2023 USports Football

[AngeloV]

USports changing its scholarship rules, making it easier for young athletes:

https://usports.ca/en/news/2023/09/2...lity-alignment

Beginning next year, first-time entering student-athletes will be permitted to participate and receive an athletic scholarship so long as they have been accepted to a member university and enrolled in degree-granting courses.

The new direction replaces the existing policy that requires entering student-athletes to have an 80% average in their final year of high school or CEGEP to be eligible for an entering athletic scholarship and a 60% average to participate athletically in their first year of study.

Hopefully, this will grant opportunities for a few more young football players who don't have the highest grades. Might impact the CJFL pool a bit.

I haven't read the story, but is this only for Canadian kids, or does it include American kids? I couldn't help but notice that Windsor has 20 Americans (and not just from across the border) on their team, and UBC's QB is from Texas. It seems to have worked for Windsor, and UofT and York may need to start recruiting that way too to stay competitive if high level local kids don't want to go play for them.

[Mocha]

I haven't read the story, but is this only for Canadian kids, or does it include American kids? I couldn't help but notice that Windsor has 20 Americans (and not just from across the border) on their team, and UBC's QB is from Texas. It seems to have worked for Windsor, and UofT and York may need to start recruiting that way too to stay competitive if high level local kids don't want to go play for them.

Good question, I haven't seen that addressed anywhere in what I've read.

[ArgoRavi]

I haven't read the story, but is this only for Canadian kids, or does it include American kids? I couldn't help but notice that Windsor has 20 Americans (and not just from across the border) on their team, and UBC's QB is from Texas. It seems to have worked for Windsor, and UofT and York may need to start recruiting that way too to stay competitive if high level local kids don't want to go play for them.

Any concerns about this, OV?

[OV Argo]

Any concerns about this, OV?

Literally hundreds of Canadian kids have been getting to go down to get nice US college ball training for decades now, so why would i be concerned if the Canadian football system including U Sports ball, attracts a few good American players who want to play here plus get University educated ? Do you think Americans are up in arms that 2 Canadian QBs (the Rourke brothers) have been leading the Ohio Bobcats - a Div I team - for something like 8 straight years now ?

When U Sports or other Canadian ball, like Junior, starts following the CFL model of hiring mostly Americans to run their teams and those guys in charge favor their fellow Americans for spots and playing time, especially at select positions, then let me know and I might voice some concerns.

And BTW, for those of us who like defensive football, this was a good Vanier Cup game. I know a lot of people prefer lots of spectacular scoring in the game of football and I do - sometimes - but also love variety in football, including low scoring defensive games (and this game still featured some diverse offence - and although most U Sports offences have copied basic CFL offence now, we still get to see wayyyyyyyy more offensive variety in U Sports ball - much more commitment to the ground game often; and UBC used a tight end / H-back for a number of nice pass receptions in this game). You need to pay a bit more attention perhaps if you think powerhouse teams like Western or Laval or Sask. Huskies just copy CFL offences - they do not, and have way more diversity and imagination, plus often something called a powerful and applied ground attack, that is beyond the grasp of CFL GOB offences nowdays.

IMO, Vanier Cup games have beaten Grey Cup games for solid, entertaining football games for the title, in a good number of years - and I always watch both and have for decades. This year's GC was a more entertaining game IMO, but it was still a good hard fought Vanier; and some of us just prefer Canadian football over the American version, while liking and respecting both games.