Biskup’s Historic Win: Leading the River Lions while Breaking Barriers in Canadian Men’s Pro Sports
Michelle Biskup paced nervously along the sidelines of Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre.
As Niagara’s Khalil Ahmad stepped to the free-throw line with the 2025 CEBL championship in his fingertips, Biskup couldn’t help but battle flashbacks from one year earlier, when Ahmad missed a shot to win it all.
Some things were different: the locale, for one. The River Lions’ path to the Final (one much more fraught this time around), for two. And, of course, Biskup’s title, now president of the franchise.
One thing, though, did not change. No matter what happened, Biskup could not control what happened on the court. At least not at this point.
“I've gone through the highs, I've gone through the lows, but I just stay even keel until I know it's over,” said Biskup, who has now been with the River Lions for 10 years.
Ahmad, of course, went on to make those free throws, clinching the River Lions’ second consecutive championship and matching the Edmonton Stingers as the only teams to win multiple titles, let alone go back-to-back.
With the trophy, Biskup became the first female president to win a Canadian men’s professional sports title. Detroit Red Wings president Marguerite Norris (1954, 1955) and Los Angeles Lakers boss Jeanie Buss (2020) have also accomplished the feat in the U.S.
“Michelle has been a CEBL all-star since day one and has shown incredible commitment, leadership, and perseverance throughout her career with the River Lions,” said CEBL commissioner and co-founder Mike Morreale. “To watch her help guide the team to back-to-back championships while also breaking new ground as the first female president to do so in Canadian men’s pro sports is nothing short of remarkable. She’s a trailblazer in every sense and has earned this tremendous recognition.”
“It's a milestone to have my name stamped on history while also showing other young females in sports who are dreaming of having a career in sports that it's attainable,” Biskup said. “It's not something that can't be done because now they can see someone who's done it.”
Biskup, the 35-year-old from Burlington, Ont., was a Day 1 staffer of the River Lions 10 years ago when she held the title of operations coordinator.
The job only came about through a coincidental meeting with the River Lions owners, when Biskup pitched herself on a whim and suddenly found herself moving from her first job out of school in the entertainment department at Fallsview Casino to a professional basketball organization.
Steadily since, she’s risen the ranks until being promoted to president in September.
And in her first season atop the organization, she lifted it atop the CEBL.
“We really put 12 months into it: into something that we can't control the outcome of as front-office staff. So to have that full-circle moment from last year where, yes, I was involved, I was still a very big part of it as VP, but then for everything that I put into this past year, building a new culture in our office, hiring new staff, making some big changes. It really was like, ‘OK, this made it all worthwhile,’” she said.
“There's no greater feeling than winning at the end of the day. There's a reason why everyone wants to win. That's the best, ultimate feeling.”
Biskup said the team is almost unrecognizable from when she first started a decade ago — especially when she looks at the Meridian Centre crowd and the River Lions fan base.
But even more has changed since she took over as president. Biskup hired team captain Kimbal Mackenzie as community and brand ambassador in a CEBL first — an idea that was born late last off-season and one she hopes will truly take flight now.
Meanwhile, she signed head coach Victor Raso to a three-year contract lining up with a three-year Meridian Centre lease, locking in two key aspects of the team.
“Knowing that Vic's going to be here every year, or at least for the next three, we can depend on that, that we're going to have that returning group that helps us be successful on the court,” said Biskup, who credited the coach for maintaining season-to-season continuity in a league where that’s rare.
“It helps us be successful off the court too, right? It's great for our sales staff to be able to call people and say, we're back-to-back champions or we have their favourite players returning. So that consistency is really big.”
Raso has worked next to Biskup for the past eight years.
“I've seen her go from doing absolutely everything to doing absolutely everything as the president,” he said.
The coach described Biskup as “incredibly hard-working,” saying she’s created a culture of “doers” while keeping the atmosphere light and fun with plenty of laughs.
He added that he’s always coordinated closely with Biskup, with whom he enjoys a strong two-way relationship of trust.
“Michelle and I always talked about what we were doing on a day-to-day basis, but never from the perspective of she's my manager. So for her and I, it was a cool experience this year. She's always let me do my thing with the basketball and trusted me with decisions and budgets and everything,” he said.
To Raso, Biskup is the “lifeblood” of the River Lions.
“She can run a professional sport organization like with her eyes closed now. And I don't think people really understand how much actually goes into that,” he said.
Now, Biskup’s next task is one that’s never been done before: win three straight championships.
After last season’s motto was ‘Run It Back,’ Biskup said conversations are already underway about next year’s slogan, with the word dynasty being thrown around.
“That's definitely the goal for us to make that next stamp on history is being the first team to do a three-peat,” she said.
It’s a topic with which Biskup is now quite familiar.
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