U Sports men's basketball championship
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2023 U Sports Men's Basketball Championship
SportBasketball
Founded1963 (1963)
Inaugural season1963
Organising bodyU Sports
No. of teams8
CountryCanada
Most recent
champion(s)
Carleton Ravens (17th title)
Most titlesCarleton Ravens (17)
TV partner(s)CBC[1]
Official websiteusports.ca/en/sports/basketball/m

The U Sports Men's Basketball Championship, branded as the Men's Basketball Final 8, is a Canadian university basketball tournament conducted by U Sports, and determines the men's national champion. The tournament involves the champions from each of Canada's four regional sports conferences. The W. P. McGee trophy is awarded to the winners.

Twenty different schools have won the tournament. Carleton University have the most tournament wins with 17 championships. The University of Victoria has eight championships, Saint Mary’s University, Brandon University, and the University of Windsor have four championships, the University of Alberta, St. Francis Xavier University, and Acacia University have three championships, Brock University, and the University of British Columbia have two championships. Ten programs are tied with one national championship.

History

The tournament first consisted of only conference champions (four or five teams) and held that format from 1963 until 1971. In 1972 and 1973, only four teams qualified, regardless of conferences. In 1974, the championship expanded to include eight teams, similar to the format seen today. That was again changed in 1983 where regional championships took place with up to 16 teams participating in up to five different cities with the national championship featuring four teams in the main host city.[2]

In 1984, Dalhousie University hosted the championship in what would be the first of 24 straight years that Halifax, Nova Scotia would host. The format reverted to an eight team national championship in 1987, which would be the consistent format until 2004 when the tournament expanded to ten teams. The Final 10 format would last only three years, until it was again reverted to a Final 8 tournament in 2007.[3] In 2008, the finals moved to Scotiabank Place in Ottawa for three years. After two years back in Halifax, the next two tournaments were held in the now renamed Canadian Tire Centre (formerly Scotiabank Place). The 2015 championship was hosted by Ryerson University, while the 2016 tournament was hosted by the University of British Columbia.

The 2021 championship tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]

Format

The championship consists of an eight-team single-elimination tournament. Four teams automatically qualify for the tournament as one of the winners of the four conferences, two qualify as the runners-up of both the OUA and Canada West conference, one qualifies as the host, and one is given an at-large berth.[5]

The tournament is played over four days. The quarterfinals are played on the Thursday, the consolation semi-finals on Friday, the consolation final and championship semi-finals on Saturday, and the bronze and gold medal games on Sunday.[6] This format has been in use since 2015.

Results

W. P. McGee trophy, awarded to the champion team
Year Winner[7] Runner-up Score Venue
1963Assumption CollegeAcadia Axemen55–50University of Windsor
1964Windsor LancersUBC Thunderbirds94–70University of Windsor
1965Acadia AxemenWindsor Lancers91–87 OTSaint Mary's University
1966Windsor Lancers (2)Calgary Dinos95–83University of Calgary
1967Windsor Lancers (3)UBC Thunderbirds87–82University of Calgary
1968Waterloo Lutheran Golden HawksSaint Mary's Huskies66–61St. Francis Xavier University
1969Windsor Lancers (4)Waterloo Lutheran Golden Hawks76–63University of Waterloo
1970UBC ThunderbirdsMcMaster Marauders96–75McMaster University
1971Acadia Axemen (2)Manitoba Bisons72–48Acadia University
1972UBC Thunderbirds (2)Acadia Axemen87–80University of British Columbia
1973Saint Mary's HuskiesLakehead Thunderwolves79–67University of Waterloo
1974Guelph GryphonsSaint Mary's Huskies74–72University of Waterloo
1975Waterloo WarriorsManitoba Bisons80–79University of Waterloo
1976Manitoba BisonsSaint Mary's Huskies82–69Saint Mary's University
1977Acadia Axemen (3)Lakehead Thunderwolves72–63Saint Mary's University
1978Saint Mary's Huskies (2)Acadia Axemen99–91Saint Mary's University
1979Saint Mary's Huskies (3)Victoria Vikes90–83University of Calgary
1980Victoria VikesBrandon Bobcats73–65University of Calgary
1981Victoria Vikes (2)Acadia Axemen81–70University of Waterloo
1982Victoria Vikes (3)Saint Mary's Huskies74–60University of Victoria
1983Victoria Vikes (4)Waterloo Warriors63–52University of Waterloo
1984Victoria Vikes (5)Brandon Bobcats70–62Dalhousie University
1985Victoria Vikes (6)Waterloo Warriors93–79Dalhousie University
1986Victoria Vikes (7)Waterloo Warriors70–61Dalhousie University
1987Brandon BobcatsUBC Thunderbirds74–66Dalhousie University
1988Brandon Bobcats (2)Acadia Axemen81–68Halifax Metro Centre
1989Brandon Bobcats (3)Victoria Vikes74–73Halifax Metro Centre
1990Concordia StingersGuelph Gryphons80–62Halifax Metro Centre
1991Western Ontario MustangsGuelph Gryphons78–69Halifax Metro Centre
1992Brock BadgersSaint Mary's Huskies77–71Halifax Metro Centre
1993St. Francis Xavier X-MenMcMaster Marauders72–64Halifax Metro Centre
1994Alberta Golden BearsMcMaster Marauders73–66Halifax Metro Centre
1995Alberta Golden Bears (2)Concordia Stingers84–66Halifax Metro Centre
1996Brandon Bobcats (4)Alberta Golden Bears79–72Halifax Metro Centre
1997Victoria Vikes (8)McMaster Marauders84–73Halifax Metro Centre
1998Bishop's GaitersMcMaster Marauders74–71Halifax Metro Centre
1999Saint Mary's Huskies (4)Alberta Golden Bears73–69 OTHalifax Metro Centre
2000St. Francis Xavier X-Men (2)Brandon Bobcats61–60Halifax Metro Centre
2001St. Francis Xavier X-Men (3)Brandon Bobcats83–76 OTHalifax Metro Centre
2002Alberta Golden Bears (3)Western Ontario Mustangs76–71Halifax Metro Centre
2003Carleton RavensGuelph Gryphons57–54[8]Halifax Metro Centre
2004Carleton Ravens (2)St. Francis Xavier X-Men63–59[9]Halifax Metro Centre
2005Carleton Ravens (3)Concordia Stingers68–48[10]Halifax Metro Centre
2006Carleton Ravens (4)Victoria Vikes73–67[11]Halifax Metro Centre
2007Carleton Ravens (5)Brandon Bobcats52–49[12]Halifax Metro Centre
2008Brock Badgers (2)Acadia Axemen64–61[13]Scotiabank Place
2009Carleton Ravens (6)UBC Thunderbirds87–77[14]Scotiabank Place
2010Saskatchewan HuskiesUBC Thunderbirds91–81[15]Scotiabank Place
2011Carleton Ravens (7)Trinity Western Spartans82–59[16]Halifax Metro Centre
2012Carleton Ravens (8)Alberta Golden Bears86–67[17]Halifax Metro Centre
2013Carleton Ravens (9)Lakehead Thunderwolves92–42 [18]Scotiabank Place
2014Carleton Ravens (10)Ottawa Gee-Gees79–67[19]Canadian Tire Centre
2015Carleton Ravens (11)Ottawa Gee-Gees93–46[20]Ryerson University
2016Carleton Ravens (12)Calgary Dinos101–79[21]University of British Columbia
2017Carleton Ravens (13)Ryerson Rams78–69Scotiabank Centre
2018Calgary DinosRyerson Rams79–77Scotiabank Centre
2019Carleton Ravens (14)Calgary Dinos84–49Scotiabank Centre
2020Carleton Ravens (15)Dalhousie Tigers74–65TD Place Arena
2021 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[4]Scotiabank Centre
2022Carleton Ravens (16)Saskatchewan Huskies85–72Saville Community Sports Centre
2023Carleton Ravens (17)St. Francis Xavier X-Men109–104 2OTScotiabank Centre
2024Amphithéâtre Desjardins
2025Thunderbird Sports Centre
UBC War Memorial Gymnasium

Multiple champions

Team Wins Last Won
Carleton Ravens 17 2023
Victoria Vikes 8 1997
Saint Mary's Huskies 4 1999
Brandon Bobcats 4 1996
Windsor Lancers 4 1969
Alberta Golden Bears 3 2002
St. Francis Xavier X-Men 3 2001
Acadia Axemen 3 1977
Brock Badgers 2 2008
UBC Thunderbirds 2 1972
Calgary Dinos 1 2018
Saskatchewan Huskies 1 2010
Bishop's Gaiters 1 1998
Western Ontario Mustangs 1 1991
Concordia Stingers 1 1990
Manitoba Bisons 1 1976
Waterloo Warriors 1 1975
Guelph Gryphons 1 1974
Waterloo Lutheran Golden Hawks 1 1968
Assumption College 1 1963

See also

References

  1. "CBC Sports to broadcast U Sports national championships for next 4 years". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. September 20, 2021.
  2. CIS Hoops Men's Basketball Championship Game Results
  3. History of Men's Basketball Championship
  4. 1 2 "U Sports unable to offer national championships in winter 2021". usports.ca. U Sports. October 15, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  5. Playing Regulations - Men's Basketball
  6. Format changes, Super Championship Weekend officially announced
  7. CIS Men's Basketball Past Champions
  8. "Ravens soar to CIS championship victory | theVARSITY.ca". thevarsity.ca. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011.
  9. Ravens repeat as national champions, win 63-59 over StFX
  10. "Canadian Interuniversity Sport". Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  11. "Canadian Interuniversity Sport". Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  12. Carleton U Ravens Win Their Fifth Straight CIS “Final 8″ Men’s Basketball National Championship
  13. 2008 Final Score
  14. 2009 Final Score
  15. 2010 Final Score
  16. 2011 Final Score
  17. 2012 Final Score
  18. 2013 Final Score
  19. "2014 CIS Men's Basketball Final 8 Championship Schedule". USports. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  20. "2015 CIS Men's Basketball Final 8 Championship Schedule". USports. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  21. "2016 CIS Men's Basketball Final 8 Championship Schedule". USports. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
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