Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca

Haroldo Casanova, first president of the club

By 1908, a considerable amount of European immigrants arrived in the port of Bahía Blanca. Football in the city was introduced by those immigrants, as an exclusive game practised by the British executives at the beginning but then spreading to mass classes. That same year, a group of students ("Estudiantes" in Spanish) of local school met to compete in the Liga del Sur, a regional football competition. They formed a team, which took part in those leagues, although the team would be dissolved soon after.[2]

In 1912, the Sáenz Peña Law had been promulgated by the Argentine National Congress which established the universal, secret and compulsory male suffrage. That event influenced students, who claimed for a reform in the education system, more specifically in the University of the city. As a result, in 1917 a group of students formed a committee, presided by Haroldo Casanova of 18 years old. It was named "Centro de Estudiantes Secundarios de Bahía Blanca".[2]

Football team of the club, 1918 champions

One year after, the student center had facilities located on Parque de Mayo, close to the railway line, for the practical of several sports while the administrative office set in the "Sociedad Laurak Bat", a social club established by the Basque community. The original statute specified that candidates should be students to become members of the club, although this clause would be amended later.[2]

By 1920 Estudiantes had teams competing in football and basketball, playing in provisories venues so they did not have one. Some of those venues were Club Porteño and Correos y Telégrafos. Nevertheless, the club got an own venue in Parque de Mayo, after arrangements made by club executives. British firm Hardcastle gave wooden goods to build sports clothing. Ten years after, the club had a venue with grandstands, a running track and football and basketball fields.[2]

Beto Cabrera (left) had been regarded as Estudiantes' best player ever until the huge success of Manu Ginóbili (right)[3] Cabrera stayed more than 23 years for the club, with his #14 being retired by Estudiantes. On the other side, Ginóbili only played two years before being traded to Viola Reggio Calabria in 1998

With the consolidation of basketball in Argentina, Estudiantes would play a long tenure in the main club competition of the country, the Campeonato Argentino, established in 1936.[4] Until then, there was only a tournament where provincial sides took part, as a part of local leagues, such as the Torneo Metropolitano, for teams of Buenos Aires. Although the club did not win any title, Estudiantes reached the finals in 1975, losing to Obras Sanitarias.

Estudiantes began participating in the first Liga Nacional de Básquet championship in 1985, finishing 4th. Its best performance was in the 1990–91, when the team finished as runner-up after being beat by then champion GEPU in the finals.

In the 2002–03 season Estudiantes was relegated to Torneo Nacional de Ascenso (second division), after a poor campaign that include 29 defeats and only 7 wins. Estudiantes played a playoff relegation vs Ferro Carril Oeste, losing its place in the top division.[5]

After some irregular campaigns in the second level, the club acquired a vacant position to River Plate, therefore returning to LNB.[6]

At the end of the 2007–08 season, the club had to struggle with severe economic problems, as a result Estudiantes sold its vacancy. Nevertheless, the apparition of some sponsors allowed the team to remain in LNB. Prior to the 2008–09 season, and inspired on the Monte Hermoso Básquetbol case (where Club El Nacional associated with the Municipality of Monte Hermoso to keep its position in the league), Estudiantes changed its name to "Bahía Blanca Estudiantes".[7]

In the 2010–11 season Estudiantes changed its name to "Weber Bahía Estudiantes" for sponsorship reasons. Before the 2013–14 championship started, Estudiantes leave its vacancy to Bahía Basket, a project of former player Pepe Sánchez to keep a team from Bahía Blanca in the top division.[8] Therefore Estudiantes left the LNB, competing in the "Asociación Bahiense de Básquetbol" (Bahía Blanca Basketball Association) since then.