CW Football: Semifinal Preview

Nov. 6, 2026 - A spot in the 89th BioSteel Hardy Cup is on the line this weekend, as the Canada West football playoffs kick off with a pair of semifinal matchups Saturday afternoon.

Four teams remain in the hunt for the coveted conference championship, with the top-seeded UBC Thunderbirds welcoming the fourth-seeded Manitoba Bisons in Vancouver, while the second-seeded Saskatchewan Huskies host the third-seeded Regina Rams in Saskatoon.

Both matchups feature familiar opponents and plenty of recent playoff history. When the dust settles, the winners will advance to the conference championship game on Nov. 14.

Here's everything you need to know heading into Saturday's semifinals.

No. 4 Manitoba Bisons (4-4) at No. 1 UBC Thunderbirds (6-2)

Saturday, Nov. 7 | 1 p.m. PDT at Thunderbird Stadium

How to watch:

• Stream live on CanadaWest.TV - Powered by BioSteel

• SaskTel maxTV: Channel 48/49

Quick Overview: UBC begins its postseason pursuit at the friendly confines of Thunderbird Stadium, welcoming a Manitoba team looking to pull off an upset and return to the Hardy Cup for the first time since 2022.

The Thunderbirds closed out the regular season in emphatic fashion, handing Saskatchewan a 59-24 defeat in Vancouver. UBC outscored the Huskies 42-1 in the second half, securing first place in the conference standings on head-to-head point differential and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. That could be huge over the next two weeks, considering the T-Birds went a perfect 4-for-4 at Thunderbird Stadium in the regular season.

The T-Birds are hitting high gear at the right time as the victory extended UBC's winning streak to three games, with the 'Birds outscoring their opponents by a combined 114-59 over that stretch.

Second-year quarterback Drew Viotto has found his stride heading into the postseason, completing more than 72 per cent of his passes over the final three games while throwing five touchdowns against just one interception.

Third-year receiver Trey Montour also finished the regular season on a high note, recording a career-best 178 receiving yards and two touchdowns against Saskatchewan. He closed the year with 841 receiving yards, the third-highest total in Canada West.

On the ground, Marvyn Larozar led the conference with 891 rushing yards, finishing 125 yards ahead of the next closest player despite missing the regular-season finale.

Defensively, UBC has been one of the conference's strongest units, allowing just 19.6 points per game. The Thunderbirds also limited opponents to 108 rushing yards per contest and finished the regular season with 10 interceptions.

Manitoba, meanwhile, enters the playoffs looking to bounce back from a 26-15 loss to Regina in its regular-season finale. The Bisons were unable to find the end zone consistently, with the Rams blocking three of their field-goal attempts.

Despite the setback, Manitoba has shown plenty of resilience throughout the season, finishing with a 4-4 record and earning the fourth and final playoff position.

The Bisons bring one of the conference's most opportunistic defences to Vancouver, leading Canada West with 12 interceptions during the regular season. They also ranked second in fumble recoveries with nine, making ball security a key factor in Saturday's matchup.

On offence, Bisons pivot Cole Anseeuw has two dangerous targets in Nathan Udoh and Mikun Odunuga, who each hauled in four touchdown passes during the regular season.

Head-to-Head: UBC defeated Manitoba 31-6 on Sept. 26 in Winnipeg. The teams also met in the 2023 Canada West postseason, when the Thunderbirds rallied past the Bisons en route to their most recent Vanier Cup appearance.

N. 3 Regina Rams (4-4) at No. 2 Saskatchewan Huskies (6-2)

Saturday, Nov. 7 | 2 p.m. CDT at Griffiths Stadium

How to watch:

• Stream live on CanadaWest.TV - Powered by BioSteel

• SaskTel maxTV Channel 48/49

Quick Overview: The Battle of the Prairies takes centre stage in Saskatoon, as the Huskies and Rams renew their provincial rivalry with a spot in the 89th Hardy Cup on the line.

For the third consecutive season, Griffiths Stadium will host a postseason meeting between the two rivals. Regina claimed the 2024 Hardy Cup on Saskatchewan's home turf before the Huskies responded with a dramatic 25-24 victory over the Rams in last year's conference championship game.

Saturday marks the first time the programs have met in the Canada West semifinals since 2012, and their eighth all-time postseason meeting.

Saskatchewan enters the playoffs looking to rebound from a difficult regular-season finale, falling 59-24 to UBC in Vancouver. The Huskies surrendered 42 second-half points after trailing by just one at halftime, dropping to second place in the conference standings in the process.

Despite the loss, Saskatchewan still boasts one of the country's most productive offences, averaging 35.9 points and nearly 500 yards per game.

Fifth-year quarterback Anton Amundrud led all U SPORTS passers with 2,686 yards through the air, setting a new program record for career passing yards along the way.

Rookie receiver Keaton Belsher emerged as one of the conference's top offensive threats, finishing with 883 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Veteran slotbacks Rhett Vavra and Dawson Lennea also enjoyed productive campaigns, combining for more than 1,000 receiving yards.

Regina, meanwhile, heads to Saskatoon following a strong finish to the regular season, defeating Manitoba 26-15 in Winnipeg to secure the conference's third-seed.

The Rams displayed dominant defence throughout the year, allowing just 146 points in the regular season, breaking the program's previous single-season record of 153 set in 2002.

Regina finished with the lowest points-against average in Canada West at 18.3 per game.

The Rams also bring the conference's most productive rushing attack into the postseason, averaging nearly 200 yards per game.

First-year running back Carter Ashman has been a major contributor, finishing with 776 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. His yardage total established a new program record for a first-year player, while his seven rushing touchdowns ranked second in Canada West.

Special teams could also play a significant role for Regina. Kicker Ty Gorniak set new single-season program records with 23 field goals and 89 points, while the Rams led all U SPORTS teams with seven blocked kicks during the regular season.

Saturday's matchup once again features one of the country's most explosive passing offences against the conference's stingiest defence, setting the stage for another memorable chapter in this incredible rivalry.

Head-to-Head: Saskatchewan defeated Regina 38-31 in their Week 4 meeting on Sept. 19 in Regina. The Huskies also claimed last year's Hardy Cup with a 25-24 comeback victory, while the Rams won the 2024 championship 19-14.

U SPORTS Football Top 10 (Nov. 2)

Don't Miss a Moment on CanadaWest.TV – Powered by BioSteel

Don't miss a moment of the playoff action on Canada West TV – Powered by BioSteel. New for this season, a football playoff package is now available that offers access to all three Canada West BioSteel Hardy Cup Playoff football games for one low price.

Fans can also stream Canada West TV on popular Connected TV apps like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku.