The 2024 Canadian Premier League-U SPORTS Draft, presented by Degree, will be available for free to all viewers via OneSoccer and CBC Sports’ YouTube channels on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.
The draft will be hosted by OneSoccer broadcaster Adam Jenkins for a second consecutive year. The live broadcast will also be available to viewers on the Canadian Premier League’s YouTube channel.
The CPL-U SPORTS Draft will once again consist of two rounds, with eight picks per round. The selection order of both rounds is determined by a combination of the 2023 regular season standings and playoff results. Picks one through three are allocated to the teams that finished eighth, seventh and sixth, respectively, in the regular season standings, while picks four through eight are issued in order of playoff elimination, with 2023 CPL Playoff Champion Forge FC selecting last.
The draft order for both rounds is as follows:
- Valour FC
- Vancouver FC
- Atlético Ottawa
- York United FC
- Halifax Wanderers FC
- Pacific FC
- Cavalry FC
- Forge FC
Once selected, players may be invited to preseason training with their prospective club, where they can compete for a roster spot for the 2024 CPL season.
The draft is open to any U SPORTS underclassmen with one to four years of U SPORTS eligibility remaining, provided they are in good standing with their school’s athletic program and educational institution and are planning to return to school the following year.
The CPL-U SPORTS Draft plays a key role in the men’s player development pathway in Canada, serving as a critical link between the Canadian university and professional games since its inaugural iteration in 2018. The draft provides a unique opportunity for student athletes to earn professional experience while maintaining their eligibility to return to U SPORTS competition.
Previous CPL-U SPORTS Draft picks include former Cavalry FC defender Joel Waterman, who was named to Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, as well as former Cavalry midfielder Victor Loturi, who is now representing Ross Country in the Scottish Premiership; Eryk Kobza, a member of the CPL’s reigning regular season-winning squad Cavalry; and Aboubacar Sissoko, a member of the reigning CPL champion Forge FC squad.
Dedicated soccer channel OneSoccer is available to all Canadian households through OneSoccer.ca, via Roku, Chromecast and Apple TV devices and with the OneSoccer app for iOS and Android devices. OneSoccer is also available as a linear channel on Optik TV (Ch.980), the pay-TV service operated by TELUS, one of Canada’s ‘big three’ telecoms companies, as well as on streaming service fuboTV Canada. In addition, it is available to fans abroad through Fox Sports in the United States, Flow Sports across the Caribbean and Sky Sports in Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic globally through the OneSoccer website and app.
