U Sports men's basketball is the highest level of amateur play of basketball in Canada and operates under the auspices of U Sports, Canada's governing body for university sports.[1] Forty-eight 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.[1] At the end of every season, eight teams compete for the W. P. McGee Trophy, awarded to the U Sports Men's Basketball Championship team.[2]
 | |
| Formerly | CIAU men's basketball, CIS men's basketball |
|---|---|
| Sport | Basketball |
| Founded | 1962 |
| No. of teams | 48, in four conferences |
| Country | Canada |
| Most recent champion(s) | Rouge et Or (2024) |
| Most titles | Carleton Ravens (17) |
| Related competitions | U Sports men's basketball championship |
| Official website | U Sports men's basketball |
Teams
editAs of the 2022–2023 U Sports season, 48 of the 56 U Sports member institutions have men's basketball teams. The teams are split into four conferences with some conferences splitting teams further into divisions. With the addition of Ontario Tech for the 2019–20 season, the OUA moved to three six-team divisions.[3] The Canada West conference had two divisions, but reverted to a one conference format for the 2016–17 season with 17 teams.[4] The AUS conference has eight teams while the RSEQ conference has five.
Atlantic University Sport
edit| University | Varsity Name | City | Province | Founded | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia University | Axemen | Wolfville | NS | 1838 | Andrew H. McCain Arena | 1,800 |
| Cape Breton University | Capers | Sydney | NS | 1951 | Sullivan Fieldhouse | |
| Dalhousie University | Tigers | Halifax | NS | 1818 | Dalhousie Memorial Arena | 1,280 |
| Memorial University of Newfoundland | Sea-Hawks | Saint John's | NL | 1925 | Memorial Fieldhouse | |
| Saint Mary's University | Huskies | Halifax | NS | 1802 | Alumni Arena | 1,000 |
| St. Francis Xavier University | X-Men | Antigonish | NS | 1853 | Charles V. Keating Centre | 1,500 |
| University of Prince Edward Island | Panthers | Charlottetown | PEI | 1969 | MacLauchlan Arena | |
| University of New Brunswick | Reds | Fredericton | NB | 1785 | Aitken University Centre | 3,278 |
Canada West Universities Athletic Association
editOntario University Athletics
editEast Division
edit| University | Varsity Name | City | Province | Founded | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carleton University | Ravens | Ottawa | ON | 1952 | Raven's Nest | |
| Laurentian University | Voyageurs | Sudbury | ON | 1960 | Countryside Arena | |
| Nipissing University | Lakers | North Bay | ON | 1992 | North Bay Memorial Gardens | 4,246 |
| Queen's University | Gaels | Kingston | ON | 1841 | Kingston Memorial Centre | 3,300 |
| University of Ontario Institute of Technology | Ridgebacks | Oshawa | ON | 2002 | Campus Ice Centre | 800 |
| University of Ottawa | Gee-Gees | Ottawa | ON | 1894 | Sport Complex Arena | 850 |
West Division
edit| University | Varsity Name | City | Province | Founded | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algoma University | Thunderbirds | Sault Ste. Marie | ON | 1965 | ||
| University of Guelph | Gryphons | Guelph | ON | 1964 | Gryphon Centre Arena | 1,400 |
| University of Waterloo | Warriors | Waterloo | ON | 1957 | Carl Totzke Court | 5,000 |
| University of Western Ontario | Mustangs | London | ON | 1878 | Thompson Arena | |
| University of Windsor | Lancers | Windsor | ON | 1857 | Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex | |
| Wilfrid Laurier University | Golden Hawks | Waterloo | ON | 1957 | Waterloo Recreation Complex | 3,400 |
Central Division
edit| University | Varsity Name | City | Province | Founded | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock University | Badgers | St. Catharines | ON | 1964 | Seymour-Hannah Sports & Entertainment Centre | 1,400 |
| Lakehead University | Thunderwolves | Thunder Bay | ON | 1947 | Fort William Gardens | 4,680 |
| McMaster University | Marauders | Hamilton | ON | 1887 | Burridge Gymnasium in Ivor Wynne Centre | |
| Toronto Metropolitan University | Bold | Toronto | ON | 1948 | Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens | 2,796 |
| University of Toronto | Varsity Blues | Toronto | ON | 1827 | Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport | 2,000 |
| York University | Lions | Toronto | ON | 1959 | Tait McKenzie Centre | 1,200 |
Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec
edit| University | Varsity Name | City | Province | Founded | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop's University | Gaiters | Sherbrooke | QC | 1843 | Jane & Eric Molson Arena | 800 |
| Concordia University | Stingers | Montreal | QC | 1896 | Ed Meagher Arena | |
| McGill University | Redbirds | Montreal | QC | 1821 | McConnell Arena | 1,600 |
| Université Laval | Rouge et Or | Québec | QC | 1663 | Amphithéâtre-gymnase Desjardins | 3,000 |
| Université du Québec à Montréal | Citadins | Montreal | QC | 1969 | Centre Sportif de l’UQAM |
References
edit- ^ a b "U SPORTS Identity". U SPORTS.
- ^ "The History of Men's Final 8". U Sports. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ "Ontario Tech Ridgebacks Looking to Shake Up OUA in Inaugural Season". College Court Report Canada. August 14, 2019.
- ^ "Canada West approves basketball format change beginning with 2016–17 season". news.ok.ubc.ca. Canada West Universities Athletic Association. May 11, 2015.