Many of the guys in the CIS are going to be CFLers in the future. So I'm wondering, if we're so gung-ho (on average) about requiring the CFL to hire non-imports, how much support are we giving to the teams that develop many (most?) of those non-imports?
I didn't even know who the Mac Marauders were until a while after I had moved away from Hamilton. They were pretty much a nonentity. Queen's doesn't seem to get a lot of people out either, except for homecoming and playoffs. I've only been to one game myself, tried to go to another but it was sold out (both homecoming). I did watch a few from my girlfriend's balcony (overlooked Richardson stadium where the Gaels play), but that doesn't really count since I didn't pay and therefore the team received no money from me.
I imagine if we would give even a quarter as much support to our CIS football teams as Americans seem to give to NCAA teams, perhaps we'd actually have more regularly starting Canadian QBs, and the general problem of finding good Canadian talent for the CFL would be less of an issue.
Yeah where I'm from in the States, College is way more popular than the pros. Since discovering the CFL, I have always wanted to follow CIS. For some reason it is impossible to find a game. I rarely have any trouble finding CFL games. Hopefully the CIS will pop up now that the playoffs are starting. Why don't Canadians follow college football? I know that the CHL is pretty popular. I wish the NCAA had a playoff like the CIS. You guys don't know how lucky you are. The BCS sucks. Hopefully, I will at least get to take in the Vanier Cup.
Thanks guys. From the few highlights I watched I can tell you why no one goes to games. There's no where for them to sit. one of the teams had trees along the sideline beyond the track. Queens, I believe, unless they were on the road.
We have at least 5 colleges with stadiums that hold over 100 thousand people (bigger than any NFL stadiums). Some, like Penn State, are in areas that don't have that type of population, yet they fill the stands anyway.
The CIS is more like our Division 2 or 3. No offense. It's like how our Junior hockey is not nearly as good as the CHL. I know it's off topic, but how does CIS hockey compare to NCAA hockey?
I've only been to one CIS game, Manitoba at SFU back in 2009. It was kind of hard to go to some of the games (once I knew about them) because I would either be working or the times would conflict with Lions games for some stupid reason. Although I went to Shrum Bowl XXXIII this year (UBC vs. SFU), it doesn't count as a CIS game (but it was played with Canadian rules). As an SFU alumni, I'm not going to be going to CIS games because SFU won't be in them and naturally I don't like UBC.
It all starts with the gameday experience though, and if the CIS can improve that, they'll put more fans in the stands.
CBC French had the Montreal beatdown of Bishops on earlier this afternoon, but it is hard to find games on TV I suspect. Better quality CBC-F broadcast cameras-wise than Shaw's telecasts of western CIS games I will say, but any coverage is better than none for the CIS programs.
I'm a Western PhD student and I went to two of the four regular season home games this year. Also, Western set a regular season attendance record this season, I think it was 35k and change for the season. That works out to 8750 per game, but the 35k is off the top of my head, don't quote me.
Overall, seems like football at Western has never been healthier. The OUA had one of its most competitive seasons in my memory, with Guelph and U of T stepping up their game while Queen's, Laurier, and Mac have not been the forces we're used to.
As far as the broader CIS goes, I think the emergence of Bishops as an elite CIS team is a positive development. It's a tiny school, but they have a program that can compete with the best in Quebec (and hence Canada) and they've sent quite a few players to the CFL and even NFL training camps over the past couple years. Shows non-CIS schools that it doesn't take the bucketloads of cash available at the bigger schools to field a legitimate playoff team.
The anticipated return of Carleton and Waterloo in Ontario are excellent developments, and a team at the Universite de Moncton is in the works behind the scenes. Very good news, all.
There's still problems out in B.C. The departure of Simon Fraser to the NCAA is a major blow. It is a stumbling block to Victoria ever fielding a team, and could even see UBC quit the CIS as well. Having to play your away games in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg makes travelling costs huge, compared to what they would be if those schools followed Simon Fraser and played against teams in Washington State.
If that’s the case for the first three games, I imagine they got pretty close to the 35,000 mark, if not surpassing it, when you include the 4th home game.
As far as the broader CIS goes, I think the emergence of Bishops as an elite CIS team is a positive development. It's a tiny school, but they have a program that can compete with the best in Quebec (and hence Canada) and they've sent quite a few players to the CFL and even NFL training camps over the past couple years. Shows non-CIS schools that it doesn't take the bucketloads of cash available at the bigger schools to field a legitimate playoff team.
The anticipated return of Carleton and Waterloo in Ontario are excellent developments, and a team at the Universite de Moncton is in the works behind the scenes. Very good news, all.
Looks like Ryerson and Brock were also trying to get in on the football action, but both decided against it because of the cost of facilities, etc. Mayor Rob Ford’s football team a bust – The Eyeopener’s-football-team-a-bust/
Carleton, at least, would not have to worry about a playing field if, or rather when, the Lansdowne Live project gets off the ground.
There's still problems out in B.C. The departure of Simon Fraser to the NCAA is a major blow. It is a stumbling block to Victoria ever fielding a team, and could even see UBC quit the CIS as well. Having to play your away games in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg makes travelling costs huge, compared to what they would be if those schools followed Simon Fraser and played against teams in Washington State.
SFU only joined the CIS temporarily after leaving the NAIA anyway, with an eye towards leaving for the NCAA. I hope that BC doesn't go south, but it would be hard to blame them if they do, since they don't have any natural rivals now that SFU is gone (outside of the Shrum bowl). Based on what some others have said, it doesn't sound like UVic would ever have a football team, although Vancouver Island seems to be a hotbed for gridiron, of the American type usually, but also a couple of Canadian football teams in the CJFL.
I fully agree with this thread. In Calgary around 400 people go to dinos games. And that's pathetic. Ira good ball. Edmonton gets a bit more. Sask and Manitoba really support there teams. Quebec Is huge(relitivly speaking) with university ball. It's sad only 400 people come to games... They almost won the vanier cup. It's fun to follow and see players end ip in the cfl. Junior(colts) is sometimes bigger then the dinos. The score at least shows eastern university games. I forgot to mention, the east coast really supports the teams as well. Alberta shows the least mostly due to all the differnt levels of hockey in every town. Junior a hockey has really taken off even in the large cities. It used to be more of a small city thing but not anymore. I wish Alberta could get more football support at lower levels like sask and Quebec. I left bc out since I know nothing about the football situation there.
I get to about 2 or 3 U of S Huskies games a year depending of course on the weather... Last night's game against Regina was a gooder! Just over 3800 in attendance. I will say this about the Huskies games, I rarely leave disappointed. The product on the field is very good from year to year and the off field product/atmosphere is second to none. They even have fireworks after every game!
The product is great. I think we get decieved by the huge production value of televised American college. Football is football! Don't get caught up by the glammer and lights. That's why people think horrible Bands like nickleback are good. Big production value. But smaller better bands are not considered as good. I feel the sane about our univesity ball great product just doesn't have the flash and glamour
The last line in this article confirms what you heard. It says that the total attendance for the season is 34,185 giving a 4 game average of 8,546. Good job Western!
SFU does play teams located in Washington, but they also play ones in Oregon, California, and even Utah. Come playoff time, those distances can get even worse! So, its not like the travel costs have gotten that better. Also, its not out of the relm of possibility that as many as 2 more BC based schools could add programs which would make for as many as 3 games which would involve almost no travel expenses at all.
It seems very odd that the CFL is a much bigger deal in western Canada than in the east, yet when it comes to the CIS just the opposite is true. Only in Quebec do they seem to support both. (although an argument can be made that Saskatchewan supports both aswell).
Definately agree here! CIS is a good product, and more people should make their way to it. Promotion is the problem of course…the sports talk in this town is dominated by hockey, on and off season - wish there would be more about the Stamps and CFL! If the U of C could raise their profile somehow - they could get more people out…I wouldnt even begin to know where to start with that though!
I have heard SFU draws hardly anyone now that they play Div. 2 school nobody has ever heard of.
Too bad as they not only had UBC as rivals but good rivalries were developed between U. of S. and Regina as well and they had an actual league to play in leading to a Canadian championships with All - stars in CanadaWest and at the national level.
The cost to fly to California and Utah I'll bet is just as much as to Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatchewan.
It is who cares opposition now for SFU fans. In canadawest they had real rivalries that mimicked the CFL. :cowboy:
Not familiar with B.C. CIS ball, however it was in the Ontario media , B.C. school going ncaa. :oops:
IMO whom ever in admin who set that up should be fired, thanks for the update Turk :thup:
CIS is developing a good balance re scholarships and academics :thup:
Most of the ncaa grads will be pumping gas :twisted: