Quebec City to host Vanier in 2009 and 2010
Laval to host Vanier Cup
The Canadian Press
December 11, 2008 at 6:20 PM EST
OTTAWA — The Laval Rouge et Or need two more Vanier Cup championships to become the winningest school in Canadian university football history.
And if all goes right, they might be able to accomplish the feat on their home field at PEPS Stadium in Quebec City.
Laval was awarded hosting rights to the 2009 and 2010 Vanier Cup games by Canadian Interuniversity Sport on Thursday, beating out a series of last-minute bids.
Next year's contest will mark first time the Vanier Cup is played in Quebec and just the second time it's played outside Ontario. Saskatoon hosted the 2006 game, when Laval beat Saskatchewan 13-8.
The CIS made its decision after spending an extra week and a half deliberating over where to take the game.
No party sent in a proposal ahead of the bidding deadline last month and the Rouge et Or submitted a plan during this year's Vanier Cup in Hamilton, when they won their fourth title in six years and fifth overall by hammering Western Ontario 44-21.
Only the Mustangs, with six, have won more championships.
Laval's offer led to a slew of last-minute bids ahead of last week's CIS board meetings and a decision was put off until Wednesday.
Ultimately, the body opted to bring the game to the country's university football attendance leader instead of going with bids from Saint Mary's (2009), Western Ontario (2010) and marketing company MRX, which presented several different plans.
"CIS is pleased to be taking the Vanier Cup on a road trip of sorts to a part of the country that is crazy about university football," said Marg McGregor, chief executive officer of the CIS.
"The outstanding spectator support for football, the tailgate parties, the intense media interest, the growth of football in the community and school system, and the unique linguistic and cultural elements of Quebec City are all assets Laval brings to the table."
Laval has by far enjoyed the country's best attendance for the past decade, boasting a total of 449,400 fans for 32 games over the past five years alone — an average of 14,044 per contest.
School officials say 10,000 seats for the Vanier Cup games will be sold automatically to Laval's season-ticket holders and that a sell-out will be a near certainty.
The school plans to add 3,000 temporary seats for the two finals.
That would be a boost after a poor crowd of 13,873 took in this year's game at Ivor Wynne Stadium.
Last year, Manitoba's 28-14 victory over Saint Mary's drew a crowd of 26,787 to the Rogers Centre, when the Vanier Cup was paired with the Grey Cup. It was the Vanier's largest audience since 29,178 took in Calgary's 54-24 win over Western in 1995 at what was then called the SkyDome in Toronto.
A sell-out of 12,567 watched the 2006 game at Saskatoon's Griffiths Stadium while Laurier's 24-23 win over Saskatchewan was watched by 16,827 at Ivor Wynne Stadium back in 2005.
The Canadian Press
December 11, 2008 at 6:20 PM EST
OTTAWA — The Laval Rouge et Or need two more Vanier Cup championships to become the winningest school in Canadian university football history.
And if all goes right, they might be able to accomplish the feat on their home field at PEPS Stadium in Quebec City.
Laval was awarded hosting rights to the 2009 and 2010 Vanier Cup games by Canadian Interuniversity Sport on Thursday, beating out a series of last-minute bids.
Next year's contest will mark first time the Vanier Cup is played in Quebec and just the second time it's played outside Ontario. Saskatoon hosted the 2006 game, when Laval beat Saskatchewan 13-8.
The CIS made its decision after spending an extra week and a half deliberating over where to take the game.
No party sent in a proposal ahead of the bidding deadline last month and the Rouge et Or submitted a plan during this year's Vanier Cup in Hamilton, when they won their fourth title in six years and fifth overall by hammering Western Ontario 44-21.
Only the Mustangs, with six, have won more championships.
Laval's offer led to a slew of last-minute bids ahead of last week's CIS board meetings and a decision was put off until Wednesday.
Ultimately, the body opted to bring the game to the country's university football attendance leader instead of going with bids from Saint Mary's (2009), Western Ontario (2010) and marketing company MRX, which presented several different plans.
"CIS is pleased to be taking the Vanier Cup on a road trip of sorts to a part of the country that is crazy about university football," said Marg McGregor, chief executive officer of the CIS.
"The outstanding spectator support for football, the tailgate parties, the intense media interest, the growth of football in the community and school system, and the unique linguistic and cultural elements of Quebec City are all assets Laval brings to the table."
Laval has by far enjoyed the country's best attendance for the past decade, boasting a total of 449,400 fans for 32 games over the past five years alone — an average of 14,044 per contest.
School officials say 10,000 seats for the Vanier Cup games will be sold automatically to Laval's season-ticket holders and that a sell-out will be a near certainty.
The school plans to add 3,000 temporary seats for the two finals.
That would be a boost after a poor crowd of 13,873 took in this year's game at Ivor Wynne Stadium.
Last year, Manitoba's 28-14 victory over Saint Mary's drew a crowd of 26,787 to the Rogers Centre, when the Vanier Cup was paired with the Grey Cup. It was the Vanier's largest audience since 29,178 took in Calgary's 54-24 win over Western in 1995 at what was then called the SkyDome in Toronto.
A sell-out of 12,567 watched the 2006 game at Saskatoon's Griffiths Stadium while Laurier's 24-23 win over Saskatchewan was watched by 16,827 at Ivor Wynne Stadium back in 2005.
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