The Winnipeg Sea Bears have won a bid to host the 2025 CEBL Championship Weekend

WINNIPEG – The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday that the Winnipeg Sea Bears, in partnership with the Province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg, have secured the rights to host the league's 2025 Championship Weekend (CW25). Fans at Canada Life Center in Winnipeg will witness the crowning of a CEBL champion for the first time in August 2025.

A celebration of culture, music, community and Canadian basketball, CEBL Championship Weekend has become Canada's largest annual basketball event. The weekend includes top CEBL teams competing to win the league championship trophy, a concert program featuring exciting musical acts, smaller basketball events and a range of activities designed to engage a cross-section of the local community.

“The basketball community in Winnipeg has been a huge supporter of the Sea Bears and the CEBL since day one, and they continue to establish Winnipeg as a basketball destination, quickly setting the standard of excellence in our league,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner and Commissioner. – Founder of CEBL. “The decision to award Winnipeg as the host of Championship Weekend 2025 was an easy one and we can't wait to celebrate the biggest Championship Weekend with our fans and partners next summer at the Canada Life Centre.”

The Sea Bears set several CEBL attendance records at the Canada Life Center in 2023, including a single-game attendance record of 10,580 against Edmonton in the playoffs on Aug. 4, and a regular-season single-game attendance record of 8,230. game against Edmonton on July 29 and a full-season attendance record of 65,609 through 11 games. Now the franchise will once again make history by hosting Winnipeg's first professional basketball championship final in 2025.

“We've talked about building the team from the ground up since we launched,” said David Asper, owner and chairman of the Sea Bears. “Hosting the CEBL National Championship is another step in that process and I'm confident that by showcasing Canada's best teams at a festival of basketball, Winnipeg fans will once again elevate the league and the sport.”

For fans in Winnipeg, the best way to secure CW25 tickets is to become a Sea Bears Season Ticket Member. In addition to reserving seats for all current and new season tickets for CW25, additional CW25 tickets will receive preferential pricing and first access to the best available seats through an exclusive pre-sale window. All fans are encouraged to sign up for more CW25 information, including pre-sale information and first access to festival events, by visiting cebl.ca/CW25.

“Manitoba is having a moment, and sea bears are part of the excitement our province is feeling,” said Hon. Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba. “We are proud to host Championship Weekend next year and we are ready to showcase the hospitality and sporting excellence our province has to offer. This event brings economic activity to our downtown, attracts tourists and promotes our province. My family is looking forward to it and I will continue to work on the three-pointer in preparation.”

A recent report developed by Tourism Winnipeg estimates that the economic impact of the CEBL Championship Weekend in Winnipeg will exceed $5 million to the local economy and support more than 1,300 jobs. CW25 joins the Gray Cup as the second major sports championship scheduled to come to the city in 2025, making it an exciting year for Winnipeggers.

“Winnipeg has some of the best sports fans in the country and they have embraced our new basketball team,” said Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham. “The Sea Bears made an immediate impact on our city and downtown and were a hot ticket last summer. The 2025 CEBL Championship Weekend will not only showcase the incredible talent in the CEBL, but also showcase Winnipeg's passion for the sport. We look forward to welcoming fans from across Canada to our city for an unforgettable weekend of basketball.

Winnipeg has hosted many successful major sports championships, historic games and major events, including football (four Gray Cup games: 1991, 1998, 2006, 2015), hockey (Game 3 of the 1972 Summitt Series, various Canada Cup games, 1999 . the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, the 2017 Heritage Classic), soccer (2015 FIFA Women's World Cup), curling (three World Championships: 1978, 1991, 2003 and The Brier five times: 1940, 1952, 1908), two Pan American Games (1967, 1999) and the 50th Canada Summer Games (2017).

Previous CEBL Championship Weekend host cities include Saskatoon (2019), Edmonton (2021), Ottawa (2022) and Vancouver (2023), with Montreal scheduled to host in August 2024. Scarborough Shotling took the title at the 2023 CEBL Championship weekend. All three races over the weekend were played in front of 5,000 fans at the Langley Events Centre. More ticket details and general event information can be found at cebl.ca/championshipweekend or the CEBL Championship Weekend social media account @CEBLCW on Instagram and Twitter.

Source: https://www.seabears.ca/sea-bears-win-bid-to-host-championship-weekend-in-2025