Vanier Cup History

The Vanier Cup trophy was created in 1965 when General Georges P. Vanier, then Governor General of Canada, graciously granted permission to the Canadian Save the Cildren Fund to name the trophy awarded to the winners of Canada's university football championship, then called the Canadian College Bowl.

For the first two years, in 1965 and 1966, the Canadian College Bowl was an invitational event featuring two teams selected by a national panel. The first winners of the Vanier Cup trophy in 1965 were the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, and General Vanier personally presented them with the Vanier Cup at Varsity's athletic banquet in the Spring of 1966.

The Canadian College Bowl and the Vanier Cup trophy took on a new dimension in 1967 when the Bowl was officially declared the CIAU (now CIS) National Football Championship, with semi-final playoffs to determine the two teams that would meet in the Final.

In 1982, the name of the championship game was changed from Canadian College Bowl to Vanier Cup.

INVITATIONAL

* : Overtime / Prolongation
The SkyDome, Varsity Stadium & CNE Stadium are located in Toronto.

DESJARDINS VANIER CUP AWARDS

TED MORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY

In 1965, the year the Canadian College Bowl was organized, football lost one of its most formidable members with the passing of Ted Morris. A former Toronto Argonaut player and coach, he championed the cause of the development of young Canadians to further their football careers. The Canadian College Bowl was honoured when Mrs. Morris granted permission to create the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy to be awarded to the outstanding player in the Vanier Cup.

*co-winners

BRUCE COULTER AWARD

Presented to either an outstanding offensive or defensive player in the Vanier Cup Game, the selection is dependent on the selection of the Ted Morris Trophy, winner of the game MVP. This award, is named after Bruce Coulter, Head Football Coach at both McGill and Bishop's Universities and Director of Athletics at Bishop's for 30 years. The award is appropriately designated since Coulter was both a Defensive Back and Quarterback with the Montréal Alouettes in the 1950s.