Guelph, Ont. named first team in new Canadian Elite Basketball League

Guelph, Ont., has been named the first city to have a team in the newly formed Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL).

The professional men's team, which has yet to be named, will play out of the Sleeman Centre, the league said in announcing the franchise Wednesday.

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," the league said in a release.

'Raving fans' in Guelph

The team's director of operations will be hired in the coming weeks.

"A summer basketball league is a great fit for theSleemanCentre, downtown, and theGuelphcommunity," said Danna Evans, the city's general manger of culture, tourism and community investment.

Mayor Cam Guthrie said he was thrilled a team would be coming toGuelph.

"Guelphalready has excellent grassroots basketball organizations and raving fans of the game," he said in a statement to CBC News.

"I'm sure they're eager to see professional basketball cometo our beautiful downtown in theSleemanCentre. The CEBL was looking for one of the top 50 communities in Canada and our city won't let them down."

In talks with more cities

The league was launched Oct. 25 and it is considering teams from cities across the country who have expressed interest. MarioBrazina, the communications director at the league, said they will have at least six teams for their inaugural season.

"That is the minimum number of territorieswe will launch with and I can tell you right now thatwe're in talks with well over eight cities to bring professional basketball there in the spring and summer months so we're well on our way," Brazinatold CBC News.

A start date for the league's first season has not yet been announced.

The league saidits teamswill have to meet a mandatory Canadian player minimum quota andit will "act in accordance with player and referee standards set by CanadaBasketballand will adhere to the InternationalBasketballFederation's (FIBA) rules and regulations."

Brazina said fans can expect the level of play to be the best outside of the National Basketball Association.

"We're going to draw from some of the better rosters from around the globe," he said. He added the league can access athletes in the spring and summer months because it's their off-season.

"So somebody in, say, a Tier 1 league in Italy can actually come back and play in the spring-summer months in Canada because otherwise, they would be in their off-season," said Brazina.