The Brandon University Bobcats family is incredibly proud to congratulate men's basketball alumnus and Wall of Famer Rick DeGagne on being named the 2026 recipient of the Ted Earley Memorial Award.

Handed out by the Canada Basketball Officials Commission (CBOC), this prestigious accolade is the organization's highest honour. It recognizes an official who has demonstrated superior on-court ability, significant national and international experience, and a lifetime of outstanding leadership and service to the basketball community.

A Bobcat Through and Through

Long before he was blowing the whistle on the international stage, DeGagne was making his mark in the Bobcat blue and gold. A native of Kenora, Ontario, who made Brandon his longtime home, Rick played three seasons for BU from 1977 to 1980. He made an immediate impact, earning the Bobcats' Rookie of the Year honours in his 1977-78 campaign.

His legacy at BU is permanently cemented in the Brandon University Sports Wall of Fame, where he is inducted both as a member of the legendary 1979-80 Bobcats team and individually in the Community Leadership category. Continuing his string of accolades, DeGagne will also be inducted into the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 this fall, an honour deeply tied to his time with the Bobcats program.

A Legendary Officiating Resume

As an official, DeGagne has built a resume that is virtually unmatched in Canadian basketball history. Since picking up the whistle in 1977 in the Brandon Senior Men's League, his career by the numbers is nothing short of staggering:

• 48 Years of officiating high school basketball.

• 46 Years working at the university level.

• 1,000+ university-level games officiated.

• 100+ GPAC and Canada West playoff assignments.

• 16 National Championship assignments (including four gold medal games).

On the global stage, DeGagne represented Canada in 37 FIBA matchups, working some of the highest-profile events in the sport. His international resume includes the 1999 and 2003 Pan American Games, the 2001 FISU Games, the Nike Hoop Summit, and the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

During the Sydney Olympics, he notably officiated the men's quarter-final (USA vs. Russia) and the women's semi-final (USA vs. Korea), while serving as the alternate for the men's gold medal game. Impressively, all of his international assignments were managed using a two-official crew.

Global Impact & Community Leadership

Beyond the hardwood, Rick has been a tireless builder of the sport across Manitoba and the Westman region. He has shaped generations of referees as a MABO clinician and evaluator, a national referee coach, and a Canada West referee observer.

His contribution to the game also extends to the bench, having coached nearly 30 school and community teams in Brandon and Boissevain between 1979 and 2011, including helping launch the West-Fit Wildcats girls' club program.

"Rick DeGagne's career represents the very best of basketball officiating in Manitoba and Canada. His on-court accomplishments are exceptional, but his broader impact as a mentor, clinician, evaluator and builder is what has helped shape generations of officials. This national recognition is well deserved and reflects a lifetime of service to the game." — Reid Kenyon, MABO President

Already a recipient of the 2014 John A. "Wink" Willox Award and a multi-sport Hall of Famer across Manitoba Softball, Kenora Sports, and Manitoba Baseball, this latest national recognition is a testament to DeGagne's unmatched dedication.

The entire Bobcats family congratulates Rick on this monumental and well-deserved achievement!