Vanier Cup facts for kids
 |
|
| Sport | Canadian football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1965 |
| Inaugural season | 1965 |
| Organising body | U Sports |
| Country | Canada |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Laval Rouge et Or (12th title) |
| Most titles | Laval Rouge et Or (12 titles) |
The Vanier Cup (also known as the Coupe Vanier in French) is a super exciting championship game for university football teams in Canada. It's like the Super Bowl for Canadian university sports! This game decides which team is the national champion in U Sports football.
To get to the Vanier Cup, teams first have to win other big games. These include the Uteck Bowl and the Mitchell Bowl. Before that, teams battle it out in four regional bowl games: the Loney Bowl (for teams from Atlantic Canada), the Hardy Cup (for Western Canada), the Dunsmore Cup (for Quebec), and the Yates Cup (for Ontario).
The Laval Rouge et Or team has won the Vanier Cup more than any other team, with 12 wins! The Western Mustangs have played in the most Vanier Cup games, with 15 appearances. So far, 18 different teams have won the championship. Three other teams have played in the final game but haven't won yet. Six active teams have never even made it to the championship game. The most recent game, the 59th Vanier Cup, was played on November 23, 2024, in Kingston, Ontario. In that game, the Laval Rouge et Or beat the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 22-17 to get their twelfth championship title.
Contents
History of the Vanier Cup
The Vanier Cup started in 1965. Back then, it was called the Canadian College Bowl. For the first two years, teams were invited to play, much like some college bowl games in the United States.
Becoming a National Championship
In 1967, the Canadian College Bowl became the official national football championship. It was for the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union, which is now called U Sports. From then on, a playoff system was used to decide which two teams would play in the final game.
Where the Games Are Played
For a long time, from 1965 to 2003, the Vanier Cup was always played in Toronto, Ontario. But after 2001, other cities could bid to host the game. This meant the game could be held outside Toronto.
As of 2023, most Vanier Cups (41 out of 61) have been in Toronto. Eight games have been in Quebec City, and five in Hamilton. Other cities like Regina, Saskatoon, Vancouver, London (Ontario), Montreal, and Kingston have each hosted one game. No games have been held in the Atlantic region yet. Sometimes, the Vanier Cup has even been played in the same city and on the same weekend as the Grey Cup, which is Canada's professional football championship! This happened in Toronto in 1973, 2007, and 2012, and in Vancouver in 2011.
Why it's Called the Vanier Cup
The trophy is named after Georges Vanier. He was a former governor general of Canada, which is the King's representative in Canada. The trophy was first given out in 1965. Until 1982, the game was known as the Canadian College Bowl. The Vanier Cup usually takes place in late November, but sometimes it's played in December.
Game Cancelled in 2020
On June 8, 2020, U Sports announced that all fall sports championships for that season were cancelled. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vanier Cup Highlights
The Vanier Cup has seen many exciting games over the years. Teams from all across Canada compete for the chance to lift the trophy.
-
The Vanier Cup raised in 1990 by the Saskatchewan Huskies after beating Saint Mary's.
-
The Laurier Golden Hawks won the 2005 Vanier Cup, defeating Saskatchewan 24–23.
-
The Laval Rouge et Or playing against the McMaster Marauders in the 47th Vanier Cup.
-
The Laval Rouge et Or playing against the Calgary Dinos in the 52nd Vanier Cup.
-
The Calgary Dinos celebrating with the Vanier Cup trophy after their win over the Montreal Carabins in 2019.
Many different teams have won the Vanier Cup. The Laval Rouge et Or has won the most titles, with 12 championships. The Western Mustangs are second with 8 wins. Other teams like Calgary Dinos, Queen's Gaels, and UBC Thunderbirds have also won multiple times.
Some teams have played in the final game but haven't won. For example, the Mount Allison Mounties, Concordia Stingers, and Regina Rams have each appeared once but lost. There are also six active teams that have never made it to the Vanier Cup championship game at all.
Awards for Top Players
After each Vanier Cup game, special awards are given to the best players.
Ted Morris Memorial Trophy
The player who is named the most valuable player (MVP) of the Vanier Cup game receives the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy. This award started in 1965, the very first year of the championship. It's named after Teddy Morris, a famous former player and coach for the Toronto Argonauts. He was a big supporter of Canadian football players and helped organize the first bowl game.
Bruce Coulter Award
The Bruce Coulter Award was first given out in 1992. This award is for the most outstanding player on the opposite side of the ball from the Ted Morris Trophy winner. So, if the Ted Morris winner is an offensive player, the Bruce Coulter Award goes to a defensive player, and vice versa. It's named after Bruce Coulter, who was a long-time Head Coach for the Bishop's Gaiters. He also played offense and defense for the Montreal Alouettes in the 1950s. Bruce Coulter was recognized for his contributions to football in 1997.
Watching the Vanier Cup
The Vanier Cup final game is usually shown on TV across Canada.
From 1965 to 1976, the game was on CBC Television. Then, from 1977 to 1988, it was shown on the CTV Television Network. In 1989, TSN started broadcasting the game and continued until 2012, except for one year when it was on The Score.
In 2011, the game was held in Vancouver. It was part of the Grey Cup Festival for the first time, which made it a bigger event.
Most Watched Game Ever
The 48th Vanier Cup in 2012 was the most watched and most attended Vanier Cup game ever! It was played between Laval and McMaster at Rogers Centre in Toronto. A huge crowd of 37,098 people watched the game live. This broke the old record from 1989, when 32,847 people watched the game at SkyDome (now Rogers Centre). The 2012 game was also watched by 910,000 people on TSN and RDS.
After 2012, the broadcasting rights changed. The game was no longer always linked to Grey Cup week. This led to fewer people watching and attending the games for a few years. However, in 2019, the Vanier Cup returned to CBC, bringing it back to a wider audience.
See also
- College Football Playoff National Championship
- NCAA Division I FCS Football Championship
- College football
