Canada West announces 2011 schedule: Huskies, Rams & Bisons open at home

CANADA WEST – Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA) announces its fall 2011 Football schedule as teams vie for a spot in the 75th Hardy Cup game and ultimately the 47th CIS Vanier Cup championship in Vancouver, part of the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup weekend.

The 24-game schedule, comprised of six teams across Western Canada, from Manitoba to British Columbia, features eight weekends of three games each, with a “bye week” for all schools in Week 6.

Opening night on Friday, Sept. 2nd will see the Alberta Golden Bears, under interim head coach Jeff Stead, in Saskatoon to face the Saskatchewan Huskies and 28-year sideline boss Brian Towriss in a rematch of 2010’s stunning semifinal match-up, won 31-30 by Alberta. The Regina Rams will host the UBC Thunderbirds that night, beginning the search for a sixth straight playoff appearance. Only Saskatchewan, at 10 years running, has a longer streak of qualifying for the Canada West post-season.

One day later, on Nov. 3rd, the three-time defending Hardy Cup champion Calgary Dinos open defence of their title on the road against the Manitoba Bisons, winners of the 2007 Vanier Cup.
Week 2 is highlighted by a key provincial battle as Regina travels to Saskatchewan on the night of Sept. 9th; Calgary and Regina, which battled in the other 2010 Canada West semi, hook up in Queen City on Sept. 16th. The West’s top-ranked teams in recent years, the Dinos and Huskies, play the first of two scheduled meetings on Friday, Sept. 23rd in Calgary during Week 4. Calgary faces yet another tough test just ahead of the bye week, hosting provincial rival Alberta on Oct. 2nd.

There’s nothing like a classic Calgary vs. Saskatchewan battle to resume the league schedule on Friday, Oct. 14th, this time at Griffiths Stadium, as the season begins to wind down. A day later, Oct. 15th, Alberta is at Manitoba as part of what should be a hotly contested playoff race, while UBC is in Edmonton, the Alberta capital, to face the Bears on Oct 22nd. The final three regular season games on Saturday, Oct. 29th will no doubt leave some teams on the outside and others gunning for home field advantage in the post-season.

Four teams will qualify for the 2011 playoffs, creating an exciting atmosphere from Day 1 and making each contest key during the regular season campaign. The post-season begins with a pair of semifinals on the weekend of November 5th.

The 75th Hardy Cup game goes Saturday, Nov. 12th, with the winner hosting the Quebec conference champion in the Mitchell Bowl on Nov. 19th as teams go head-to-head for a berth at the 47th Vanier Cup, hosted in Vancouver on Friday, Nov. 25th.

Complete, detailed broadcast schedules will become available as the season approaches.

For complete CIS schedule CLICK HERE

Contact information for all Canada West schools can be found on the www.canadawest.org Members page.

2011 Canada West Football Schedule
(all times are local)

1 Fri Sep. 2 Alberta Saskatchewan 7:00 PM
UBC Regina 7:00 PM
Sat Sep. 3 Calgary Manitoba 1:00 PM

2 Fri Sep. 9 UBC Calgary 7:00 PM
Regina Saskatchewan 7:00 PM
Sat Sep. 10 Manitoba Alberta 7:00 PM

3 Fri Sep. 16 Calgary Regina 7:00 PM
Sat Sep. 17 Saskatchewan Manitoba 1:00 PM
Alberta UBC 2:00 PM

4 Fri Sep. 23 Saskatchewan Calgary 7:00 PM
Sat Sep. 24 Regina Alberta 1:00 PM
Manitoba UBC 2:00 PM

5 Fri Sep. 30 UBC Saskatchewan 7:00 PM
Manitoba Regina 7:00 PM
Sun Oct. 2 Alberta Calgary 1:00 PM

6 Sat Oct. 8 BYE

7 Fri Oct. 14 Calgary Saskatchewan 7:00 PM
Sat Oct. 15 Alberta Manitoba 1:00 PM
Regina UBC 2:00 PM

8 Sat Oct. 22 UBC Alberta 1:00 PM
Manitoba Calgary 1:00 PM
Saskatchewan Regina 7:00 PM

9 Sat Oct. 29 Saskatchewan Alberta 1:00 PM
Regina Manitoba 1:00 PM
Calgary UBC 2:00 PM

10 Sat Nov. 5 CW Playoff semifinals 4 @ 1 / 3 @ 2

11 Sat Nov. 12 CW 75th Hardy Cup final Winners @ High finisher TBA

12 Sat Nov. 19 CIS semifinal Mitchell Bowl RSEQ @ CW

13 Fri Nov. 25 CIS championship 47th Vanier Cup in Vancouver TBA

About Canada West Universities Athletic Association
Canada West is consistently the most decorated of the four conferences in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), winning at least 10 CIS national titles every year, 1997 to 2010. Comprised of 14 schools, from the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada West produces numerous major award winners and Academic All-Canadian student-athletes each year, with many going on to athletic success around the globe in pro leagues or events such as the Olympics, Paralympics or Universiade Games. “cwuaa” on Twitter.
A proud member of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).