Photo provided by U SPORTS (Michael P. Hall)
On campuses across the country, the usual hallmarks are there: Worn-out sharpies are being replaced in team offices after a training camp’s worth of use. Cheer tryouts are being held. Student journalists are writing their season previews for the campus paper. Alumni events are scheduled. Teams are taping “Beat (x team)” mottos around their locker room.
It’s Week 1 in Canadian university football, a wildly entertaining product that is one of the best-kept secrets in Canadian sports.
The same old customers are back, as powerhouse programs like Laval and Western promise the week-to-week entertainment and pageantry we’ve come to expect.
The Western Mustangs will look to repeat as Vanier Cup champions. (U SPORTS Photo/Michael P. Hall)
There will be challengers, too: Programs like Laurier, Regina and Saint Mary’s, which have shifted the power structure in their respective conferences in recent seasons.
Our extensive coverage of the 2018 U SPORTS football season will span weekly previews, recaps, highlights and our #UniversityBlitz pick’em series featuring current CFL players.
This week’s #UniversityBlitz marquee matchups:
St. FX @ Saint Mary’s (AUS) | Friday, 6 p.m. ET
The 2018 season kicks off out east, where St. FX and Saint Mary’s will meet in a rematch of last year’s AUS semi-final. SMU won 16-15 back on Nov. 4, ending X’s season in the process. Bad blood? Count on it.
Laval @ Sherbrooke (RSEQ) | Friday, 7 p.m. ET
The reigning champion Rouge et Or — Vanier Cup winners in eight of the last 15 seasons — start their drive for Vanier No. 10 overall in Sherbrooke against the Vert et Or. U. de S. will hope to improve on last year’s 2-6 mark, its worst since 2003, while Laval is aiming to exorcise the demons of last year’s 39-17 Vanier loss to Western.
Two-time All-Canadian Kurleigh Gittens Jr. will look to lead Laurier back to the promised land. (U SPORTS Photo/Charity Matheson)
Ottawa @ Laurier (OUA) | Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
It’s been eight years since the traditionally powerful uOttawa Gee-Gees made the Yates Cup — the Ontario conference’s championship — and 12 years since they won. Meanwhile, Laurier has been rejuvenated under youthful head coach Michael Faulds, who in another life (2005-09) was a 10,000-yard quarterback at Western.
Guelph @ McMaster (OUA) | Sunday, 3 p.m. ET
After making three Vaniers in four years (2011-14), McMaster has failed to reach the conference final in three seasons since — despite an 18-6 regular-season record in that span. Guelph, similarly, couldn’t translate four-straight 7-1 seasons (2012-15) into a Vanier appearance and has been a .500 team in recent years.
Week 1 U SPORTS Schedule
Friday, August 24
AUS | St. FX @ Saint Mary’s | 6 p.m. ET
RSEQ | McGill @ Montreal | 7 p.m. ET
RSEQ | Laval @ Sherbrooke | 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, August 25
AUS | Bishop’s @ Mt. Allison | 2 p.m. ET
Sunday, August 26
OUA | Western @ Carleton | 1 p.m. ET
OUA | Ottawa @ Laurier | 1 p.m. ET
OUA | Queen’s @ York | 1 p.m. ET
OUA | Guelph @ McMaster | 3 p.m. ET
OUA | Windsor @ Waterloo | 7 p.m. ET
The Guelph Gryphons will hit the road for a Week-1 matchup at McMaster. (U SPORTS Photo/Charity Matheson)
