The Saskatchewan Rattlers will get a chance to defend their league title in 2020.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League announced Thursday it will return to play July 15 with the opening of training camps.
The league’s seven teams will compete in the Summer Series, a 26 game round robin competition culminating with the championship game scheduled for August 9.
The Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ontario will serve as the hub city for the tournament with all games closed to fans.
“After exhausting all contingencies to get our teams back on the court this summer, a single-site competition, closed to fans but with all games available for free to viewers across the country and internationally, will enable us to again showcase the players who help make Canada the second-leading producer of pro basketball talent in the world,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner and CEO of the CEBL.
The tournament will tip off July 25. Each club will play the other once, and the team with the worst record will be eliminated and the remaining six will be seeded into a bracket.
The league said the seven teams will be accommodated in St. Catharines. They will be separated from the general public, and strict screening and COVID-19 protocols will be adhered to under the supervision of medical officials.