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UBC Thunderbirds football

The UBC Thunderbirds football team represents the University of British Columbia athletics teams in U Sports and is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Thunderbirds program has won the CWUAA Hardy Trophy conference championship 17 times, which is third all-time among competing teams. On a national level, the team has won the Vanier Cup championship four times, in 1982, 1986, 1997 and, most recently, in 2015. The team has also lost twice in the title game, in 1978 and 1987. The Thunderbirds program has also yielded three Hec Crighton Trophy winners: Jordan Gagner in 1987, Mark Nohra in 1997, and, most recently, Billy Greene in 2011.

UBC Thunderbirds
UBC Thunderbirds logo
First season1923
Athletic directorKavie Toor
Head coachBlake Nill
9th year, 40–30–0  (.571)
Other staffStevenson Bone (OC), Pat Tracey (DC)
Home stadiumThunderbird Stadium
Year built1967
Stadium capacity3,411
Stadium surfacePolytan LigaTurf
LocationUBC Point Grey Campus, British Columbia[a]
LeagueU Sports
ConferenceCWUAA (1972–present)
Past associationsWestern Intercollegiate Football League, Western Intercollegiate Football Union, Evergreen Football League
All-time record– 
Postseason record– 
Titles
Vanier Cups4
1982, 1986, 1997, 2015
Uteck Bowls1
2015
Mitchell Bowls1
2023
Churchill Bowls3
1978, 1986, 1987
Atlantic Bowls2
1982, 1997
Hardy Cups17
1929, 1931, 1933, 1938,
1939, 1945, 1959, 1961,
1962, 1976, 1978, 1982,
1986, 1987, 1997, 2015,
2023
Hec Crighton winners3
Jordan Gagner, Mark Nohra, Billy Greene
ColoursBlue and Gold
   
Fight songHail U.B.C.
OutfitterAdidas
RivalsCalgary Dinos
Simon Fraser Red Leafs
Websitegothunderbirds.ca

Recent history

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Following four straight seasons of playoff drought from 2007 to 2010, UBC finished with a 6–2 record in 2011 earning second place in the Canada West with an appearance in the Hardy Cup. Quarterback Billy Greene would also become the third Thunderbird to win the Hec Crighton Award that year. However, all team accolades would be for naught as an ineligible student-athlete, who played in all eight games, would force UBC to forfeit all six regular season wins as well as its post-season results from that year.[1] The school was fined and the program was placed on probation for the following season.[2] This seemed to halt any progress that was made as the team finished 2–6 for the 2012 season and out of the playoffs for the fifth time in six years.

 
Thunderbird player Sean Ortiz in 2007.

In 2013, the team bounced back with a 4–4 regular season record led by a solid defense and running back Brandon Deschamps, who was one of only three running backs in Canada to rush for more than 1,000 yards. They would lose in the Canada West semifinal to the eventual Mitchell Bowl champion Calgary Dinos 42–28. The program would regress again in 2014 as they finished with another 2–6 record and out of the playoffs.

During the following off-season in 2015, UBC Athletics would draw the Dinos head coach, Blake Nill away from the Calgary Dinos in what was the most high-profile coaching change that year. Nill's impact was immediate as he was able to recruit quarterback Michael O'Connor, who was the ranked the sixth best quarterback by ESPN among the 2014 recruiting class.[3] The Thunderbirds achieved a turnaround in Nill's debut season at the UBC helm to finish the 2015 regular season with a 6–2 record, placing second in the CWUAA standings. During the ensuing post-season drive of three straight single-elimination playoff games on the road, UBC upset the heavily favoured Calgary Dinos in the Hardy Cup game at Calgary; then defeated the St. Francis Xavier X-Men to earn its historical first Uteck Bowl victory at Antigonish, to advance to the national title game. In the 51st Vanier Cup championship, the Thunderbirds narrowly defeated the defending CIS champion Montreal Carabins, by scoring the game's last possession field goal to end the fourth quarter. The victory was UBC's fourth Vanier Cup overall, tying the Calgary Dinos for the all-time record among CWUAA member universities.[4]

Rivalries

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Competing against the cross-town Simon Fraser University, the Thunderbirds and Simon Fraser Clan previously shared a long-standing local rivalry, which had been dormant since 2010. That year, SFU left the CIS for the NCAA's Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference. These two teams did not play within the same governing bodies until 2002 (SFU played, prior to then, in the NAIA while UBC has always competed in U Sports), they would compete in an annual match-up known as the Shrum Bowl, named after Gordon Shrum. After SFU's realignment to NCAA Division II was confirmed, it seemed as though the annual match-up would be decommissioned. However, the two teams went on to renew the Shrum Bowl game as a one-off exhibition on October 8, 2010, at Thunderbird Stadium playing Canadian rules. After years of conflicts in their respective competition schedules, the two teams played again in 2022.[5] While another game was scheduled for 2023, it was ultimately cancelled as SFU cancelled their football program in April 2023.[6]

Recent regular season results

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Season Games Won Lost Ties PCT PF PA Standing Playoffs
1997 8 5 2 1 688 195 130 1st in CW Defeated Calgary Dinos in Hardy Cup 39–21
Defeated Mount Allison Mounties in Atlantic Bowl 34–29
Defeated Ottawa Gee-Gees in 33rd Vanier Cup 39–23
1998 8 6 2 0 0.750 262 151 2nd in CW Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in Hardy Cup 31–28
1999 8 7 1 0 0.875 227 131 1st in CW Defeated Calgary Dinos in CWUAA semi-final 27–14
Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in Hardy Cup 31–24
2000 8 3 5 0 0.375 206 231 4th in CW Lost to Manitoba Bisons in CWUAA semi-final 14–4
2001 8 2 6 0 0.250 132 233 5th in CW Out of Playoffs
2002 8 3 5 0 0.250 144 141 5th in CW Out of Playoffs
2003 8 0 8 0 0.000 132 260 7th in CW Out of Playoffs
2004 8 5 3 – 0.625 235 212 3rd in CW Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 39-0
2005 8 4 4 – 0.500 210 200 4th in CW Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 32-6
2006 8 4 4 – 0.500 287 209 3rd in CW Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 35–16
2007 8 3 5 – 0.375 167 198 5th in CW Out of Playoffs
2008 8 2 6 – 0.250 117 160 6th in CW Out of Playoffs
2009 8 3 5 – 0.375 110 263 5th in CW Out of Playoffs
2010 8 2 6 – 0.250 164 255 6th in CW Out of Playoffs
2011[A] 8 0 8 – 0.000 58 72 2nd in CW Defeated Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 27–22
Lost to Calgary Dinos in Hardy Cup 62–13
Playoff results forfeited
2012 8 2 6 – 0.250 193 297 5th in CW Out of Playoffs
2013 8 4 4 – 0.500 256 215 4th in CW Lost to Calgary Dinos in CWUAA semi-final 42–28
2014 8 2 6 – 0.250 175 293 6th in CW Out of Playoffs
2015 8 6 2 – 0.750 289 239 2nd in CW Defeated Manitoba Bisons in CWUAA semi-final 52-10
Defeated Calgary Dinos in Hardy Cup 34–26
Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Uteck Bowl 36–9
Defeated Montreal Carabins in 51st Vanier Cup 26–23
2016 8 3 5 – 0.375 250 245 4th in CW Defeated Regina Rams in CWUAA semi-final 40–34
Lost to Calgary Dinos in Hardy Cup 46–43
2017 8 6 2 – 0.750 231 172 2nd in CW Defeated Regina Rams in CWUAA semi-final 28–21
Lost to Calgary Dinos in Hardy Cup 44–43
2018 8 5 3 – 0.625 174 190 2nd in CW Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 31–28 (OT)
2019 8 2 6 – 0.250 163 311 6th in CW Out of Playoffs
2020 Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 6 3 3 – 0.500 135 221 4th in CW Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 39–17
2022 8 4 4 – 0.500 182 186 3rd in CW Defeated Regina Rams in CWUAA semi-final 28–14
Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in Hardy Cup 23–9
2023 8 6 2 – 0.750 271 156 1st in CW Defeated Manitoba Bisons in CWUAA semi-final 29–21
Defeated Alberta Golden Bears in Hardy Cup 28–27
Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Mitchell Bowl 47–17
Lost to Montreal Carabins in 58th Vanier Cup 16–9
2024 8 5 3 – 0.625 216 222 2nd in CW Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in CWUAA semi-final 38–33

[7][8]

^ A. In 2011, due to an administrative sanction, UBC retroactively forfeited its six regular season wins. UBC's ensuing post-season games were also removed from record by the Canada West Universities Athletic Association, citing UBC Athletics' submission of an erroneous eligibility declaration regarding one of its active roster players.[2]

National postseason results

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Vanier Cup Era (1965-current)
Year Game Opponent Result
1976 Churchill Bowl Western L 8-30
1978 Churchill Bowl

Vanier Cup

Laurier

Queen's

W 25-16

L 3-16

1982 Atlantic Bowl

Vanier Cup

St. FX

Western

W 54-1

W 39-14

1986 Churchill Bowl

Vanier Cup

Bishop's

Western

W 32-30

W 25-23

1987 Churchill Bowl

Vanier Cup

Laurier

McGill

W 33-31

L 11-47

1997 Atlantic Bowl

Vanier Cup

Mount Allison

Ottawa

W 34-29

W 39-23

2015 Uteck Bowl

Vanier Cup

St. FX

Montreal

W 36-9

W 26-23

2023 Mitchell Bowl

Vanier Cup

St. FX

Montreal

W 47-17

L 9-16

UBC is 7-1 in national semi-final games and 4-3 in the Vanier Cup.

Head coaches

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Name Years Notes
Gordon Burke 1923–1936
Maury Van Vliet 1937–1941
John Farina 1942
No team 1943–1944
Greg Kabat 1945–1947
Don Wilson 1948
Orville Burke 1949–1950
Hjalmer “Jelly” Anderson 1951–1952
Don Coryell 1953–1954
Frank Gnup 1955–1972
Norm Thomas 1973
Frank Smith 1974–1994
Casey Smith 1995–1997
Dave Johnson 1998
Jay Prepchuk 1999–2001
Laurent DesLauriers 2002–2005
Ted Goveia 2006–2009
Shawn Olson 2010–2014
Blake Nill 2015–present

Awards and honours

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National award winners

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UBC Awards

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  • Michael O'Connor 2016 UBC Thunderbirds Male Athlete of the Year Co-winner[9]
  • 2016 du Vivier UBC Team of the Year Award [9]

UBC Hall of Fame

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  • 2016 inductee: Jordan Gagner, Quarterback[9]
  • 2021 inductee: Akbal Singh[10]

Thunderbirds in the CFL

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As of the end of the 2024 CFL season, nine Thunderbirds alumni were active in the Canadian Football League, having transitioned to professional football:

[11]

As of the start of the 2024 NFL season, three former UBC players are on NFL teams' rosters:

References

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  1. ^ The main campus of UBC is located on an unincorporated area just outside the city limits of Vancouver.
  1. ^ "UBC Thunderbirds football stripped of all wins in 2011 after using ineligible player". The Province. Retrieved 2011-12-20.
  2. ^ a b "Canada West sanctions UBC for eligibility violation". Canada West Universities Athletic Association. 2011-12-20. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
  3. ^ Former Penn State quarterback Michael O'Connor commits to UBC
  4. ^ Vanier Cup: UBC Thunderbirds beat Montreal Carabins 26-23
  5. ^ "Game on! Shrum Bowl between SFU and UBC returns Dec. 2". BC Lions. June 23, 2022.
  6. ^ "Simon Fraser, NCAA's Only Canadian Member School, Ends Football Program". Sports Illustrated. April 4, 2023.
  7. ^ "Bob Adams CIS Sportspage". Chebucto Community Net. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  8. ^ "U Sports football standings". U Sports. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c Aaron Martin (2016-04-04). "UBC's best honoured at 95th annual Big Block Awards and Sports Hall of Fame Banquet". gothunderbirds.ca. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  10. ^ "UBC Sports Hall of Fame welcomes distinguished class of 2021". gothunderbirds.ca. 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  11. ^ "CFL players". Canadian Football League. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
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