2023 U Sports football season
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]
2023 U Sports football season | |
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League | U Sports |
Sport | Canadian football |
Duration | August 25, 2023 – October 28, 2023 |
Vanier Cup | |
Date | November 25, 2023 |
Venue | Richardson Memorial Stadium (Kingston, Ontario) |
The conference championships will be played on the weekend of November 11, 2023, and the season will conclude on November 25, 2023, with the 58th Vanier Cup championship. The Vanier Cup game will be held at Richardson Memorial Stadium in Kingston, Ontario, for the first time in its history.[5] 27 university teams in Canada are scheduled to play U Sports football, the highest level of amateur Canadian football.[6]
On September 23, Manitoba Bisons kicker Maya Turner became the first woman to play in a U Sports regular season football game. She ended up kicking 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
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Post-season
The Vanier Cup is played between the champions of the Mitchell Bowl and the Uteck Bowl, the national semi-final games. In 2023, according to the rotating schedule, the Atlantic conference's Loney Bowl championship team will visit the Canada West Hardy Trophy winners for the Mitchell Bowl. The Yates Cup Ontario conference championship team will visit the Québec conference Dunsmore Cup winners for the Uteck Bowl.[9] These games are scheduled to be played on November 18, 2023, while the Vanier Cup is scheduled to be played on November 25, 2023.[9]
References
- "New OUA football season kicks off August 26th". Ontario University Athletics. January 19, 2023.
- "2023 AUS fall sports schedules released". Atlantic University Sport. April 20, 2023.
- "Schedule announced for 151st year of McGill football program". McGill Redmen. April 27, 2023.
- "2023 season kicks off across Canada West on September 1st". Canada West. April 25, 2023.
- "Queen's University to host the 2023 and 2024 Vanier Cup". U Sports. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
- "U Sports Championship Information". U Sports. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- "Maya Turner kicks OT winner after becoming 1st woman to play regular-season U Sports football game". CBC News. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- "Atlantic University Sport regular season competition set to kick off this weekend". Atlantic University Sport. August 23, 2023.
- "U Sports Championship Information". U Sports. September 13, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.