New CEBL draft format unveiled for 2024
The three-round draft in April will select 30 eligible players from U SPORTS and CCAA programs.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced on March 12 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. The results of the 2024 CEBL Draft will be announced on Thursday, April 11.
CEBL's amendments to its roster composition rules in 2024 add CCAA athletes alongside U SPORTS athletes as eligible developmental players (recognized Canadians with experience as student-athletes 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.
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.
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.
