Despite a slight decrease in average attendance in the Betclic Elite league (5,228 compared to 5,357 last season), the Antarès Arena saw over 115,000 spectators attend games when factoring in the Basketball Champions League. The MSB also faces competition for public attention from the local football club, which has recently been promoted to Ligue 1.
“The average attendance in European competitions was very positive, although I believe it could still be higher. I think we are on the right track. It’s up to us to educate them and help them understand that European competition is at a very high level and they should come,” commented President Christophe Le Bouille.
The MSB’s budget for the 2025-26 season is projected to reach approximately 8 million euros, a club record. The budget for the following season will depend on whether the club secures a spot in the Eurocup (for which they are applying) or the BCL, which would likely allow them to bypass qualification rounds.
Guillaume Vizade, who will continue as the MSB’s coach, stated, “I have received inquiries, but the project here is progressing well.” The team will feature eight locally trained players, including Loïs Grasshoff, who has returned from a loan spell at Aix-Maurienne. However, with the exception of Grasshoff and Wilfried Yeguete, these locally trained players have contract clauses allowing them to leave if activated between June 1st and 15th. Further details on non-locally trained player recruitment will be released later.
The MSB has come to terms with the likely departure of their star player, Trevor Hudgins, who joined the club in November 2023. Coach Guillaume Vizade explained:
“Last year, there was a situation that allowed us to envision a possibility [of keeping him], but today we are forced to let him explore the market. He is among the emerging and high-performing players in Europe, so he is being watched. The global basketball economy is booming, which intensifies competition. Previously, emotional factors might have played a larger role. It’s worth noting that he re-signed with Le Mans twice. The first time, he could have likely moved on, and the second time, he certainly could have. Now, the acceleration is even stronger. It’s already highly unusual for a player of this caliber to re-engage with the same club twice. He is currently exploring the market. However, if our paths can cross again because we have no one and he hasn’t found the right fit, we can be like Cinderella!”
