Canadian Premier League announces 2026 CPL-U SPORTS Draft
The Canadian Premier League (CPL) today announced that the 2026 CPL-U SPORTS Draft, presented by Degree, will be held on Friday, Nov. 28.
Expansion side FC Supra du Québec will receive the first pick in each of the draft’s first two rounds. From there, the selection order will once again be based on a combination of the 2025 CPL regular season standings and playoff results, with the last-placed team selecting first.
The selection order, broadcast details and time of the draft will be announced after the culmination of the 2025 CPL League season, which wraps up with the 2025 CPL Final on Sunday, Nov. 9.
Once selected, players may be invited to pre-season training with their prospective club, where they can compete for a roster spot for the 2026 CPL season. CPL clubs may add up to three players on CPL-U SPORTS contracts to their developmental roster, which was created by the League to provide opportunities for the next generation of talent in Canada. Players signed to a CPL-U SPORTS contract do not count towards a club’s player compensation budget.
“The CPL-U SPORTS Draft delivers talented young players into our league year after year,” said Costa Smyrniotis, Executive Vice President, Football, Canadian Premier League. “We’ve seen student-athletes make immediate impacts and others develop into key contributors over time. It’s a proven pathway, and we’re eager to see who seizes the opportunity in 2026.”
The CPL-U SPORTS 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 declaration window for the 2026 CPL-U SPORTS Draft is now open and will close on Thursday, Nov. 13. Players interested in learning more about the draft can do so here. Players interested in declaring for the draft can do so here.
Since its inception, 115 players have been picked to date in the Draft, representing 106 unique student-athletes, with eight players selected on multiple occasions while U SPORTS-eligible. The Draft continues to serve as a critical link between the Canadian university system and Canada’s domestic men’s professional soccer league.
To date, 68 of those players went on to sign contracts with CPL clubs, including such standouts as Canadian Men’s National Team defender Joel Waterman and CF Montréal midfield Victor Loturi, as well as current CPL stars Rayane Yesli, Eryk Kobza, Gianfranco Facchineri and Gabriel Bitar. That includes 24 professional contracts and 44 CPL-U SPORTS contracts, which allow student-athletes the unique opportunity to earn professional experience while maintaining their eligibility to return to university-level competition.