Every January in Saskatoon, SK, winter temperatures drop below -30°C. Most weekends, Saskatoon citizens stay at home bundled up watching Netflix with a mug of hot cocoa and a snuggie. But one event in particular has the power to convince people to come out of hibernation. Sports fans, parents, and students join together at Bedford Road Collegiate to watch BRIT basketball. BRIT is arguably (one of) the best senior boys’ High School basketball tournaments in Canada.
The Bedford Road Invitational Tournament (BRIT) began in 1968 with only Saskatoon-based high school teams participating, with the Bedford Road Redmen claiming the first BRIT title. The next year, the tournament expanded and invited teams from around the province. BRIT expanded the field of teams again in 1972 when teams from Calgary and Winnipeg competed. In 1988, the New York Gauchos became the first American team to play and win BRIT. Scots College, hailing from Sydney, Australia, became the first team to be invited from outside of North America in 2004. Notable BRIT competitors include NBA players Eric Mobley and Robert Sacre.
The teams competing in BRIT 49 (January 12th – 14th) will not disappoint. The tournament will be full of highlight plays and down-to-the-wire games.
The teams competing are:
St. Francis Xavier (Edmonton, AB)
Strathcona High School (Edmonton, AB)
Magrath High School (Magrath, AB)
Carson Graham Secondary School (Vancouver, BC)
Colonel By Secondary School (Ottawa, ON)
Séminaire Saint-Joseph (Trois Rivière, QC)
Campbell Collegiate (Regina, SK)
Dr. Martin Leboldus High School (Regina, SK)
Bedford Road Collegiate (Saskatoon, SK)
Holy Cross High School (Saskatoon, SK)
Marion Graham Collegiate (Saskatoon, SK)
St. Joseph High School (Saskatoon, SK)
The BRIT basketball experience is like no other. The talent of the players, the showcasing of the Cheer and POM teams, and the atmosphere created by the local fans and student body makes this one of the premier basketball events in Canada.
To keep track of the tournament go to:
Facebook: BRIT Bedford Road Invitational Tournament
Instagram: BRITBASKETBALL
Twitter: @TheBRITClassic
Live Games: britbasketball.net
Written by: Connor Jay
Edited by: Drew Ebanks
