THE Basingstoke Bison have applied to join the National Ice Hockey League South One for the 2017/18 season.

The Herd who played in the English Premier League last campaign, which was reduced to seven teams when the Milton Keynes Lightning and the Guildford Flames moving to the Elite League and Manchester Phoenix pulled out in mid term.

An email from Ken Taggart, chairman of the English Ice Hockey Association advised all the EPL clubs to apply to the NIHL, whilst discussions on next season's league set-up continue.

So along with the Herd, the Swindon Wildcats, Peterborough Phantoms and the Bracknell Bees have applied to join the south league with the Telford Tigers, Hull Pirates and Sheffield Steeldogs going to the north.

This would see the Bison in league of 11 teams next season with the Chelmsford Chieftains, Invicta Dynamos, Streatham RedHawks, London Raiders, Solent Devils, Oxford City Stars and the Milton Keynes Thunder.

This would give the Bison their first ever Hampshire derby game against Solent based in Gosport and also mean the club would face Chelmsford and Oxford again having not played them in league action since 1990.

The formation of the league will be decided in a league meeting on Sunday May 7, and until the number of teams that make the start line will not been know.

It may still end up that the seven EPL play in their own league next season, as being British ice hockey anything is possible.