The CEBL and the Saskatchewan Rattlers announced the 2021 regular season schedule Thursday, a 14-game slate reduced from the standard 20 games and pushed back from a mid-May start to June 5 to accommodate the possibility of fans being able to attend games in person this summer. The league cannot push its season beyond a late-August playoff finish because most of its players must report to their international pro teams by September.

“The health and safety of fans, players, officials, and staff is our top priority, and we want to maximize the odds of having fans in the stands for as many games as possible this summer,” said Brad Kraft, Vice President of the Saskatchewan Rattlers. “It is our hope that by summer our province will be better positioned in the fight against Covid-19 and restrictions around public gatherings and events may allow for some number of fans to attend games – even if they must be socially distanced within our arena. We know how much the people of Saskatchewan love their sports teams and live events and we cannot wait to have fans back inside the SaskTel Centre. 2021 promises to be another strong year for the CEBL as the talent and entertainment in our league keeps growing at an exponential rate.”

With uncertainty around government regulations of people attending events, and in recognition that some people may not feel comfortable attending events in 2021, an innovative approach has been created to protect the investment of those who have purchased tickets to Rattlers games.

All season tickets, season ticket deposits and flex packs that have been purchased for 2021 are automatically being moved forward into 2022 and applied toward next season’s ticket packages. If fans will be allowed into SaskTel Centre, those ticketholders may choose to draw tickets from their 2022 package to use for any games they wish to attend in 2021. There will be no obligation to use any tickets in 2021. All unused tickets will remain on account and applied toward the same ticket packages in 2022.

Fans who had purchased tickets for the 2020 season and left their tickets on account for 2021 received retention benefits that included a 20 percent credit toward additional tickets and a 25 percent discount on team merchandise. Those benefits will be extended to all ticketholders through August of 2022.

“We are focused on keeping our fans first and foremost, so we are ensuring the full protection of any investment in our tickets through a plan that provides the ultimate in flexibility and makes sure that no one will feel pressured to have to use their tickets this season if they’re not comfortable attending games”, said Kraft. “This flexibility will ensure fans are comfortable and happy when they choose to return to our games.”