasized the importance of boosting competition and enhancing fan engagement during the regular season. Allowing semifinals to be hosted in team arenas is designed to raise stakes for seeding while adding atmosphere to one of the league’s newest events.
In addition to the tournament update, the NBA Board of Governors approved a modification to the Coach’s Challenge rules. Beginning with the 2025-26 season, when a coach challenges an out-of-bounds call, the Replay Center official will determine whether a proximate foul should have been called instead of the on-court crew chief.
The adjustment was made to speed up the replay process. Previously, referees on the floor were responsible for making the call, which extended review times.
The Competition Committee and league office unanimously supported the change after observing its impact last season, when the rule was first introduced with the crew chief making the determination.
The Emirates NBA Cup debuted in 2023 and has quickly become a featured part of the NBA calendar. Las Vegas has hosted every semifinal and championship game since the event’s launch.
