The Vanier Cup is the championship of Canadian university football. It is organized by U Sports football and is currently played between the winners of the Uteck Bowl and the Mitchell Bowl. It is named after Georges Vanier, the former governor general of Canada and was first awarded in 1965 to the winner of an invitational event contested between two teams that were selected by a panel. In 1967, the trophy was declared the official "CIAU National Football Championship" and a playoff system was instituted. From its creation until 1982, it was known as the Canadian College Bowl. The game typically occurs in late November, although it is occasionally played in December.
The Concordia Stingers are the athletic teams that represent Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They compete with other schools in Canadian Interuniversity Sport, and more specifically in Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec. The Stingers were established in 1974 when Sir George Williams University and Loyola College merged to form Concordia University and replaced the preceding Sir George Williams Georgians and Loyola Warriors.
The Montréal Carabins are the men's and women's athletic teams that represent the Université de Montréal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Teams play at the CEPSUM Stadium and at l'aréna du CEPSUM, located at the Université de Montréal campus.
The Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy is a Canadian football award recognizing the most outstanding football player of the Quebec Student Sport Federation (RESQ)
U Sports football is the highest level of amateur play of Canadian football and operates under the auspices of U 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.
Glen Constantin is the current head coach of the Université Laval football team, the Laval Rouge et Or, a position he has held since 2001. He has won ten Vanier Cups with the team, including nine as head coach which is the most by a single head coach in U Sports football history. He was named coach of the year in 2005 and in 2010. As head coach, Constantin has an all-time record of 185-30, with 14 Quebec championships as of 2019.
The 2010-11 season was the Carabins second season in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's ice hockey championship (CIS). The Carabins ranked in second place in the Quebecois conference behind the McGill Martlets. In the 2011 playoffs, the Carabins eliminated the Concordia Stingers but the Carabins are in turn to eliminate in finale by McGill. The Carabins were unable to qualify for the 2011 CIS Canadian championships.
The Montreal Carabins women's ice hockey team defend the colors of the Université de Montréal and are members of the Quebec Student Sports Federation (RSEQ), and compete for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's ice hockey championship. One Carabins player have participated internationally, including the World Student Games. Home games are contested at l'aréna du CEPSUM. In addition, the Women's ice hockey team are connected to the club Montreal Carabins.
The U Sports East–West Bowl is an annual preseason Canadian university football all-star game which showcases the top U Sports football prospects in the country who will be eligible for the following year's CFL Draft. The East–West Bowl is organized by the Canadian University Football Coaches Association (CUFCA) with the support of the Canadian Football League (CFL). It brings together over 90 of the top U Sports football players for a week of practices and evaluation, culminating with the annual all-star game. A national committee of U Sports head coaches selects the participants from a pool of players nominated by their respective universities. Players who are generally in their third year of eligibility are the prime candidates for nomination. Every U Sports football program is represented by a minimum of three and a maximum of four players who will be eligible for the CFL draft the following year. Each school submits a list of six players they nominate. A committee of U Sports coaches and CFL representatives review the nominations and determine who gets invited.
Guillaume Allard-Caméus is a former Canadian football fullback who played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected in the fifth round of the 2009 CFL Draft. During the 2009 season, he went on to play four games with the Tiger-Cats and three with the Alouettes. He played college football for the Laval Rouge et Or, winning the Vanier Cup in 2006 and 2008.
The Laval Rouge et Or football team represents Laval University in Quebec City in the sport of Canadian football in U Sports. The program began its first regular season in 1996 and has quickly become one of the most successful programs in Canadian university football history. The Rouge et Or have won a record 11 Vanier Cup championships and their most recent victory occurred at the 57th Vanier Cup in 2022. They are also the only program to have played in four straight Vanier Cups and have a record of 11–2 in Vanier Cup games. The Rouge et Or have also won the Dunsmore Cup 16 times since 1999, demonstrating their historical dominance in their conference.
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.
The Sherbrooke Vert et Or football team represents the Université de Sherbrooke in Sherbrooke, Quebec in the sport of Canadian football in the RSEQ conference of U Sports. The Sherbrooke football team first began play in 1971 in the Quebec Universities Athletic Association, but only played for three seasons. The program was re-started in 2003 and has been in continuous operation since then. The Vert et Or football team is one of two U Sports football programs to have never won a conference championship, with the other being the York Lions.
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 four RSEQ conference championships and one national championship since 2014.
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.
Régis Cibasu is a professional Canadian football wide receiver for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Marc-Antoine Dequoy is a professional gridiron football defensive back for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played U Sports football for the Montreal Carabins.
Mickey Donovan is a professional Canadian football coach who is currently the special teams coordinator for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Byron Archambault is a former professional gridiron football linebacker and is the special teams coordinator, linebackers coach, and director of player personnel for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Kevin Mital is a Canadian football wide receiver for the Laval Rouge et Or of the RSEQ conference of U Sports. He is a Vanier Cup champion after winning with the Rouge et Or in 2022 and was named the game's MVP. He also won the Hec Crighton Trophy in 2022 as U Sports football's most outstanding player.
