The CPL–U Sports Draft (French: Repêchage de la PLC–U Sports) is an annual event in which Canadian Premier League clubs select players from U Sports, Canada's governing body for university sports. The draft allows student-athletes to play professional soccer that year without affecting their university eligibility.[1]
Players are eligible to be drafted if they have one or more years of U Sports eligibility remaining and have declared for the draft.[2] Players who signed development contracts the previous year can be retained by their CPL clubs as long as they have U Sports eligibility remaining. Previously drafted players who do not sign and remain draft-eligible can re-enter the draft in subsequent years.[3]
The previous season's league standings, including playoffs and final standings, determine the draft order. The draft previously employed a "snake draft" format with the selection order reversing after each round, however this was discontinued after the 2021 draft.[4] Clubs have a window of time in which they must submit their pick, and failure to do so results in a pass. There is a break between each round, as well as one timeout per club.[5]
Drafted players will get an invitation to the team's preseason camp, with the opportunity to earn a U Sports contract. The U Sports contract allows players to be paid to play in the CPL in the spring and summer, before returning to their university team before August 15 for the U Sports men's soccer season.[6] Players on U Sports contracts do not count toward their team's 23-man roster limit.[7] Players can also sign fully professional CPL standard contracts and forego their remaining university eligibility.[8]
Signed players can remain with their CPL club until the end of the season in early November by extending their U Sports contract. These players would be ineligible to participate in U Sports the same season as their contract but would regain eligibility the following year.[9]
| Draft | Season | Date | City | Ref | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | November 12, 2018 | 3 | 21 | Vancouver, British Columbia | Gabriel Bitar | Carleton | Cavalry FC | [10] | |
| 2019 | 2020 | November 11, 2019 | 2 | 14 | Montreal, Quebec | Cory Bent | Cape Breton | HFX Wanderers | [11] | |
| 2021 | 2021 | January 29, 2021 | 2 | 16 | Held virtually | Thomas Gardner | British Columbia | FC Edmonton | [12] | |
| 2022 | 2022 | January 20, 2022 | 2 | 16 | Held virtually | José Cunha | Cape Breton | Atlético Ottawa | [13] | |
| 2023 | 2023 | December 15, 2022 | 2 | 16 | Held virtually | Anthony White | Toronto | Vancouver FC | [14] | |
| 2024 | 2024 | December 14, 2023 | 2 | 16 | Held virtually |  Owen Sheppard | Cape Breton | Valour FC | [15] |