Members of the Niagara River Lions celebrate after clenching the championship at the final CEBL playoff game in Montreal, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter McCabe
January 15, 2026 - 4:43 AM
The Canadian Elite Basketball League announced its 2026 schedule and a new playoff format on Thursday.
The CEBL Finals will now be a best-of-three series from August 12-16, making it the first multi-game playoff series in league history.
Single-elimination conference semifinals will be held on Aug. 6 , where the first seed faces the fourth seed and the second seed faces the third.
Winners will advance to the conference finals on Aug. 8, also single elimination, with the higher seeds hosting each round.
The 2026 season will tip off May 9 when the Edmonton Stingers host the Winnipeg Sea Bears.
Each CEBL team will play 24 regular-season games through to Aug. 3, including 11 tripleheaders.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2026.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2026