Further information please visit the league website at www.cebl.ca

Quote:

“Guelph already has excellent grassroots basketball organizations and raving fans of the game. I’m sure they’re eager to see professional basketball come to our beautiful downtown in the Sleeman Centre. The CEBL was looking for one of the top 50 communities in Canada and our city won’t let them down.”

Mayor Cam Guthrie

CEBL Press Release:

Guelph, October 31, 2017 – The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) is pleased to announce its
first team – naming Guelph Professional Basketball Club (team name to be chosen at a later date) as the
league’s first entrant. The City of Guelph is proud to partner with the CEBL’s Launch Committee in
bringing professional basketball to the City’s beautiful downtown spectator facility, the Sleeman Centre.
The team will appoint a Director of Operations in the coming weeks, after which the organization will
begin connecting with its host region.

CEBL officials are elated to welcome the City of Guelph as the first CEBL territory. “Guelph checks off all
of our boxes for what we know will be a great home for elite-level, professional basketball. In accepting
the bid, it was important that we stuck to our initiative of region’s falling within Canada’s top 50
municipalities. As a league, we were pleased to work with Guelph’s City officials during the bid and
selection process making the city a natural fit for professional basketball,” said a member of the CEBL’s
Launch Committee.

“Fans of sport entertainment can rest assured that the Guelph Professional Basketball Club will
commence operations in the CEBL’s inaugural season. At the present time, the Guelph territory will be
owned by the CEBL and managed by local professional staff. The long-term intention of the CEBL is to
have all territories owned and operated by local owners, with existing relationships in a host community.
However, in an effort to stabilize this operation from the initial launch, we (CEBL) are comfortable owning
the territory until a strong group of local investors comes forward,” said the league’s spokesperson.
Guelph City officials were quick to jump at the opportunity that comes with bringing another premier
tenant to their spectator facility. “We are excited that the CEBL has chosen Guelph as one of its first
territories for their first season,” said Danna Evans, General Manager of Culture, Tourism and Community
Investment with the City of Guelph, “A summer basketball league is a great fit for the Sleeman Centre,
downtown and the Guelph community.”