U Sports men's soccer is the highest level of amateur play of association football in Canada and operates under the auspices of U Sports, Canada's governing body for university sports. As of the 2024 season, 48 teams from Canadian universities are divided into four athletic conferences, drawing from the four regional associations of U Sports: Canada West Universities Athletic Association, Ontario University Athletics, Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec, and Atlantic University Sport. After interconference playoffs have been played, eight teams compete for the Sam Davidson Memorial Trophy, awarded to the U Sports men's soccer championship team.
Season structure Regular season The regular season is eight to nine weeks long, depending on the conference. Teams play between 12 and 16 regular season games, depending on conference or division, with teams typically playing a home and home series with every other team in their conference or division. All regular season games are in-conference. Following the conclusion of the regular season, the Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the Player of the Year in U Sports men's soccer.
Playoffs After the regular season, single elimination playoff games are held between the top teams in each conference to determine conference champions. In the Canada West and RSEQ conferences, the top four teams qualify for the playoffs, with the fourth and first seeded teams playing one match and the third and second seeded teams playing another. The two winning teams then play for the conference championship. Because there are more teams in the Atlantic conference, the top six teams qualify, with the top two teams receiving a first-round bye. The sixth and third seeded teams play one match and the fifth and fourth seeded teams play another. The winning teams then go on to play the top two seeded teams, with the lowest remaining seed playing the first seeded team and the highest remaining seed playing the second seeded team. The winners of these two semi-final matches then play for the Atlantic conference championship.
The Ontario playoff system operates much like the Atlantic one, except it functions for both the West and East divisions. The top six teams from each division (twelve total) qualify for the playoffs, with the top two seeds of each division receiving byes. The champions of each division then play for the OUA conference championship. Because the OUA has 12 teams competing, it necessitates a longer post-season schedule. Consequently, the first round of the playoffs in the OUA occurs during the same week that each of the other three conferences are playing their last regular season games. The four conference champions automatically qualify for the U Sports men's soccer championship.
Men's Soccer Championship
The U Sports men's soccer championship, first established in 1972, features eight teams in single elimination matches to determine a national champion. The championship hosts 11 games over four days at a predetermined host venue. The host team is automatically qualified for the tournament, as is each of the conference champions. The top team from the host conference (besides the host team) also qualifies. Berths are also awarded to the second-place finisher in each of the other three conferences.
Teams Atlantic University Sport
UniversityVarsity NameCityProvinceFoundedSoccer StadiumStadium Capacity Acadia UniversityAxemenWolfvilleNS1838Raymond Field3,000 Cape Breton UniversityCapersSydney NS 2005CBU FieldN/A Dalhousie UniversityTigersHalifax NS1818Wickwire Field2,000 Memorial University of NewfoundlandSea-HawksSt. John'sNL1925King George V Park6,400 Université de MonctonAigles BleuMonctonNB1864Moncton Stadium10,000 Mount Allison UniversityMountiesSackville NB 1839MacAulay Field2,500 University of New BrunswickVarsity RedsFredericton NB 1785BMO Centre2,500 University of Prince Edward IslandPanthersCharlottetownPEI1969UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place1,670 Saint Mary's UniversityHuskiesHalifax NS 1802Huskies Stadium4,000 St. Francis Xavier UniversityX-MenAntigonish NS 1853Oland Stadium4,000
Canada West Universities Athletic Association
UniversityVarsity NameCityProvinceFoundedSoccer StadiumStadium Capacity Pacific Division University of British ColumbiaThunderbirdsVancouverBC1906Thunderbird Stadium3,500 University of British Columbia OkanaganHeatKelowna BC 2005Nonis Sports Field200 University of the Fraser ValleyCascadesAbbotsford BC 1974Bateman Park1,000 University of Northern British ColumbiaTimberwolvesPrince George BC 1990Charles Jago Sport CentreN/A Thompson Rivers UniversityWolfPackKamloops BC 1970Hillside Stadium1,060 Trinity Western UniversitySpartansLangley BC 1962Rogers ParkN/A University of VictoriaVikesVictoria BC 1903Centennial Stadium5,000 Prairie Division University of AlbertaGolden BearsEdmontonAB1908Foote Soccer Field1,500 University of CalgaryDinosCalgary AB 1966West Varsity Soccer PitchN/A University of LethbridgePronghornsLethbridge AB 1967U of L Community Stadium2,000 MacEwan UniversityGriffinsEdmonton AB 1938Edmonton Soccer Dome1,000 Mount Royal UniversityCougarsCalgary AB 1910MRU Stadium FieldN/A University of SaskatchewanHuskiesSaskatoonSK1907Field 7 in PotashCorp Park400
Ontario University Athletics
UniversityVarsity NameCityProvinceFoundedSoccer StadiumStadium Capacity East Division Carleton UniversityRavensOttawaON1952Ravens' Field3,000 Laurentian UniversityVoyageursSudbury ON 1960Laurentian Soccer FieldN/A Nipissing UniversityLakersNorth Bay ON 1909Nipissing University soccer pitch200 Ontario Tech UniversityRidgebacksOshawa ON 2002Vaso's FieldN/A Queen's UniversityGaelsKingston ON 1841Richardson Memorial Stadium10,258 Royal Military College of CanadaPaladinsKingston ON 1876Inner FieldN/A Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson)BoldToronto ON 1948Monarch Park Stadium5,000 University of TorontoVarsity BluesToronto ON 1827Varsity Stadium5,000 Trent UniversityExcaliburPeterborough ON 1962Justin Chiu Stadium1,000 West Division Algoma UniversityThunderbirdsSault Ste. Marie ON 1964Superior Heights Field1,000 Brock UniversityBadgersSt. Catharines ON 1964Brock Field1,200 University of GuelphGryphonsGuelph ON 1964Alumni Stadium4,100 McMaster UniversityMaraudersHamilton ON 1887Ron Joyce Stadium6,000 University of WaterlooWarriorsWaterloo ON 1959Warrior Field5,400 Western University MustangsLondon ON 1878TD Waterhouse Stadium8,000 Wilfrid Laurier UniversityGolden HawksWaterloo ON 1911Alumni FieldN/A University of WindsorLancersWindsor ON 1857University of Windsor Stadium2000 York UniversityLions Toronto ON 1959York Stadium2,500
Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec
UniversityVarsity NameCityProvinceFoundedSoccer StadiumStadium Capacity Concordia UniversityStingersMontrealQC1896Concordia Stadium4,000 Université LavalRouge et OrQuebec City QC 1663PEPS Stadium12,257 McGill University Redbirds Montreal QC 1821Percival Molson Memorial Stadium25,012 Université de MontréalCarabinsMontreal QC1821CEPSUM Stadium5,100 Université de SherbrookeVert et OrSherbrooke QC 1843Stade de l'Université de Sherbrooke3,359 Université du Québec à MontréalCitadinsMontreal QC 1969 terrain #2 of Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard1,000 Université du Québec à Trois-RivièresPatriotesTrois-Rivières QC 1969Stade de l'UQTR1,500
Professional advancement
U Sports was previously not geared towards producing professional soccer players, though some U Sports players have turned pro. Top players in high schools and sports academies may opt not to play in U Sports so that they can turn pro directly. U Sports players are not eligible for the MLS SuperDraft. Despite this, some U Sports alumni in the pro ranks include Haidar Al-Shaibani (Western), Nana Attakora (York), Gabe Gala (Toronto), and Srdjan Djekanović (UBC).
Since 2019, U Sports men's soccer players have been eligible for the CPL–U Sports Draft, a draft conducted by the Canadian Premier League. This has allowed U Sports players to have a direct route to a professional league after post-secondary school. The creation of the draft has given a pathway to dozens of players since its inception. Not only do professional clubs now focus on drafting these players, but players can be invited to training camps during the university offseason allowing for greater development. Players not drafted or signed can return to school, if eligibility remains.
References
External links