The Savannah Bananas have announced the Banana Ball Championship League (BBCL) will start in 2026. The league will feature six teams playing under the unique rules of banana ball for a full regular season to crown a champion. The team announced the formation of the BBCL via a video on their official social media platforms narrated by team owner and founder Jesse Cole.
The biggest announcement in Banana Ball history 🏆#bananaball #savannahbananas #partyanimals #firefighters #tailgaters @YellowTuxJesse pic.twitter.com/1OH7zWuojI
— Banana Ball (@BananaBall_) October 4, 2024
The season will consist of 60 regular season games and specialty events to determine standings for the Banana Ball playoffs. The league will have six teams, adding two new ones to the current crop: the Savannah Bananas, the Party Animals, the Firefighters, and the newly introduced Texas Tailgaters.
The Bananas are known for their unique style of independent baseball with non-traditional rules and a focus on making the fan experience more entertaining and interactive than ever. They have many interesting rules, but the core nine rules they follow are:
In addition to these rules, they have an incredible presence on social media. The organization encourages its players to be active on social media, and multiple players have gone on to grow massive followings. That, along with team-centric social media content, has been a driving factor in their national growth and success.
The Bananas also do a Banana Ball World Tour every year and travel across the country showcasing their version of baseball to the masses. This year, they have performed to large crowds in venues such as Nationals Park, Citizens Bank Park, and Fenway Park. In those games, they had former MLB All-Stars such as Gio Gonzalez, Ryan Howard, and Jonathan Papelbon.
Currently, they are winding down their 2024 Banana Ball World Tour. They will play in Miami this Saturday, Oct. 12, and will culminate the season with an entire week of “Bananaland” from Oct. 14 to Oct. 18. The 2025 World Tour has already been announced. The teams will look to continue to sell out massive venues, including football stadiums.
The rise of the Bananas has been apparent in the last couple of years. The team was founded in 2016 and has over 12 million followers on social media platforms, including 8.8 million on TikTok. With their continued financial success, the BBCL will be something to watch as Banana Ball continues to grow in 2026, with not only a fun brand of baseball but now a competitive league.
