Laval University to host 2013 Vanier Cup

Photo credit Yan Doublet

OTTAWA (CIS) – Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced Thursday that Laval University has been selected to host the 49th Vanier Cup in 2013.

The CIS football championship game will be played in Quebec City for the third time in history. The event was a resounding success at TELUS-Université Laval Stadium in 2009 and 2010, each time attracting enthusiastic crowds far exceeding the seating capacity of 12,300.
The 2013 national final is slated for Saturday, November 23 (kickoff time TBD).

“We are very excited to return to Quebec City for the 2013 Vanier Cup,” said CIS president Leo MacPherson. “We are coming off a very successful Vanier Cup and we strongly feel staging the game at Laval next fall is the best way to build on that success and keep the momentum going as we get set to celebrate our 50th anniversary edition in 2014.”

Last November, Laval defeated McMaster 37-14 at Rogers Centre in Toronto in front of a Vanier Cup-record crowd of 37,098. It marked the second straight year – and the third time in six years – that the CIS championship match was held as part of Grey Cup Weekend in partnership with the CFL.

“We truly enjoyed our partnership with the CFL and the Grey Cup Festival. However, due to logistical challenges, a joint venture in Regina next fall was not possible,” added MacPherson. “Over the past few months, a number of other CIS member institutions expressed interest in hosting the Vanier Cup and they will look to submit bids in the future. Considering Laval’s strong interest and track record of hosting successful CIS championships, including many football events, we are confident they will stage another memorable Vanier Cup.”

“It’s an honour to be selected to host the 49th Vanier Cup. Over the years, we have shown our ability to organize an event of that magnitude and our new Super PEPS infrastructures, which will be in place by next fall, will further enhance the experience for student-athletes, coaches, fans, partners, and fans watching on television,” said Laval director of athletics and recreation, Christian Gagnon.

The Laval football program has enjoyed unparalleled success since its CIS debut in 1996, both on the field and at the gate.

Thanks to their triumph over McMaster last November, the Rouge et Or set an all-time mark with a seventh Vanier Cup title, one more than Western, one of the oldest programs in Canadian university football. From a fan experience perspective, Laval has led the country in attendance for well over a decade, including a remarkable average of 14,257 in six home games in 2012.

The previous Vanier Cup finals played at TELUS-UL Stadium attracted 18,628 in 2009 (Queen’s vs. Calgary) and 16,237 in 2010 (Laval vs. Calgary).

Details about the bid process for the 50th Vanier Cup in 2014 will be announced later this year.

VANIER CUP VENUES:

Varsity Stadium, Toronto (21): 1965-1972, 1976-1988
Rogers Centre, Toronto (17): 1989-2003, 2007, 2012
CNE Stadium, Toronto (3): 1973, 1974, 1975
Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton (3): 2004, 2005, 2008
TELUS-Université Laval Stadium, Quebec City (3): 2009, 2010, 2013
Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon (1): 2006
BC Place Stadium, Vancouver (1): 2011

-CIS-