EDMONTON – The reigning Hardy Cup champion University of Calgary Dinos will open the 2018 football season Labour Day weekend in Regina, Canada West announced Tuesday.
The conference unveiled the upcoming season's weekly match-ups, with the full schedule to be announced in early April.
Week 1 of the conference season kicks off Labour Day weekend when all six Canada West teams hit the turf for the first time. The conference schedule concludes the second weekend of November when the 82nd Hardy Cup takes to the field.
In terms of highlights, there are several on the conference schedule once again this season, including a double-dip in the Calgary Dinos and UBC Thunderbirds rivalry.
After last season's epic Hardy Cup, which saw Calgary earn a thrilling 44-43 win over UBC on
Niko DiFonte's last-second 59-yard field goal, the Dinos and T-Birds renew their rivalry twice this season – Week 2 in Calgary and Week 4 in Vancouver.
The unique schedule sees the Dinos playing four of their first five games against the Thunderbirds and the Saskatchewan Huskies, following the opener at Regina. UBC will be the opponent for KICKOFF XII, the Dinos' home opener in early September, with home games against Saskatchewan, Regina, and Manitoba to follow weeks five, six, and seven.
The conference will once again take a break during the Thanksgiving weekend (first weekend of October), with the regular season concluding the final weekend of October.
Hardy Cup playoff action opens the first weekend of November with the semifinals, before the 82nd Hardy Cup a week later.
Watch every CW football game on Canada West TV
Conference football fans will be able to watch every 2018 CW game on Canada West TV – the official streaming home of the conference.
Powered by Yare Media, the conference's streaming portal is coming off a record-setting season, as Canada West TV set a new benchmark in revenue and viewership for football last season. The conference's three football playoff games in 2017 combined for more than 4,000 views on Canada West TV, nearly tripling the viewership of the 2016 conference football playoffs.
Alberta and Calgary's semifinal game, along with UBC and Calgary in the 81st Hardy Cup, provided strong numbers with more than 1,500 views each. These totals make them the most-viewed games on Canada West TV over the last three seasons.
Canada West TV season passes are set to go on sale in August.
2018 Canada West football weekly matchups:
WEEK 1:
Manitoba vs. UBC / Vancouver, B.C. / Thunderbird Stadium
Calgary vs. Regina / Regina, Sask. / Mosaic Stadium
Alberta vs. Saskatchewan / Saskatoon, Sask. / Griffiths Stadium
WEEK 2:
Saskatchewan vs. Manitoba / Winnipeg, Man. / Investors Group Field
Regina vs. Alberta / Edmonton, Alta. / Foote Field
UBC vs. Calgary / Calgary, Alta. / McMahon Stadium
WEEK 3:
Alberta vs. Manitoba / Winnipeg, Man. / Investors Group Field
UBC vs. Regina / Regina, Sask. / Mosaic Stadium
Calgary vs. Saskatchewan / Saskatoon, Sask. / Griffiths Stadium
WEEK 4:
Manitoba vs. Alberta / Edmonton, Alta. / Foote Field
Regina vs. Saskatchewan / Saskatoon, Sask. / Griffiths Stadium
Calgary vs. UBC / Vancouver, B.C. / Thunderbird Stadium
WEEK 5:
Regina vs. Manitoba / Winnipeg, Man. / Investors Group Field
Saskatchewan vs. Calgary / Calgary, Alta. / McMahon Stadium
UBC vs. Alberta / Edmonton, Alta. / Foote Field
CONFERENCE BYE:
Thanksgiving weekend – first weekend of October
WEEK 6:
Manitoba vs. Calgary / Calgary, Alta. / McMahon Stadium
Alberta vs. Regina / Regina, Sask. / Mosaic Stadium
Saskatchewan vs. UBC / Vancouver, B.C. / Thunderbird Stadium
WEEK 7:
Manitoba vs. Saskatchewan / Saskatoon, Sask. / Griffiths Stadium
Regina vs. Calgary / Calgary, Alta. / McMahon Stadium
Alberta vs. UBC / Vancouver, B.C. / Thunderbird Stadium
WEEK 8:
UBC vs. Manitoba / Winnipeg, Man. / Investors Group Field
Saskatchewan vs. Regina / Regina, Sask. / Mosaic Stadium
Calgary vs. Alberta / Edmonton, Alta. / Foote Field
HARDY CUP PLAYOFFS:
Semifinals – first weekend of November (No. 3 @ No. 2 / No. 4 @ No. 1)
82nd Hardy Cup – second weekend of November (highest remaining seed)
About Canada West
Canada West (CW) is the leading university athletic conference in the country and is home to champion student-athletes that excel in the classroom and their communities. Canada West and our 17 members from across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba collectively carry on a legacy of competitive excellence, as our champions proudly go on to represent the conference at U SPORTS national championships.
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