KAUNAS, Lithuania — Starting today, four teams will compete for the Baltic Basketball League Cup which officially marks the beginning of the 2009/2010 Baltic Basketball League season.

The four teams competing in Kaunas represent the three Baltic domestic champions and the host team Žalgiris. The three domestic champions are Kalev/Cramo from Estonia, Ventspils from Latvia and Lietuvos Rytas from Lithuania.

First up today Kalev/Cramo will take on Lietuvos Rytas while Ventspils meet hosts Žalgriris in the second match of the day. The losers of these two games will then go on to play each other tomorrow in the first  game for third and fourth place whilst the two winners will go on to play for the BBL Cup.

After earlier concerns regarding the financial stability of some of the teams, it has been decided that this season’s competition will feature 10 teams in the elite division and a further 15 in the second-tier Challenge Cup competition. The majority of the teams participating in the Challenge Cup will come from Lithuania.

The finalized teams for the elite division are Lytuvos Rytas, Žalgiris, Šiauliai, Nevėžis (Lithuania), Ventspils, VEF Riga, Valmiera, Liepājas Lauvas (Latvia) Kalev/Kramo and Rock (Estonia). Teams were not chosen by playing merit, but by financial stability and viability.

Following this weekends BBL Cup, the season will start proper on Sept. 29 with two games taking place. Nevėžis will host Lietuvos Rytas while Šiauliai host Žalgiris in two all-Lithuanian match-ups.