2023 U Sports football season

Last updated
2023 U Sports football season
League U Sports
Sport Canadian football
DurationAugust 25, 2023 – October 28, 2023
Playoffs
Hardy Cup champions UBC Thunderbirds
Yates Cup champions Western Mustangs
Dunsmore Cup champions Montreal Carabins
Loney Bowl champions St. Francis Xavier X-Men
Mitchell Bowl championsUBC Thunderbirds
Uteck Bowl championsMontreal Carabins
Vanier Cup
DateNovember 25, 2023
Venue Richardson Memorial Stadium
(Kingston, Ontario)
ChampionsMontreal Carabins
Seasons
  2022
2024  

The 2023 U Sports football season began on August 25, 2023, with the defending champion Laval Rouge et Or visiting the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. On the following day, ten Ontario University Athletics teams, four Atlantic University Sport teams, and two RSEQ opened their schedules on August 26, 2023. [1] [2] [3] On the following weekend, the six Canada West teams opened their seasons on September 1, 2023. [4]

Contents

The conference championships were played on the weekend of November 11, 2023, and the season concluded on November 25, 2023, with the 58th Vanier Cup championship. The Vanier Cup game was held at Richardson Memorial Stadium in Kingston, Ontario, for the first time in its history. [5] 27 university teams in Canada played U Sports football, the highest level of amateur Canadian football. [6]

On September 23, 2023, Manitoba Bisons kicker Maya Turner became the first woman to play in a U Sports regular season football game. She kicked the game winning field goal in overtime for the Bisons in their game against the Regina Rams. [7]

Schedules

On January 19, 2023, the OUA released their schedule which featured no major changes from the 2022 season, with 11 teams playing eight regular season games over nine weeks. [1] The regular season will start on August 26, 2023, and end on October 21, 2023. Seven teams will qualify for the playoffs, which begin on October 28, 2023, with the top seed having a first-round bye. [1] The 115th Yates Cup game is scheduled to be played on November 11, 2023. [1]

On April 20, 2023, the AUS schedule was revealed with the first two games scheduled to be played on August 26, 2023. [2] Five AUS teams will play eight games over 10 weeks with each team receiving two bye weeks. [2] In a format change this year, the top four teams will qualify for the AUS playoffs rather than three, with two semi-final games determining the participants for the AUS championship. [8] The Canada West schedule was announced on April 25, 2023, and the RSEQ schedule was revealed on April 27, 2023, with no major scheduling changes from the 2022 U Sports football season. [3] [4]

Regular season

Standings

TeamW L PF PA PtsPly
#5 St. FX 80 26790 16
Bishop's 62 238110 12X
Mount Allison 35 100176 6X
Saint Mary's 26 115252 4X
Acadia 17 81203 2
† – Conference Champion
Rankings: U Sports Top 10
TeamW L PF PA PtsPly
#2 Montréal 71 28893 14
#4 Laval 62 226122 12X
Concordia 53 200192 8X
Sherbrooke 17 136280 2X
McGill 17 147310 2
† – Conference Champion
Rankings: U Sports Top 10
TeamW L PF PA PtsPly
#1 Western 80 350151 16
#3 Laurier 71 282145 14X
#9 Windsor 62 256132 12X
#7 Queen's 53 242122 10X
Ottawa 44 171187 8X
Carleton 44 226168 8X
Waterloo 35 188251 6X
Guelph 35 248214 6
Toronto 26 171250 4
McMaster 26 191187 4
York 08 42560 0
† – Conference Champion
Rankings: U Sports Top 10
TeamW L PF PA PtsPly
#10 British Columbia 62 271156 12
#6 Alberta 62 247196 12X
#8 Saskatchewan 53 229149 10X
Manitoba 35 203272 6X
Calgary 35 140204 6
Regina 17 155268 2
† – Conference Champion
Rankings: U Sports Top 10

Post-season awards

Award-winners

QuebecOntarioAtlanticCanada WestNational
Hec Crighton Trophy Jonathan Sénécal
(Montreal)
Taylor Elgersma
(Wilfrid Laurier)
Silas Fagnan
(St. Francis Xavier)
Matthew Peterson
(Alberta)
Jonathan Sénécal
(Montreal)
Presidents' Trophy Harold Miessan
(Montreal)
Max Charbonneau
(Ottawa)
Daniel Bell
(Mount Allison)
Nick Wiebe
(Saskatchewan)
Harold Miessan
(Montreal)
J. P. Metras Trophy Christopher Fontenard
(Montreal)
Tyson Hergott
(Waterloo)
Alex Fedchun
(St. Francis Xavier)
Theo Benedet
(British Columbia)
Theo Benedet
(British Columbia)
Peter Gorman Trophy Justin Cloutier
(Laval)
Ethan Gregorcic
(Wilfrid Laurier)
Mikaël Pattin
(Bishop's)
Owen Sieben
(Regina)
Justin Cloutier
(Laval)
Russ Jackson Award N/AAlex Cheng
(McMaster Marauders)
Spencer Richard
(Acadia)
Mark Rauhaus
(Manitoba)
Mark Rauhaus
(Manitoba)
Frank Tindall Trophy Marco Iadeluca
(Montreal)
Michael Faulds
(Wilfrid Laurier)
Gary Waterman
(St. Francis Xavier)
Chris Morris
(Alberta)
Chris Morris
(Alberta)
Gino Fracas AwardÉmilie Pfeiffer Badoux
(Concordia)
Zach Scotto
(Wilfrid Laurier)
Matt Elliott
(Saint Mary's)
Vaughan Mitchell
(Manitoba)
Vaughan Mitchell
(Manitoba)

[9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

All-Canadian Team

Offence
First TeamSecond Team
Quarterback Jonathan Sénécal (Montreal)Taylor Elgersma (Laurier)
Running BackMatthew Peterson (Alberta)

Jared Chisari (Queen's)

Malcolm Bussey (St. Francis Xavier)

Amlicar Polk (Ottawa)

ReceiverEthan Jordan (Laurier)

Darius Simmons (McGill)

Savaughn Magnaye-Jones (Western)

A. K. Gassama (Manitoba)

Raidan Thorne (Laurier)

Kaseem Ferdinand (Carleton)

Ben Harrington (St. Francis Xavier)

Hassane Dosso (Montreal)

CentreDaniel Shin (Alberta)Ryan Berta (Queen's)
GuardGiordano Vaccaro (Manitoba)

Alassane Diouf (Montreal)

Matthew Ljuden (Alberta)

Evan Floren (Queen's)

Tackle Theo Benedet (UBC)

Erik Andersen (Western)

Giovanni Manu (UBC)

Nathaniel Dumoulin-Duguay (Laval)

UtilityLucas Robertson (UBC)Niklas Henning (Queen's)
Defence
First TeamSecond Team
Defensive TackleChristopher Fontenard (Montreal)

Darien Newell (Queen's)

Muftah Ageli (Windsor)

Kyle Samson (UBC)

Defensive EndJeremiah Ojo (Montreal)

Tyson Hergott (Waterloo)

Kolade Amusan (Windsor)

George Idoko (Saskatchewan)

LinebackerHarold Miessan (Montreal)

Nick Wiebe (Saskatchewan)

Ife Onyemenam (Laurier)

Nicky Farinaccio (Montreal)

Max Charbonneau (Ottawa)

Lourenz Bowers-Kane (Western)

Free SafetyJackson Findlay (Western)Jonathan Giustini (Alberta)
Defensive HalfbackBruno Lagacé (Montreal)

Eric Cumberbatch (Ottawa)

Cristophe Beaulieu (Laval)

Daniel Bell (Mount Allison)

CornerbackKaylyn St-Cyr (Montreal)

Katley Joseph (Saskatchewan)

Jassin States-McClean (Saint Mary's)

Louis Lavaud (Carleton)

Special Teams
First TeamSecond Team
KickerBen Hadley (St. Francis Xavier)Vincent Blanchard (Laval)
PunterAldo Galvan (Regina)Michael Horvat (McMaster)
ReturnerJavonni Cunningham (Windsor)Guillaume Cauchon (Laval)
Rush/CoverCharles-Eliot Boulianne (Montreal)Skyler Griffith (UBC)

[13]

Post-season

The Vanier Cup was played between the champions of the Mitchell Bowl and the Uteck Bowl, the national semi-final games. In 2023, as per the rotating schedule, the Atlantic conference's Loney Bowl championship team, the St. Francis Xavier X-Men, visited the Canada West Hardy Trophy winners, the UBC Thunderbirds for the Mitchell Bowl. The Yates Cup Ontario conference championship team, the Western Mustangs, visited the Québec conference Dunsmore Cup winners, the Montreal Carabins, for the Uteck Bowl. [14] These games were played on November 18, 2023, while the Vanier Cup was played on November 25, 2023. [14]

Conference championships

Atlantic University Sport

November 4
Semi-finals
November 11
32nd Loney Bowl
      
1 St. Francis Xavier 36
4 St. Mary's 20
1 St. Francis Xavier 34
2 Bishop's 23
2 Bishop's 34
3 Mount Allison 15

Canada West

November 4
Semi-finals
November 11
86th Hardy Trophy
      
1 UBC 29
4 Manitoba 21
1 UBC 28
2 Alberta 27
2 Alberta 40
3 Saskatchewan 17

Ontario University Athletics

October 28
Quarter-finals
November 4
Semi-finals
November 11
115th Yates Cup
         
1 Western 47
4 Queen's 20
4 Queen's 15
5 Ottawa 10
1 Western 29
2 Laurier 14
2 Laurier 69
7 Waterloo 0
2 Laurier 21
3 Windsor 14
3 Windsor 14
6 Carleton 11

Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec

November 4
Demi-finales
November 11
42e Coupe Dunsmore
      
1 Montréal 54
4 Sherbrooke 3
1 Montréal 12
2 Laval 6
2 Laval 34
3 Concordia 27

National championship

 
November 18th
Semi-finals
November 25th
Final
 
      
 
Uteck BowlMontreal, QC
 
 
Montreal29
 
Vanier CupKingston, ON
 
Western3
 
Montreal16
 
Mitchell BowlVancouver, BC
 
UBC9
 
UBC47
 
 
St. Francis Xavier17
 

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanier Cup</span> Canadian university gridiron football championship trophy

The Vanier Cup is a post season university football championship game, used to determine the national champion in U Sports football. The game is the final for the winners of the Uteck Bowl and the Mitchell Bowl. In turn, the participating teams are determined by the winners of 4 bowl games: the Loney Bowl (AUS), Hardy Cup, Dunsmore Cup (RSEQ), and Yates Cup (OUA).

The Mitchell Bowl is one of the two semifinal bowls of U Sports football, Canada's national competition for university teams that play Canadian football. It is held in the more westerly location of the two semifinal venues. The winner of this game goes on to play against the Uteck Bowl champions for the Vanier Cup. The home of the Mitchell Bowl, as well as the two conference champions, changes each year on a rotating basis. The Mitchell Bowl was named after Douglas H. Mitchell, a former Canadian Football League commissioner and member of the National Hockey League board of governors.

The Uteck Bowl is one of the two semifinal bowls of U Sports football, Canada's national competition for university teams that play Canadian football. It is held in the easternmost of the two semifinal venues. The Uteck Bowl champion moves on to face the Mitchell Bowl champion for the Vanier Cup. It was named for Larry Uteck, a former professional football player and university coach who died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U Sports football</span> University competition in Canadian football

U Sports football is the highest level of amateur play of Canadian football and operates under the auspices of U Sports, Canada's governing body for university sports. Twenty-seven teams from Canadian universities are divided into four athletic conferences, drawing from the four regional associations of U Sports: Canada West Universities Athletic Association, Ontario University Athletics, Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec, and Atlantic University Sport. At the end of every season, the champions of each conference advance to semifinal bowl games; the winners of these meet in the Vanier Cup national championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McMaster Marauders football</span> University Canadian football team

The McMaster Marauders football team represents McMaster University based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The team plays U Sports football in the Ontario University Athletics conference. The Marauders have been playing organized football since 1901 when they played their first exhibition game in the Canadian Intercollegiate Rugby Football Union. The team has appeared in four Vanier Cup games, winning one in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">48th Vanier Cup</span>

The 2012 Vanier Cup, the 48th edition of the Canadian university football championship, took place on Friday, November 23, 2012 at Rogers Centre in Toronto. The game featured a rematch of the previous year's Vanier Cup game as the McMaster Marauders attempted to become repeat champions against the Laval Rouge et Or. This was the second time in Vanier Cup history that the same two teams played each other in consecutive years.

The 2014 CIS football season began on September 1, 2014 with ten Ontario University Athletics teams playing that day. The season concluded on November 29 with the 50th Vanier Cup championship at Molson Stadium in Montreal. This year, 27 university teams in Canada are scheduled to play Canadian Interuniversity Sport football, the highest level of amateur Canadian football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">51st Vanier Cup</span> Canadian university gridiron football championship

The 2015 Vanier Cup, the 51st edition of the Canadian university football championship, took place on Saturday, November 28, 2015 at Telus Stadium in Quebec City, Quebec. It was the fourth time that the city of Quebec has hosted the Vanier Cup. For the third consecutive year the championship game was played in the province of Quebec. The game featured the Canada West Champion UBC Thunderbirds and the RSEQ Champion Montreal Carabins. This was the second appearance for the Carabins - in back-to-back years - and the sixth for the Thunderbirds.

The 2016 CIS football season began on August 28 with ten Ontario University Athletics teams playing that day. The season concluded on November 26 with the 52nd Vanier Cup championship at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario. In 2016, 27 university teams were scheduled to play Canadian Interuniversity Sport football, the highest level of amateur Canadian football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">53rd Vanier Cup</span> Canadian university gridiron football championship

The 53rd Vanier Cup, the 2017 edition of the U Sports football championship, was held on November 25, 2017, at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario. The defending champion Laval Rouge et Or made their 11th Vanier Cup appearance while the Western Mustangs made their nation-leading 13th appearance. This was a rematch of the 44th Vanier Cup which was won by Laval and also played in Hamilton. Western defeated Laval, 39–17, to win its first national championship since 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishop's Gaiters football</span> University Canadian football team

The Bishop's Gaiters football team represents Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, Quebec in the sport of Canadian football in the Atlantic University Sport conference of U Sports. The Bishop's Gaiters football program can trace its roots back to 1884 and has fielded teams in every decade since then. The program is one of six currently playing U Sports football that has not made a Vanier Cup appearance. However, it is the only program to have appeared in three of the four current conference championship games, with two Yates Cup games played, nine Dunsmore Cup games, and two Loney Bowl games. The program has four conference championships, all Dunsmore Cup wins, with victories in 1986, 1988, 1990, and 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montreal Carabins football</span> U Sports football team

The Montreal Carabins football team represents the University of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec in the sport of Canadian football in U Sports. The Carabins program has been in operation since its resurrection in the 2002 football season and has established itself as a provincial and national powerhouse with five RSEQ conference championships and two national championships, in 2014 and 2023.

The 2017 U Sports football season began on August 25 with the St. Francis Xavier X-Men visiting the Saint Mary's Huskies in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the Montreal Carabins visiting the Concordia Stingers in Montreal, Quebec. The season concluded on November 25 with the 53rd Vanier Cup championship at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario. This season saw the first conference shift since 2001 with the Bishop's Gaiters moving from the Quebec Student Sport Federation to the Atlantic University Sport conference. 27 university teams in Canada participated in the newly re-branded U Sports football, the highest level of amateur Canadian football. The Western Mustangs defeated the Laval Rouge et Or, 39-17, to win their first Vanier Cup since 1994.

The 2018 U Sports football season began on August 24, 2018, with the St. Francis Xavier X-Men visiting the Saint Mary's Huskies in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Quebec Student Sport Federation teams played an hour later with the Laval Rouge et Or visiting the Sherbrooke Vert et Or and the McGill Redmen playing the Montreal Carabins. The Ontario University Athletics teams began play on August 25, 2018, and the Canada West teams opened their season one week later on August 31, 2018.

The 2019 U Sports football season began on August 23, 2019, with the Concordia Stingers hosting the Montreal Carabins in Montreal, Quebec. The Atlantic University Sport conference started play the following day and the Ontario University Athletics conference began play on August 25, 2019. The Canada West teams began play during the following weekend, on August 30, 2019. All 27 U Sports football teams played eight regular season games against opponents within the same conference.

The 2021 U Sports football season began on August 28, 2021, with the Sherbrooke Vert et Or hosting the Montreal Carabins in Sherbrooke, Quebec. The Atlantic University Sport conference began play on September 17, 2021, and ten Ontario University Athletics teams opened their seasons on September 18, 2021. The Canada West conference began their regular season last with all six teams playing on September 25, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, all conferences except the RSEQ played six regular season games while the RSEQ played eight.

The 2022 U Sports football season began on August 27, 2022, with four Atlantic University Sport teams, four RSEQ teams, and ten Ontario University Athletics teams opening their schedules that day. The six Canada West teams began their schedules one week later with two games on September 2 and one on September 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">57th Vanier Cup</span> 2022 U Sports football national championship game

The 2022 Vanier Cup, the 57th edition of the U Sports Football Championship, took place on November 26, 2022 at Western Alumni Stadium in London, Ontario. The game determined the U Sports football national champion for the 2022 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">58th Vanier Cup</span> 2023 U Sports football national championship game

The 2023 Vanier Cup, the 58th edition of the U Sports Football Championship, took place on November 25, 2023 at Richardson Memorial Stadium in Kingston, Ontario. The game determined the U Sports football national champion for the 2023 season.

The 2024 U Sports football season began on August 23, 2024, with the defending champion Montreal Carabins hosting the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. On the following day, four Atlantic University Sport teams and six Ontario University Athletics teams opened their schedules on August 24, 2024. The Canada West conference began their season one week later on August 30.

References

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  6. "U Sports Championship Information". U Sports . Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  7. "Maya Turner kicks OT winner after becoming 1st woman to play regular-season U Sports football game". CBC News. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
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  12. "Alberta's Peterson named CW Player of the Year". Canada West. November 9, 2023.
  13. 1 2 "Montréal's Jonathan Sénécal wins 2023 Hec Crighton Award". U Sports. November 24, 2023.
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