FRASER VALLEY BANDITS ANNOUNCE 2019 SEASON SCHEDULE

Bandits Staff • November 1, 2018

Inaugural Canadian Elite Basketball League season opener set for May 9, 2019

ABBOTSFORD, Nov. 1, 2018 – Professional basketball comes to the Fraser Valley when the Fraser Valley Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) host the Guelph Nighthawks to open their inaugural season on Thursday, May 9 at the Abbotsford Centre.

Modelled after top international professional leagues, the CEBL is comprised of six original teams in Abbotsford, Edmonton, Guelph, St. Catharines, Hamilton, and Saskatoon. Each team plays 10 home and 10 road games using FIBA (International Basketball Federation) rules, and player and referee standards set by Canada Basketball. Rosters will be comprised of at least 60 to 70 percent Canadian players, many playing
professionally in North America and overseas during the traditional basketball season.

“The release of the inaugural season schedule is a landmark moment for the Bandits. We are ready to give fans in the Fraser Valley a truly unique sport and entertainment experience that will have fans of all ages eagerly anticipating the next game. Canada has emerged as a force on the international basketball stage, with more than 160 players playing professionally around the world, 100 players in the NCAA, and hundreds occupying roster spots on top U SPORTS programs. Now, fans and local businesses will have a chance to see many of them play on home soil in the CEBL,” said Lee Genier, President and COO of CEBL Western Operations.

“The summer schedule allows us to turn our games into a special entertainment experience thanks to activities, performances and interactive elements that will be stationed inside and outside of the Abbotsford Centre. By abiding by FIBA rules, the action will be fast-paced within an electric atmosphere. Entertainment will begin 90 minutes before each game and will last until well after the final buzzer sounds. This will be a new and memorable sports and entertainment option for the fans and families that we welcome to the Abbotsford Centre.”

Season tickets range in price from $179 to $625 and are scheduled to go on sale later in November on Ticketmaster, the official ticketing partner of the CEBL. Fans will be able to visit www.ticketmaster.ca or the Ticketmaster app for the widest selection of verified tickets.

The Bandits have a number of special nights planned throughout the season, including ‘The Bandits Bash’ on May 9, the date of the Bandits’ historic home opener against the Guelph Nighthawks, as well as ‘The Wild West,’ the first rivalry match at home in Abbotsford between the CEBL’s two westernmost teams, the Bandits and the Edmonton Stingers, on June 22. Various theme nights in partnership with local businesses and organizations are in development, so fans will have no shortage of opportunities to be creative in representing their home team.

For more information on the Bandits, visit www.thebandits.ca or follow the team’s journey on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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