2024 U Sports football season facts for kids

The 2024 U Sports football season was an exciting time for Canadian university football. U Sports is the highest level of amateur football played by university teams across Canada. The season started on August 23, 2024, and ended on November 23, 2024, with the big championship game called the Vanier Cup.

Twenty-seven university teams from all over Canada played in this league. The season kicked off with the defending champions, the Montreal Carabins, playing against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. The championship game, the 59th Vanier Cup, was held at Richardson Memorial Stadium in Kingston, Ontario.

A special moment happened when Maya Turner, a kicker for the Manitoba Bisons, became the first woman to be named an all-star in U Sports football. She was recognized for her great kicking skills, making 14 out of 18 field goal attempts and all her extra points.

Season Schedule

The 2024 U Sports football season had different start and end dates for each conference. A conference is a group of teams that play against each other.

• The RSEQ conference started its regular season on August 23, 2024. Their games finished on October 26, 2024.
• The OUA conference began its season on August 24, 2024. Their regular season ended on October 19, 2024.
• Teams in the AUS conference also started on August 24, 2024. Their regular season wrapped up on October 26, 2024.
• The Canada West conference started a bit later, on August 30, 2024. Their regular season also ended on October 26, 2024.

After the regular season, teams played in their conference championships on November 9, 2024.

Top Players and Coaches

At the end of the season, special awards were given to the best players and coaches. These awards recognize outstanding performance and leadership.

National Award Winners

Here are some of the top national awards given out:

• The Hec Crighton Trophy goes to the most outstanding player in Canadian university football. In 2024, Taylor Elgersma from Wilfrid Laurier University won this award.
• The Presidents' Trophy is for the most outstanding defensive player. Nate Beauchemin from the University of Calgary was the winner.
• The J. P. Metras Trophy is given to the most outstanding lineman. Giordano Vaccaro from the University of Manitoba earned this award.
• The Peter Gorman Trophy recognizes the most outstanding rookie (first-year player). Enrique James Leclair from the University of Montreal was the recipient.
• The Russ Jackson Award celebrates a player who excels in football, academics, and community service. Ryker Frank from the University of Saskatchewan won this award.
• The Frank Tindall Trophy is for the coach of the year. Michael Faulds from Wilfrid Laurier University was named the top coach.
• The Gino Fracas Award is given to an outstanding assistant coach. Jerry Friesen from the University of Saskatchewan received this honor.

All-Canadian Teams

The best players from across the country were also chosen for the All-Canadian Teams. These teams are like "dream teams" made up of the top players at each position. There was a First Team and a Second Team for offense, defense, and special teams.

• Offense: Top players included quarterback Taylor Elgersma (Laurier), running backs Lucas Bertet-Dembele (Montréal) and Braydon Stubbs (Manitoba), and receivers Olivier Cool (Laval) and Ethan Jordan (Laurier).
• Defense: Key defensive players included defensive tackles Christopher Fontenard (Montréal) and Darien Newell (Queen's), defensive ends Jeremiah Ojo (Montreal) and Liam Reid (Calgary), and linebackers Justin Cloutier (Laval) and Justin Pace (Queen's).
• Special Teams: The best special teams players included kicker Ben Hadley (St. Francis Xavier), punter Michael Horvat (McMaster), and returner Tayshaun Jackson (Laurier).

Playoffs and Championships

After the regular season, teams competed in playoffs to determine the champions.

Conference Championships

Each conference held its own championship game to decide its winner.

• Atlantic University Sport (AUS): The Bishop's team won the Loney Bowl by defeating St. Mary's 25-22.
• Canada West: The Regina team won the Hardy Trophy by beating Saskatchewan 19-14.
• Ontario University Athletics (OUA): The Wilfrid Laurier team won the Yates Cup after a big 51-31 win over Western.
• Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ): The Laval team won the Dunsmore Cup by defeating Montreal 22-17 in a close game.

National Championship

The winners of the conference championships then moved on to the national semi-final games: the Mitchell Bowl and the Uteck Bowl.

• In the Uteck Bowl, Wilfrid Laurier (Yates Cup champions) played Bishop's (Loney Bowl champions). Laurier won with a score of 48-24.
• In the Mitchell Bowl, Laval (Dunsmore Cup champions) played Regina (Hardy Trophy winners). Laval won a close game 17-14.

The winners of these two semi-final games then played in the ultimate championship: the Vanier Cup.

59th Vanier Cup

The 59th Vanier Cup was played on November 23, 2024, in Kingston, Ontario. It was a thrilling game between the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks and the Laval Rouge et Or.

In the end, the Laval Rouge et Or won the 2024 Vanier Cup, defeating Wilfrid Laurier 22-17. It was a fantastic end to the U Sports football season!