OUA releases complete 2019-20 regular season schedules for G1 and G2 league-based sports
Burlington, Ont. – The excitement of summer is in full swing, but the anticipation of a new season of university sport isn’t far behind. It won’t be long before student-athletes get back to campus and teams begin their new quests for the Cup. Ahead of these triumphant returns, Ontario University Athletics (OUA) is pleased to announce the complete regular season schedules for the 2019-20 G1 and G2 league-based sports – football, basketball, hockey, volleyball, rugby, and field hockey.
Football
Regular Season Start Date: August 25, 2019
Regular Season End Date: October 19, 2019
Full Schedule: HERE
Despite falling just shy of their second straight Vanier Cup victory, the Western Mustangs – winners of back-to-back Yates Cups – will once again enter the conference schedule as one of the best in the country. Not only that, but the purple and white, winners of 23 of their last 24 games, will bring an in-conference winning streak of 20 consecutive games to their first matchup of the year, which will come against the team they faced off with in both the 2016 and 2017 Yates Cups – the Laurier Golden Hawks – on August 25.
While the opening chapter will surely start off with a bang, the fireworks by no means stop there. Among the many remaining matchups that will grind it out on the gridiron the rest of the way are plenty of other tantalizing tilts that fans can circle on the calendar a trio of homecoming games on Weeks 6 and 9, a pair of rivalry games – the Battle of Waterloo and the Red & Blue Bowl – on Thanksgiving weekend, and the 51st edition of the Panda Game in Week 7.
The regular season will come to a close on Saturday, October 19 before the quest for the Yates Cup ramps up into postseason play.
Women’s & Men’s Basketball
Regular Season Start Date: October 23, 2019
Regular Season End Date: February 15, 2020
Full Schedules: Women’s | Men’s
Amidst the excitement of a new season also comes the anticipation of a new team, as the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks will be hitting the hardwood for their inaugural season in 2019-20. The addition of the Ridgebacks hoopsters brings the league to now 18 teams on both the men’s and women’s side, creating a new three-division format.
Ontario Tech won’t make their respective debuts until October 25 when they battle the Laurentian Voyageurs, but a pair of games will tip off two days prior to open the campaign. The reigning men’s West Division champion Laurier Golden Hawks will welcome the Toronto Varsity Blues to open the OUA season, while the Western Mustangs gallop to Windsor to take on the Lancers.
The reigning Critelli Cup and Bronze Baby champion McMaster Marauders will do battle with the Lakehead Thunderwolves on October 25 to open their quest for a repeat, while the provincial and national champions on the men’s side – the Carleton Ravens – will first hit the course the following weekend when they welcome the Waterloo Warriors to the Ravens Nest.
The two semesters of play will wrap up with a full slate of games on February 15, 2020.
Women’s Hockey
Regular Season Start Date: October 17, 2019
Regular Season End Date: February 15, 2020
Full Schedule: HERE
Much to the delight of fans of both the purple and gold and black and gold, the women’s hockey season will get underway on October 17 with the latest edition of the Battle of Waterloo, as the Golden Hawks and Warriors get the ball rolling on what should be a riveting campaign all around. The following day will see last year’s McCaw Cup runners up, the Toronto Varsity Blues, open their season against the Queen’s Gaels, while the defending provincial and national champions from Guelph, will take on Laurier in the second night of their back-to-back on October 18.
After the Brock Badgers and Toronto Varsity Blues close out the first half with a December 1 clash, a trio of contests will usher in the push for the playoffs on January 3. A rematch of last year’s thrilling championship will be just one of the games helping teams get back in the swing of things in the second semester, and the intensity will only ratchet up from there until the season’s final tilts on February 15, 2020; a slate that features six of last year’s postseason teams putting a bow on the regular season.
Men’s Hockey
Regular Season Start Date: October 2, 2019
Regular Season End Date: February 9, 2020
Full Schedule: HERE
It took 40 years for the Queen’s Gaels to get back to the top of the provincial elite, and as they begin their quest to become back-to-back champions, they’ll first take to the ice for a pair of games against the Laurentian Voyageurs. The season as a whole, however, will first hit the ice in the form of a clash between the Carleton Ravens and UQTR Patriotes.
The East Division champs from the regular season will also venture to Quebec for their opener, doing battle with McGill, while the West Division’s top seed from a year ago will look to exact some revenge on the team that ended their postseason run – and ultimately fell to the Gaels in the Queen’s Cup final – when the Ryerson Rams host the Guelph Gryphons on October 10.
After wrapping up the fall semester on December 1, the home stretch will hit the ice on January 2. A jam-packed final weekend will help determine who will do battle in the second season, with the final tally in the regular season standings coming from of a head-to-head collision between the high-octane Gee-Gees and champion Gaels on February 9, 2020.
Women’s & Men’s Volleyball
Regular Season Start Date: October 25, 2019
Regular Season End Date: February 23, 2020
Full Schedules: Women’s | Men’s
The Toronto Varsity Blues made their way to the top of women’s volleyball elite this past season with a Quigley Cup win over the 2018 champion Ryerson Rams, and fans won’t have to wait long to see the two Greater Toronto Area squads to battle this season. The powerhouse pair will go toe-to-toe on opening weekend with an early match on October 26. A total of seven matches will help the 2019-20 campaign officially get underway the day prior; however, with the first points of the year being played on October 25.
The Forsyth Cup champion Queen’s Gaels will launch their title defence with a pair of opening weekend matches; doing battle with the York Lions (Oct. 26) and Nipissing Lakers (Oct. 27), respectively. Like their female champion counterparts, the team also won’t have to wait long for a championship rematch. The perennial powerhouse from McMaster will head to Kingston with revenge on their minds when they battle the Tricolour – who proved victorious in last year’s season finale – on November 1.
Not only is it an electrifying start for both reigning champions, but they’ll also be part of the final regular season matches on February 23, 2020 when the Blues host cross-town rivals, York, and the Gaels head to Ryerson to battle the Rams. Also helping to wrap up the women’s and men’s regular seasons on the final day of play will be the Trent Excalibur and Nipissing Lakers.
Women’s Rugby
Regular Season Start Date: August 31, 2019
Regular Season End Date: September 29, 2019
Full Schedule: HERE
A pair of fascinating fixtures will be featured on the opening day of women’s rugby action, including a Greater Toronto clash between the York Lions and Toronto Varsity Blues, as well as a tough test for the reigning champion Guelph Gryphons against the host McMaster Marauders.
It will be another two weeks before the Gryphons hit the field for their second match, but what a match it will be, as the championship rematch will be centre stage in Week 3 play. Guelph and Queen’s will highlight a three-game slate on September 14, while the Marauders will find themselves in another must-see matchup against the upstart Brock Badgers after taking on the Gaels a week prior.
The five-week schedule will wrap up at the end of the month, with the final two matches being played on September 29.
Men’s Rugby
Regular Season Start Date: September 6, 2019
Regular Season End Date: October 20, 2019
Full Schedule: HERE
September 6 marks the year’s first action on the pitch, as the Trent Excalibur head to Waterloo to battle the Laurier Golden Hawks in the OUA season opener. Another four fixtures will follow the next day, with the reigning champion Queen’s Gaels wrapping up the initial weekend against the Toronto Varsity Blues.
After both of last year’s finalists get two matches under their belts, they will square off in a Week 3 bout when the Gaels head to Guelph to battle the Gryphons in the lone game on September 20. This colossal head-to-head feature certainly has bragging rights on the line, just like the final weekend when the remaining top-four teams from last year’s regular season – Waterloo and Laurier – take to the pitch on the final weekend (Oct. 19) for another edition of the Battle of Waterloo.
While that outing should see fireworks, the curtain doesn’t close on the regular season until the following day, when the Blues welcome the RMC Paladins to Varsity Centre on October 20.
Women’s & Men’s Soccer
Regular Season Start Date: August 31, 2019
Regular Season End Date: October 20, 2019
Full Schedules: Women’s | Men’s
A pair of recent provincial champions will go toe-to-toe on the women’s side to open up the 2019 schedule, as the defending OUA and U SPORTS champion Ottawa Gee-Gees will hit the road to take on the 2016 champions, Ontario Tech. The top 2018 squad on the men’s side, meanwhile, will also see a tough test in their opening foyer into the 2019 season, as the York Lions welcome the Guelph Gryphons on the first day of play – August 31.
The beautiful game will continue to unfold over the following seven weeks, with play wrapping up on October 20. Seven games will take to the pitch on both the men’s and women’s side to conclude the regular season slate, including three of the men’s final four participants hosting their respective season finales, while the McMaster Marauders women’s team, who finished fourth on the national stage a year ago, will see the Brock Badgers come to the hammer for their final regular season effort.
Field Hockey
Regular Season Start Date: September 8, 2019
Regular Season End Date: October 20, 2019
Full Schedule: HERE
The two-time reigning champion York Lions will host the opening weekend of action this season with four games getting the 2019 campaign underway on September 8. The aforementioned Lions will start their season against McGill, with the visitors also taking on the perennial contenders, Toronto Varsity Blues, on the Sunday.
The following weekend, on September 15, fans will be treated to a rematch of the 2018 finale, when the banner season victors from York take on the runners up from Guelph in Kingston; one of nine matches throughout the two days at Queen’s.
Action will continue to unfold over the next five weeks, culminating in the final regular season weekend hosted by the black and gold. Waterloo will welcome teams for an eight-game schedule across the October 19-20 weekend, providing teams their final tune-ups before the latest edition of banner season is upon us.
2019-20 promises to be a season full of can’t-miss moments, so to keep up to date on all of the action across the G1 and G2 league-based slate, stay tuned to oua.ca or tune in to oua.tv to see the action live all season long.
