Regina Rams

Regina Rams
Regina Rams logo
First season1954
Athletic directorLisa Robertson
Head coachMark McConkey
4th year, 10–20–0  (.333)
Other staffMark McConkey (OC)
Sheldon Gray (DC)
Home stadiumMosaic Stadium
Year built2016
Stadium capacity33,000
Stadium surfaceFieldTurf
LocationRegina, Saskatchewan
LeagueU Sports
ConferenceCanada West (1999 – present)
Past associationsMSJFL (1954–1975)
CJFL (1976–1998)
All-time record84–113–1 (.427)
Postseason record9–16 (.360)
Titles
Vanier Cups0
Atlantic Bowls1
2000
Canadian Bowls15
1966, 1970, 1971, 1973,
1975, 1976, 1980, 1981,
1986, 1987, 1993, 1994,
1995, 1997, 1998
Hardy Cups2
2000, 2024
Hec Crighton winners1
Noah Picton
Current uniform
ColoursGreen and Gold
   
OutfitterNike
RivalsSaskatchewan Huskies
Websitereginarams.com

The Regina Rams represent the University of Regina, located in Regina, Saskatchewan, in the sport of Canadian football in U Sports. The Rams joined U Sports in 1999 and have competed in the Canada West Conference since then.[1] The program has won two U Sports football conference championships, in 2000 and 2024, and the team has made one appearance in the Vanier Cup championship game.

The Rams nickname is used by the university's football team only; all of the other teams at the school are named the Regina Cougars.

Club history

The Regina Rams were formed in 1954 when two junior football teams, the Bombers and the Dales, merged into one football club. The Rams participated in the Man-Sask Junior Football League until 1976, when they joined with junior teams from Alberta to form the Prairie Football Conference. The club would participate in the CJFL until 1998, winning ten Canadian Junior Football Championships along the way.[1]

In 1999, after competing for 45 years in junior football (Canadian Junior Football League), the Regina Rams became a member of the Canada West Conference of the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (CIAU), later Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and now U Sports. The University of Regina came to community partnership agreement with the CJFL team that made the transfer possible. Rather than change their name to Regina Cougars, the football team continued to use the moniker "Rams." In only their second year of playing in the CIAU, the Rams won the Canada West Conference championship and then the Atlantic Bowl. They then went on their way to the Vanier Cup where they lost 42–39 to Marcel Bellefeuille's Ottawa Gee-Gees in the 36th Vanier Cup.[1][2]

Frank McCrystal was the head coach of the Rams from their inception in the CIS until 2014. He took the reins of the team in 1984, making 2014 his 31st season as head coach of the Rams and his 16th in the CIS. In 2007, after leading his team to a 6–2 regular season record and an appearance in the Hardy Cup game, McCrystal was named Canadian Interuniversity Sport Coach of the Year and received the 2007 Frank Tindall Trophy.[3][4]

The Rams played the inaugural sporting event at Mosaic Stadium on October 1, 2016, hosting the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.[5][6] At the end of the 2016 season, quarterback Noah Picton became the first Rams player to win the Hec Crighton Trophy after completing 224 passes out of 323 attempts for 3,186 yards with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions.[7][8] That was also the first season that the Rams finished in first place in the Canada West regular season.

CIAU/CIS/U Sports Regular Season Results

Season Games Won Lost OTL PCT PF PA Standing Playoffs
1999 8 0 8 - 0.000 121 309 6th in CW Out of Playoffs
2000 8 4 4 - 0.500 218 281 3rd in CW Defeated Calgary Dinos in semi-final 33–32
Defeated Manitoba Bisons in Hardy Cup 25–22
Defeated Saint Mary's Huskies in Atlantic Bowl 40–36
Lost to Ottawa Gee-Gees in 36th Vanier Cup 42–39
2001 8 5 3 - 0.625 278 208 2nd in CW Defeated Saskatchewan Huskies in semi-final 58–31
Lost to Manitoba Bisons in Hardy Cup 23–17
2002 8 5 3 0 0.625 169 153 3rd in CW Defeated Calgary Dinos in semi-final 39–17
Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in Hardy Cup 44–28
2003 8 4 3 1 0.563 248 246 3rd in CW Lost to Simon Fraser Clan in semi-final 53–46
2004 8 0 8 0 0.000 116 268 7th in CW Out of Playoffs
2005 8 3 5 0 0.375 188 276 5th in CW Out of Playoffs
2006 8 4 4 0 0.500 278 256 4th in CW Lost to Manitoba Bisons in semi-final 44–29
2007 8 6 2 - 0.750 257 195 2nd in CW Defeated Saskatchewan Huskies in semi-final 19–13
Lost to Manitoba Bisons in Hardy Cup 48–5
2008 8 5 3 - 0.250 163 179 3rd in CW Lost to Calgary Dinos in semi-final 24–17
2009 8 3 5 - 0.375 174 224 4th in CW Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in semi-final 53–23
2010 8 5 3 - 0.625 281 181 3rd in CW Lost to Calgary Dinos in semi-final 40–33
2011 8 5 3 - 0.625 123 154 3rd in CW Lost to Calgary Dinos in semi-final 16–4
2012 8 6 2 - 0.750 214 160 2nd in CW Defeated Saskatchewan Huskies in semi-final 31–9
Lost to Calgary Dinos in Hardy Cup 38–14
2013 8 2 6 - 0.250 224 279 5th in CW Out of Playoffs
2014 8 3 5 - 0.375 239 294 4th in CW Lost to Calgary Dinos in semi-final 56–0
2015 8 0 8 - 0.000 177 339 6th in CW Out of Playoffs
2016 8 6 2 - 0.750 277 218 1st in CW Lost to UBC Thunderbirds in semi-final 40-34
2017 8 4 4 - 0.500 259 283 3rd in CW Lost to UBC Thunderbirds in semi-final 28-21
2018 8 1 7* - 0.125 107 217 6th in CW Out of Playoffs
2019 8 3 5 - 0.375 211 189 5th in CW Out of Playoffs
2020 Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 6 1 5 - 0.167 58 131 6th in CW Out of Playoffs
2022 8 5 3 - 0.625 195 159 2nd in CW Lost to UBC Thunderbirds in semi-final 28-14
2023 8 1 7 - 0.125 155 268 6th in CW Out of Playoffs
2024 8 3 5 - 0.375 157 177 4th in CW Defeated Manitoba Bisons in semi-final 28–25
Defeated Saskatchewan Huskies in Hardy Cup 19–14
Lost to Laval Rouge et Or in Mitchell Bowl 17–14

[9][10]

  • (*)The Rams forfeited three wins in 2018 due to use of an ineligible player. Those games were then awarded as 1-0 wins to Alberta, UBC, and Manitoba.[11]

National U Sports Postseason Results

Vanier Cup Era (1965-current)
Year Game Opponent Result
2000 Atlantic Bowl

Vanier Cup

Saint Mary's

Ottawa

W 40-36

L 39-42

2024 Mitchell Bowl Laval L 14-17

Regina is 1–1 in national semi-final games and 0–1 in the Vanier Cup.

Head coaches

Name Years Notes
Toar Springstein 1954–1955
Bill Ciz 1956–1958
Bert Iannone 1959–1962
Paul Anderson 1962–1963
Bill Ciz 1964
Gordon Currie 1965–1976
Mel Fissel 1977
Gerry Zbytnuik 1978–1980
Frank McCrystal 1981–2014
Mike Gibson 2015
Steve Bryce 2016–2019
Mark McConkey 2020–present

Regina Rams in the professional ranks

As of the end of the 2024 CFL season, six former Rams players were on CFL teams' rosters:

[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c "About the Rams". Regina Rams. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  2. ^ http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/fball/2010-11/files/vanier_cup_history Vanier Cup History
  3. ^ "C.I.S. & CJFL Update". 2007. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013.
  4. ^ http://www.reginacougars.com/coaches.aspx?rc=180&path=football 2010 Football Coaching Staff, Frank McCrystal
  5. ^ "Three events to test out new Mosaic Stadium". Regina Leader-Post. Postmedia Network. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  6. ^ "It's like a 'major league' venue: Test run of new Mosaic Stadium wins praise". CBC News. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  7. ^ "Regina Rams QB Noah Picton wins Hec Crighton Award". CBC News. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  8. ^ "Regina Rams career leaders". Regina Rams. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  9. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 20, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Canada West Football History
  10. ^ "Football Standings". Canada West. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  11. ^ 2018 U Sports Regina schedule
  12. ^ "Players". Canadian Football League. Retrieved November 21, 2024.