New CEBL Draft Format Unveiled For 2024
Three-round draft in April will select 30 eligible players from U SPORTS, CCAA programs
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday that beginning in 2024, the newly rebranded and expanded ‘CEBL Draft’ will serve as the league’s annual entry draft for eligible Canadian U SPORTS and Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) student-athletes. Results of the 2024 CEBL Draft will be announced Thursday, April 11.
The CEBL’s amendments to its roster composition rules in 2024 adds CCAA athletes alongside U SPORTS athletes as eligible developmental players (recognized Canadians with experience as a student-athlete with remaining eligibility). CEBL teams are incentivized to have developmental players on their active roster as up to a maximum of three will not count against a club’s per game active roster salary cap.
The first opportunity for a developmental player to join a CEBL team is via the 2024 CEBL Draft. Beginning this year, the CEBL Draft will expand to three rounds with each club making three selections total (one in each round) of either returning or graduating Canadian post-secondary players. In total, 30 eligible players will be selected. The priority of selection in round one will be in the reverse order of how each team finished the 2023 regular season, and the following rounds will revert to a ‘snake format’ in reverse order of the previous round.
The full 2024 CEBL Draft order is as follows:
| ROUND 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| PCK | OVR | TEAM |
| 1 | 1 | Montréal Alliance |
| 2 | 2 | Brampton Honey Badgers |
| 3 | 3 | Saskatchewan Rattlers |
| 4 | 4 | Vancouver Bandits |
| 5 | 5 | Edmonton Stingers |
| 6 | 6 | Scarborough Shooting Stars |
| 7 | 7 | Ottawa BlackJacks |
| 8 | 8 | Winnipeg Sea Bears |
| 9 | 9 | Calgary Surge |
| 10 | 10 | Niagara River Lions |
| ROUND 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| PCK | OVR | TEAM |
| 1 | 11 | Niagara River Lions |
| 2 | 12 | Calgary Surge |
| 3 | 13 | Winnipeg Sea Bears |
| 4 | 14 | Ottawa BlackJacks |
| 5 | 15 | Scarborough Shooting Stars |
| 6 | 16 | Edmonton Stingers |
| 7 | 17 | Vancouver Bandits |
| 8 | 18 | Saskatchewan Rattlers |
| 9 | 19 | Brampton Honey Badgers |
| 10 | 20 | Montréal Alliance |
| ROUND 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| PCK | OVR | TEAM |
| 1 | 21 | Montréal Alliance |
| 2 | 22 | Brampton Honey Badgers |
| 3 | 23 | Saskatchewan Rattlers |
| 4 | 24 | Vancouver Bandits |
| 5 | 25 | Edmonton Stingers |
| 6 | 26 | Scarborough Shooting Stars |
| 7 | 27 | Ottawa BlackJacks |
| 8 | 28 | Winnipeg Sea Bears |
| 9 | 29 | Calgary Surge |
| 10 | 30 | Niagara River Lions |
All developmental players will become free agents at the conclusion of the CEBL season and can maintain eligibility to be selected in the 2025 CEBL Draft and/or sign with a CEBL club and re-enter the league as a developmental player next season.
“Expanding the pool of eligible players for our CEBL Draft to include CCAA talent in addition to U SPORTS ensures that every Canadian post-secondary student-athlete playing basketball across the country has an equal opportunity to be drafted into the CEBL,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner and Co-Founder of the CEBL. “The rising level of basketball talent in Canada is undeniable, and our partnerships with U SPORTS and CCAA will continue to provide opportunities for student-athletes nationwide.”
The 2024 CEBL season tips off Tuesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET when the Calgary Surge host provincial rival the Edmonton Stingers at Scotiabank Saddledome. Season tickets and flex packs are now available league wide with priority seating access and preferred pricing. Ticket information for all CEBL games can be found by visiting cebl.ca/tickets.
- CEBL -
About the CEBL
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 73% of its 2023 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
About U SPORTS
U SPORTS is the national brand for university sports in Canada. Every year, over 15,500 student-athletes and 700 coaches vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. U SPORTS also provides high performance international opportunities at FISU Winter and Summer World University Games, World University Championships, University World Cups and various educational initiatives.
U SPORTS works in collaboration with 57 members and four conferences as well as the Canadian sport system and Corporate Canada on the growth and delivery of university sport to student-athletes across the country.
About Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association
The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association is the national governing body for organized sports at the collegiate level in Canada. The CCAA enriches the academic experiences of student-athletes by providing leadership, programs and services that foster development through high-level competitive opportunities in intercollegiate sport. CCAA student-athletes compete in seven sports at 10 CCAA national championships, each hosted by one of the 98 CCAA member institutions (colleges, universities, technical institutes and cégeps) located in nine provinces. In addition to governing the national championships, the CCAA also provides national awards and recognition to CCAA student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors and member institutions. For more information, please visit ccaa.ca.