The Canadian Premier League (CPL) announced a new partnership with U SPORTS which will allow Canadian university student-athlete soccer players to play in the soon-to-be professional soccer league.
The CPL, set to debut in April 2019, announced the partnership with the Canadian university sports national brand on Oct. 17 through an online statement.
The new partnership will give the opportunity to sign into a CPL-U SPORTS Developmental Contract, for U SPORTS soccer players with one to four years of eligibility remaining.
Once drafted, players will be signed to a Standard Developmental Contract provided by the CPL administration and invited to participate in their respective team’s pre-season camp.
Drafted players who return to university following the CPL season and continue to meet draft-eligible rules will be allowed to re-enter future CPL drafts in the following years.
“We are thrilled to announce this ground-breaking partnership between the CPL and U SPORTS,” David Clanachan, Canadian Premier League Commissioner, said in the statement.
“We knew giving the top university players in our country an opportunity to play professionally while still continuing to maintain their education and U SPORTS status was important. This allows us to continue our journey to create a pathway for our homegrown players to have the opportunity to play professionally in Canada,” he added.
Student-athletes will be released to return to their respective university teams on Aug. 15 and will only be permitted to re-join their school teams after their CPL playing commitments are completed.
Developmental contracts will also expire on the day after each player’s respective CPL team has completed its season.
The statement also said the CPL’s Soccer Operations Department will be scouting players to establish a prospect list. CPL club coaches will also be in attendance to assess players participating in this year’s U SPORTS Men’s Soccer Championship at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC.
“Our talented student-athletes are a testament to the growth of soccer in Canada and we look forward to watching their continued development and success in the CPL,” President and CEO of U SPORTS Graham Brown said in the statement.
The player draft will take place on Nov. 12 following the U SPORTS Men’s Soccer Championship.
File photo
