The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday a new playoff format as part of its 2020 season. With the addition of a seventh CEBL Franchise, the Ottawa BlackJacks, the playoff format was adjusted to provide more teams access to the playoffs as well as the addition of potential home playoff dates. The semifinals and final will be held at Edmonton’s Expo Centre between August 14-16 as part of the CEBL Championship Weekend.



Here is a breakdown on the specifics of the new 2020 postseason format:

· Six of seven teams will make the CEBL playoffs in 2020.

· The top-ranked team at the end of the regular season will receive a bye to the Championship Weekend semifinal in Edmonton and will listed as the highest seed.

· The host team, Edmonton Stingers, will also receive a bye into the Championship Weekend semifinal and will be ranked according to their respective regular season finish (or fourth, whichever seed is higher).

· The seventh-ranked team at the end of the regular season (with the exception of the host team, Edmonton) is eliminated from playoff contention.

· The remaining four teams (not including the host Stingers and the highest-ranked team) will be reseeded first through fourth according to their respective regular season finish.

· These four teams will play in single-game elimination quarter-finals on August 9 with the following matchups:

o 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3 (games to be hosted at the higher seed).

· The CEBL will manage quarter-final game times in conjunction with the host club.

Basketball fans throughout the country can get a jump start on the action by purchasing season tickets in any of the seven CEBL markets now. For more information or to secure season tickets for your favourite CEBL team, visit www.cebl.ca/tickets. Flex and Voucher Packs, Group Tickets and Single-Game Tickets will go on sale in early 2020.

The complete 2020 CEBL regular season schedule was announced at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in downtown Toronto, as part of a larger event in which the CEBL named CBC Sports its premier media partner.

CBC Sports will offer live streams of all 70 regular season CEBL games and its five playoff contests on the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca and the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices. CBC will also provide broadcast coverage of seven regular season games and the CEBL Championship Weekend.

All games will also be available on CEBL.TV and Island Sports Network. Local and radio broadcast schedules will be announced closer to the start of the season.





Quotes:

“The 2020 CEBL season is full of intriguing matchups, an interactive broadcast platform and 12 more games than last season and an exciting new playoff format. This upcoming season is poised to generate a new level of excitement among Canadian basketball fans and communities across the country. The alterations made to our playoff format will allow more of our teams access to the CEBL playoffs and engage our fan bases down the stretch of what is sure to be an amazing second season.”

- Mike Morreale, CEO and Commissioner, Canadian Elite Basketball League

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Contact:

Ansh Sanyal

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416 579 0988

About Canadian Elite Basketball League

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) is a new basketball experience that features world class professional basketball in a fan-friendly entertainment environment across seven cities in Canada. The 2019 inaugural season saw more than 100 Canadian and international players take to the court, culminating with the Saskatchewan Rattlers earning the first CEBL championship trophy. CEBL players come from NBA G-League clubs, top NCAA programs, the Canadian national program, U SPORTS and other Division 1 FIBA leagues. As the First Division Professional League partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL is set to start its second season in May 2020. All games are live streamed on the CBC Gem app, CEBL.TV and the Island Sports Network.

About 2020 CEBL Championship Weekend

The 2020 Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Championship Weekend showcases the league’s best four teams to fans, sponsors, and a national CBC television audience from the Edmonton Expo Centre, August 13-16. The CEBL is Canada’s only major sports league hosting an annual summertime celebration of sport, history, tourism, culture and music. Championship Weekend features a vibrant street festival, a concert lineup of premier performers, minor basketball events, and activities designed to engage the entire community. The CEBL will also recognize its regular season award winners and crown its 2020 champion in the country’s ultimate celebration of Canadian basketball. Delivering an immediate economic impact to the region, Championship Weekend will create a legacy to be valued for years to come. For more information and tickets, head on over to https://www.cebl.ca/championship-weekend-2020 .

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