Sea Bears shoot to host CEBL 2025 championship with $1M backing from Manitoba government

The Winnipeg Sea Bears haven't even finished their inaugural season and they've already got their eyes on the Canadian Elite Basketball League's biggest prize — in a couple different ways.

The team, which has set multiple CEBL attendance records, is beginning its chase for the championship trophy.

It locked up second place in the league's Western Conference with a 12-8 record and will tip-off its first-ever playoff game at home on Friday.

But the Sea Bears don't just want to hoist the league title — the organization wants to host it, too.

The team and provincial government announced a bid Thursday to bring the CEBL championship weekend to Winnipeg in 2025.

The province is providing $1 million for required facility upgrades and needed resources to strengthen the bid.

Those upgrades may include flooring for a new court, but that — and any other expenses — will only be determined should the Sea Bears secure the hosting bid, a team spokesperson said in an email.

As for the resources, that refers to the added staff required to host the big event.

"Basketball is among the fastest growing sports in Canada, if not the world," Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Obby Khan said at the announcement at Canada Life Centre, the Sea Bears' home court.

And the Sea Bears are showing that Winnipeg is a basketball town, he added.

The Sea Bears already own the records for the six largest crowds in CEBL history. Before they entered the league, the CEBL record was 4,404, set by the Vancouver Bandits in 2022.

The Sea Bears topped that in their season opener on May 27 with 7,328 fans and peaked with 8,230 at their final regular season game on July 29.

The league's average attendance for the season is 2,843.

"We are so grateful for a lot of things about how the Sea Bears have launched. Because of public demand, we've had to add extra seats for our playoff game on Friday night," said team owner David Asper.

The Sea Bears' total home attendance this season so far is 54,846. The next highest is the Edmonton Stingers with 34,736.

The CEBL's annual championship weekend features a five-day festival, annual awards, a concert featuring local and Canadian artists, a youth basketball tournament, community clinics and a championship after party.

The weekend also showcases the league's top four teams competing for the trophy. This year it takes place in Langley, B.C.

The defending champs are the Hamilton Honey Badgers, who relocated to Brampton in 2023.

The CEBL was founded in 2017 and began play in 2019 with six teams, with more added through expansion in 2021. Winnipeg's addition in 2023 brought the league total to 10, making it the largest professional sports league based entirely in Canada — surpassing the nine-team Canadian Football League.

The two leagues are linked in another way, as well. The CEBL commissioner is former CFL receiver Mike Morreale, who played for Toronto and Hamilton.