Historic New Playoff Format Debuts in 2026
The 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League Playoffs will begin with single-elimination Conference Semifinals on Thursday, August 6, where the 1st seed faces the 4th seed and the 2nd seed faces the 3rd seed in each conference. Winners will advance to the Conference Finals on Saturday, August 8, also single elimination, with higher seeds hosting each round.
The CEBL Finals will be a best-of-three series from August 12–16, marking the first multi-game playoff series in league history:
- Game 1 – August 12
- Game 2 – August 15
- Game 3 (if necessary) – August 16
The lower seed team will host Game 1, while the higher seed will host Games 2 and 3 (if necessary), replacing the previous single-elimination Championship Weekend host team model.