Canadian College Football, Explained:

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Big-time college football is one of the most American things there is. Born out of a strange fusion of English class sensibility, American competitiveness and meritocratic ideals, and a little help from Canada, the current NCAA system is unlike any other system of elite sports development anywhere in the world.

But while nobody else uses university athletics as a major enrollment driver, alumni engagement tool and elite sports development program…there are a few other countries that do play college football. There are university programs competing in Mexico, Japan, and a few other countries…but the system that is probably most familiar to our readers here would be the college football that our wonderful northern neighbors play…in Canada.

Writing an in-depth story on college football in Canada is still on my reporter bucket list, but the timing hasn’t worked out yet. But recently, an expert did reach out and offer to write up a quick explainer on how it works, what makes it different, and where it’s going.

Sonny Wolfe is the former head coach of McGill and Acadia University, and a long-time veteran of college football in Canada. His thoughts and helpful explainer can be found below:

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Beyond my own professional experience, so that this article included opinions from varied perspectives, I also contacted football administrators and coaches from coast to coast. I interviewed two Athletics directors, an Assistant AD, two Conference Chairmen, and a coach with high school, professional, and university experience.

I hope to better explain the rich Canadian football tradition, explain why it is played, and how it works. Let’s start with the latter.

For the American fan, the simplest explanation of our differences might be to conclude that our football is like a combination of Divisions II & III. Like American D-II college football, Canadian schools can offer a limited number of scholarships, (right now, that number is 37, with the scholarship limited to tuition and required fees). But from a depth and competition quality level, D-III may be a closer comparison.

While a total of 39 universities have had football programs at one point, today, we have 27 university teams divided into four geographic conferences. Those are:

Canada West (6 teams) - University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, University of Alberta, University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan, University of Manitoba

Ontario - OUA (11 teams) - University of Western Ontario, Queens University, Carleton University, University of Ottawa, University of Waterloo, Wilfred Laurier University, Windsor University, York University, McMaster University, University of Toronto, Guelph University

Quebec - RSEQ (5 teams) - Laval University, University of Montreal, McGill University, University of Sherbrooke, Concordia University

Atlantic Canada - AUS (5 teams) - Saint Mary’s University, Acadia University. Mount Allison University. Saint Francis Xavier University, *Bishops University.

*Bishops is located in the Province of Quebec but decided to play in the AUS - “their schools look like us.” That they were able to compete better was also an important issue.

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