The men's basketball league aims to start on 19 October. But decisions will not be made until the end of August, when the clubs meet and probably know more about the conditions. Plan B is to postpone the start until December 4 and then be able to play with the audience.

- The audience is very important, says Lars Mosesson. Basketball has no major TV deals. I see no point in paying for a trip to an away match in Borås in front of zero spectators.

For Luleå, which has 1700-2000 spectators at the home matches, games in front of empty stands are a major financial loss. For a team like Umeå, the audience is not as important a source of income.

- We are a low-budget club, only players and coaches get paid, says Luca Romano in Umeå. Luleå, Norrköping and Södertälje are giants compared to us. We hope to get local companies to pay for the trips to away matches, such as sponsorship.

Careful with contracts

Two clubs, Djurgården and Wetterbygden have already dropped out of the Basketball League, Fryshuset has been added. The uncertainty ahead of the season also means that the clubs are careful about signing contracts with players.

- We have only half the men's squad contracted so far, says Johan Strömwall, club director of Södertälje basketball. But we are prepared to start without an audience, we do not stand and fall with that income.

"The big clubs have swung a bit"

The Basketball League meeting will be held on 30 August.

- It will take a lot if we do not start playing in October as planned, says Mattias Wackenhag, communicator at Basketligan. The audience income is not extremely large for the team, 4-5 clubs do not average as many spectators but sponsors mean more. And the big clubs have swung a bit.

And Luleå's Lars Mosesson believes that it will be possible to agree at the meeting in a month's.

- I think we will agree. Sometimes you have to let go of something yourself, he says.