UBC Thunderbirds football facts for kids
Quick facts for kids UBC Thunderbirds |
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UBC Thunderbirds logo
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| First season | 1923 |
| Athletic director | Kavie Toor |
| Head coach | Blake Nill 9th year, 40–30–0 (.571) |
| Other staff | Khari Jones (OC), Pat Tracey (DC) |
| Home stadium | Thunderbird Stadium |
| Year built | 1967 |
| Stadium capacity | 3,411 |
| Stadium surface | Polytan LigaTurf |
| Location | UBC Point Grey Campus, British Columbia |
| League | U Sports |
| Conference | CWUAA (1972–present) |
| Past associations | Western Intercollegiate Football League, Western Intercollegiate Football Union, Evergreen Football League |
| All-time record | – |
| Postseason record | – |
| Titles | |
| Vanier Cups | 4 1982, 1986, 1997, 2015 |
| Uteck Bowls | 1 2015 |
| Mitchell Bowls | 1 2023 |
| Churchill Bowls | 3 1978, 1986, 1987 |
| Atlantic Bowls | 2 1982, 1997 |
| Hardy Cups | 17 1929, 1931, 1933, 1938, 1939, 1945, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1997, 2015, 2023 |
| Hec Crighton winners | 3 Jordan Gagner, Mark Nohra, Billy Greene |
| Colours | Blue and Gold |
| Fight song | Hail U.B.C. |
| Outfitter | Adidas |
| Rivals | Calgary Dinos Simon Fraser Red Leafs |
The UBC Thunderbirds football team plays for the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are part of U Sports, which is Canada's university sports league.
The Thunderbirds have won the Hardy Trophy 17 times. This championship is for teams in Western Canada. Nationally, they have won the Vanier Cup four times. These wins were in 1982, 1986, 1997, and 2015. They also reached the final game twice but lost, in 1978 and 1987.
Three players from the Thunderbirds have won the Hec Crighton Trophy. This award goes to the best university football player in Canada. The winners were Jordan Gagner (1987), Mark Nohra (1997), and Billy Greene (2011).
Contents
Recent Team History
After not making the playoffs for four years (2007-2010), the UBC team had a great season in 2011. They won six games and lost two, finishing second in their conference. Quarterback Billy Greene also won the Hec Crighton Award that year.
However, all their wins from 2011 were later taken away. This happened because a player who was not allowed to play was on the team. UBC had to give up all their wins and playoff results from that season. The team also faced a fine and was on probation for the next year. This setback caused the team to struggle in 2012, finishing with only two wins.
In 2013, the team improved with a 4-4 record. Their strong defense and running back Brandon Deschamps helped them. Deschamps was one of only three running backs in Canada to rush for over 1,000 yards. They lost in the semi-finals to the Calgary Dinos. In 2014, the team went back to a 2-6 record and missed the playoffs again.
The 2015 Championship Season
In 2015, a big change happened when Blake Nill, a successful coach, joined UBC from the Calgary Dinos. Coach Nill quickly brought in new talent, including quarterback Michael O'Connor. O'Connor was a highly-rated young player.
With Coach Nill, the Thunderbirds had an amazing season in 2015. They finished with a 6-2 record, placing second in their conference. In the playoffs, they won three tough away games. They beat the Calgary Dinos in the Hardy Cup. Then, they won their first ever Uteck Bowl against the St. Francis Xavier X-Men.
This win sent them to the national championship game, the 51st Vanier Cup. In a very close game, UBC beat the defending champions, the Montreal Carabins. They scored a field goal in the last moments to win! This was UBC's fourth Vanier Cup, tying the Calgary Dinos for the most wins among Western Canadian universities.
Team Rivalries
The Thunderbirds used to have a big local rivalry with the Simon Fraser Clan. These two teams are from the same area. They played in a special game called the Shrum Bowl. This game was named after Gordon Shrum.
The rivalry stopped for a while when Simon Fraser University joined a different sports league in 2010. However, they played a special exhibition game in 2010. After many years, the teams played again in 2022. Another game was planned for 2023, but it was canceled because Simon Fraser University stopped its football program.
Recent Season Results
This table shows how the UBC Thunderbirds football team has done in recent regular seasons. It includes their wins, losses, and how they performed in the playoffs.
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Ties | PCT | PF | PA | Standing | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 688 | 195 | 130 | 1st in CW | Defeated Calgary Dinos in Hardy Cup 39–21 Defeated Mount Allison Mounties in Atlantic Bowl 34–29 Defeated Ottawa Gee-Gees in 33rd Vanier Cup 39–23 |
| 1998 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0.750 | 262 | 151 | 2nd in CW | Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in Hardy Cup 31–28 |
| 1999 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0.875 | 227 | 131 | 1st in CW | Defeated Calgary Dinos in CWUAA semi-final 27–14 Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in Hardy Cup 31–24 |
| 2000 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0.375 | 206 | 231 | 4th in CW | Lost to Manitoba Bisons in CWUAA semi-final 14–4 |
| 2001 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0.250 | 132 | 233 | 5th in CW | Out of Playoffs |
| 2002 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0.250 | 144 | 141 | 5th in CW | Out of Playoffs |
| 2003 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0.000 | 132 | 260 | 7th in CW | Out of Playoffs |
| 2004 | 8 | 5 | 3 | – | 0.625 | 235 | 212 | 3rd in CW | Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 39-0 |
| 2005 | 8 | 4 | 4 | – | 0.500 | 210 | 200 | 4th in CW | Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 32-6 |
| 2006 | 8 | 4 | 4 | – | 0.500 | 287 | 209 | 3rd in CW | Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 35–16 |
| 2007 | 8 | 3 | 5 | – | 0.375 | 167 | 198 | 5th in CW | Out of Playoffs |
| 2008 | 8 | 2 | 6 | – | 0.250 | 117 | 160 | 6th in CW | Out of Playoffs |
| 2009 | 8 | 3 | 5 | – | 0.375 | 110 | 263 | 5th in CW | Out of Playoffs |
| 2010 | 8 | 2 | 6 | – | 0.250 | 164 | 255 | 6th in CW | Out of Playoffs |
| 2011 | 8 | 0 | 8 | – | 0.000 | 58 | 72 | 2nd in CW | Defeated Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 27–22 Lost to Calgary Dinos in Hardy Cup 62–13 Playoff results forfeited |
| 2012 | 8 | 2 | 6 | – | 0.250 | 193 | 297 | 5th in CW | Out of Playoffs |
| 2013 | 8 | 4 | 4 | – | 0.500 | 256 | 215 | 4th in CW | Lost to Calgary Dinos in CWUAA semi-final 42–28 |
| 2014 | 8 | 2 | 6 | – | 0.250 | 175 | 293 | 6th in CW | Out of Playoffs |
| 2015 | 8 | 6 | 2 | – | 0.750 | 289 | 239 | 2nd in CW | Defeated Manitoba Bisons in CWUAA semi-final 52-10 Defeated Calgary Dinos in Hardy Cup 34–26 Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Uteck Bowl 36–9 Defeated Montreal Carabins in 51st Vanier Cup 26–23 |
| 2016 | 8 | 3 | 5 | – | 0.375 | 250 | 245 | 4th in CW | Defeated Regina Rams in CWUAA semi-final 40–34 Lost to Calgary Dinos in Hardy Cup 46–43 |
| 2017 | 8 | 6 | 2 | – | 0.750 | 231 | 172 | 2nd in CW | Defeated Regina Rams in CWUAA semi-final 28–21 Lost to Calgary Dinos in Hardy Cup 44–43 |
| 2018 | 8 | 5 | 3 | – | 0.625 | 174 | 190 | 2nd in CW | Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 31–28 (OT) |
| 2019 | 8 | 2 | 6 | – | 0.250 | 163 | 311 | 6th in CW | Out of Playoffs |
| 2020 | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||||||||
| 2021 | 6 | 3 | 3 | – | 0.500 | 135 | 221 | 4th in CW | Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 39–17 |
| 2022 | 8 | 4 | 4 | – | 0.500 | 182 | 186 | 3rd in CW | Defeated Regina Rams in CWUAA semi-final 28–14 Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in Hardy Cup 23–9 |
| 2023 | 8 | 6 | 2 | – | 0.750 | 271 | 156 | 1st in CW | Defeated Manitoba Bisons in CWUAA semi-final 29–21 Defeated Alberta Golden Bears in Hardy Cup 28–27 Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Mitchell Bowl 47–17 Lost to Montreal Carabins in 58th Vanier Cup 16–9 |
| 2024 | 8 | 5 | 3 | – | 0.625 | 216 | 222 | 2nd in CW | Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 38–33 |
A. In 2011, UBC had to give up its six regular season wins. This was because of a mistake in player eligibility. Their playoff games were also removed from the official record.
National Playoff Results
This table shows the Thunderbirds' results in national playoff games since 1965. This is when the Vanier Cup era began.
| Year | Game | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Churchill Bowl | Western | L 8–30 |
| 1978 | Churchill Bowl Vanier Cup |
Laurier Queen's |
W 25–16 L 3–16 |
| 1982 | Atlantic Bowl Vanier Cup |
St. FX Western |
W 54–1 W 39–14 |
| 1986 | Churchill Bowl Vanier Cup |
Bishop's Western |
W 32–30 W 25–23 |
| 1987 | Churchill Bowl Vanier Cup |
Laurier McGill |
W 33–31 L 11–47 |
| 1997 | Atlantic Bowl Vanier Cup |
Mount Allison Ottawa |
W 34–29 W 39–23 |
| 2015 | Uteck Bowl Vanier Cup |
St. FX Montreal |
W 36–9 W 26–23 |
| 2023 | Mitchell Bowl Vanier Cup |
St. FX Montreal |
W 47–17 L 9–16 |
UBC has won 7 out of 8 national semi-final games. They have won the Vanier Cup 4 times and lost 3 times.
Head Coaches of the Thunderbirds
This table lists the head coaches who have led the UBC Thunderbirds football team over the years.
| Name | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gordon Burke | 1923–1936 | |
| Maury Van Vliet | 1937–1941 | |
| John Farina | 1942 | |
| No team | 1943–1944 | |
| Greg Kabat | 1945–1947 | |
| Don Wilson | 1948 | |
| Orville Burke | 1949–1950 | |
| Hjalmer “Jelly” Anderson | 1951–1952 | |
| Don Coryell | 1953–1954 | |
| Frank Gnup | 1955–1972 | |
| Norm Thomas | 1973 | |
| Frank Smith | 1974–1994 | |
| Casey Smith | 1995–1997 | |
| Dave Johnson | 1998 | |
| Jay Prepchuk | 1999–2001 | |
| Laurent DesLauriers | 2002–2005 | |
| Ted Goveia | 2006–2009 | |
| Shawn Olson | 2010–2014 | |
| Blake Nill | 2015–present |
Awards and Special Honours
The UBC Thunderbirds football program has received many awards and honours.
National Award Winners
These players and coaches won major awards across Canada:
- Hec Crighton Trophy (Best Player): Jordan Gagner (1987), Mark Nohra (1997), Billy Greene (2011)
- J. P. Metras Trophy (Best Lineman): Tyson St. James (1999), Theo Benedet (2022, 2023)
- Presidents' Trophy (Best Defensive Player): Mike Emery (1981, 1982), Mark Norman (1986)
- Peter Gorman Trophy (Best Rookie): Glen Steele (1981)
- Russ Jackson Award (Academics, Athletics, Community): Nathan Beveridge (2004)
- Frank Tindall Trophy (Coach of the Year): Frank Smith (1978, 1987)
UBC Team Awards
- Michael O'Connor was a co-winner of the 2016 UBC Thunderbirds Male Athlete of the Year.
- The 2016 team won the du Vivier UBC Team of the Year Award.
UBC Hall of Fame
Some Thunderbirds have been inducted into the UBC Hall of Fame:
- 2016 inductee: Jordan Gagner, Quarterback
- 2021 inductee: Akbal Singh
Thunderbirds in Professional Football
Many former UBC Thunderbirds players have gone on to play professional football.
Players in the CFL
As of the end of the 2024 CFL season, nine former Thunderbirds were playing in the Canadian Football League (CFL):
- Ryan Baker, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- Luke Burton-Krahn, Edmonton Elks
- Nic Cross, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- Elliot Graham, Calgary Stampeders
- Ben Hladik, BC Lions
- Stavros Katsantonis, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- Lake Korte-Moore, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- Daniel Kwamou, Toronto Argonauts
- Kyle Samson, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Players in the NFL
As of the start of the 2024 NFL season, three former UBC players were on teams in the National Football League (NFL):
- Theo Benedet, Chicago Bears
- Dakoda Shepley, Dallas Cowboys
- Giovanni Manu, Detroit Lions
