U Sports football represents the highest level of amateur Canadian university football, featuring 27 teams across four athletic conferences whose champions compete in national semifinal bowl games leading to the prestigious Vanier Cup championship. The sport boasts a rich history, tracing its origins to the first documented North American football game in Toronto in 1861 and a significant 1874 challenge between McGill and Harvard Universities. Notably, the Grey Cup, now the professional CFL's championship trophy, was initially contested by U Sports teams from 1909.
Many U Sports athletes advance to professional careers in the CFL, with a record 208 alumni on rosters in 2021, and the Hec Crighton Trophy is annually awarded to the league's Most Valuable Player. In a historic moment, Maya Turner became the first woman to play in a U Sports regular season football game on September 23, 2023, kicking a game-winning field goal for the Manitoba Bisons.