The Pôle France team will not participate in the 2026-2027 season of Nationale 1, the top-tier men's basketball league in France. The French Basketball Federation (FFBB) announced the team's withdrawal in a letter sent to clubs in the division on October 6. This decision follows serious events that occurred among the players at the INSEP, a state-run sports training center in Paris, in September. The team is currently missing ten players, and despite efforts to find a solution, the FFBB has decided that it is no longer possible to continue competing. In the letter, signed by Alain Salmon, the FFBB explained that the team is short ten players for an indefinite period due to the events at the beginning of the season. The federation emphasized that the scale of the consequences made it impossible to continue participating in the championship. Earlier in September, BeBasket, a French sports media outlet, reported that serious incidents had occurred at INSEP, including violence during a hazing event involving Pôle France residents. Disciplinary actions were initiated, and INSEP launched an administrative investigation into the matter. The National Technical Direction (DTN) of the FFBB tried to find a way to field a competitive team for Pôle France, but the situation was deemed unviable. The federation explained that finding alternative solutions to maintain a team in the championship proved complex. The disruption caused by the events at INSEP had already affected the start of the season, and the FFBB now believes it cannot continue rescheduling matches or managing player absences fairly. The decision to withdraw is final for the current season, with the Pôle France Yvan Mainini team officially out of the 2026-2027 Nationale 1 season. This will affect the structure of the league, as Pool A, where Pôle France was based, will now have only 12 teams instead of 13 in Pool B. The FFBB will update the schedule and results to reflect this change. The federation described the situation as "unprecedented and exceptional," as Pôle France was meant to provide young players with regular competition against senior teams in Nationale 1. Without this opportunity, the development of the younger players, who are mostly under 16, may be impacted, as they will now only compete in the U18 ÉLITE league until the NexGen EuroLeague, a European U18 tournament. The incident also raises concerns about the support and protection of young athletes in French basketball training systems. The ten players involved in the disciplinary actions may face suspensions once their contracts are finalized. BeBasket plans to publish a detailed report on the broader implications of the events at INSEP, focusing on the well-being of young athletes in sports training environments.