The Acadia Axemen football team represents Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia in the sport of Canadian football in U Sports. The Axemen have been in continuous operation since 1957 when they played their first full season in the Nova Scotia Junior Canadian Football League.Canadian Football in Halifax and Nova Scotia 1940-1957 The program entered the top tier in Maritime football in 1962 and has been competing there ever since.University Football in Atlantic Canada 1958-1973 The program saw its greatest success from 1975 to 1981 where they won six conference championships, appeared in four Vanier Cup national championships, and won two of those in 1979 and in 1981.1981 Football Axemen: ‘A special group of players’

Recently, the Axemen had their most success in the 2011, 2012, 2017, and 2019 seasons, when the teams finished first in the AUS and reached the Uteck Bowl all four years. Since 1998, the program has qualified for the playoffs every year except for the 2008, 2022, and 2023 seasons.Bob Adams CIS Sportspage, 1997

Recent regular season results Season Games Won Lost Standing Playoffs20008 440 0.500 196 1552nd in AUS Lost to Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 38-1820018 440 0.500 121 1872nd in AUS Lost to Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 38-720028 440 0.500 205 2153rd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 25-1120038 440 0.500 201 1812nd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 30-2820048 530 0.625 254 1562nd in AUS Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 15-11Lost to Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 24-720058 530 0.625 276 1351st in AUS Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Loney Bowl 69-6Lost to Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in Uteck Bowl 31-1020068 53– 0.625 197 1551st in AUS Defeated Mount Allison Mounties in semi-final 16-6Defeated Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 32-24Lost to Laval Rouge et Or in Uteck Bowl 57-1020078 35– 0.375 182 2873rd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 38-1720088 17– 0.125 120 2394th in AUS Missed playoffs20098 26– 0.250 138 2393rd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 33-3020108 44– 0.500 134 1542nd in AUS Defeated Mount Allison Mounties in semi-final 22-14 (OT)Lost to Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 37-820118 71– 0.875 261 1081st in AUS Defeated Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 39-20 Lost to McMaster Marauders in Uteck Bowl 45-2120128 71– 0.875 229 1321st in AUS Defeated Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 17-9Lost to Laval Rouge et Or in Uteck Bowl 42-720138 35– 0.375 165 1223rd in AUS Lost to Mount Allison Mounties in semi-final 19-1020148 35– 0.375 144 2103rd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 18-1720158 44– 0.500 185 1703rd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 26-420168 26– 0.250 124 2143rd in AUS Lost to Mount Allison Mounties in semi-final 27-1820178 62– 0.750 226 1931st in AUS Defeated Saint Mary's Huskies in Loney Bowl 45-38 (OT)Lost to Western Mustangs in Uteck Bowl 81-320188 53– 0.625 236 1463rd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 33-1020198 80– 1.000 309 1651st in AUS Defeated Bishop's Gaiters in Loney Bowl 31-1Lost to Montreal Carabins in Uteck Bowl 38-02020Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic20216 15– 0.167 52 594th in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 27-2220228 08– 0.000 88 2095th in AUS Missed playoffs20238 17– 0.125 81 2035th in AUS Missed playoffs20248 26– 0.250 132 2674th in AUS Lost to Bishop's Gaiters in semi-final 59-020258 26– 0.250 84 2224th in AUS Lost to Saint Mary's Huskies in semi-final 37-0 Bob Adams CIS SportspageU Sports Standings

Head coaches Name Years Notes Fred Kelly 1956–1959 Scorchy MacVicar 1960–1964 Bill Busching 1965–1967 George Hemond 1968–1970 Bob Vespaziani 1971–1978 John Huard 1979–1983 Sonny Wolfe 1984–2003 Jeff Cummins 2004–present

National championships

Vanier Cup Champions: 1979, 1981 Runner Up: 1976, 1977

Semi-final championships

Uteck Bowl Runner Up: 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2019

Atlantic Bowl Champions: 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981 Runner Up: 1975, 1980, 1986, 1995, 1998

Conference championships

Jewett Trophy (Loney Bowl) Champions: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1995, 1998, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2019

National award winners Hec Crighton Trophy: Al Charuk (1974), Bob Stracina (1976), Bob Cameron (1977) Peter Gorman Trophy: Jerome Pathon (1993) Frank Tindall Trophy: John Huard (1981), Jeff Cummins (2011, 2017)

Axemen in the CFL As of the start of the 2026 CFL season, one former Axemen player is on a CFL team's roster: Cameron Foran, BC Lions

External links

References