ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup returns to Hamilton for 53rd edition

TORONTO (U SPORTS) – U SPORTS announced Tuesday that the 53^rd ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup will be played at Tim Hortons Field on Saturday, November 25^th, 2017.

For the second straight year, the U SPORTS National Football Championship Game will be held at the home of the Canadian Football League (CFL) Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup will be broadcast live by Sportsnet and TVA Sports.

"U SPORTS is excited to confirm that the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup will return to Tim Hortons Field in November," said U SPORTS Chief Executive Officer Graham Brown. "Being back in Hamilton is a tremendous opportunity to showcase the best athletes and programs in Canadian university sports at a world-class venue with a title sponsor in ArcelorMittal Dofasco that is a global leader.

"We look forward once again to working with McMaster University, the City of Hamilton, Hamilton Tourism, the Province of Ontario and our corporate partners and broadcast partners to bring football fans together from across the country for our National Championship Game."

"After the spectacle and excitement of last fall, and an event that held audiences at Tim Hortons Field and around the country captive until its final drive, we at McMaster and within the Hamilton community are ecstatic in welcoming the return of the Vanier Cup to the city for its 53rd running," said Glen Grunwald, Director of Athletics and recreation at McMaster University.

"We look forward to working alongside our colleagues at U SPORTS, and our local community partners, to build upon the successes and lessons of 2016 and deliver an even better experience for football fans here in Hamilton."

ArcelorMittal Dofasco, which is Hamilton's largest private sector employer with more than 5,000 employees, has made a large commitment to supporting U SPORTS as title sponsor of the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup, along with presenting U SPORTS Athletes of the Week.

"We're proud to continue to play a role in ensuring that Canada's student-athletes pursue their competitive sport dreams," said Tony Valeri, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at ArcelorMittal Dofasco. "We understand the power of sport – its ability to inspire, build community, build confidence and build leaders and we know that university athletics is a breeding ground for our next generation of Canadian leaders and those that will transform tomorrow.

"The Vanier Cup isn't just about one game on one day. It's about the competition that unfolds as teams from across Canada compete each week to earn a place in the national championship. We know there are wonderful stories of perseverance, commitment and excellence at the university sport level that make for great television." 

The Laval Rouge er Or won their ninth ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup at Tim Hortons Field last November, using a fourth-quarter touchdown run by quarterback Hugo Richard to rally and defeat the University of Calgary Dinos 31-26. Laval, which will host the U SPORTS East-West Bowl on May 13, is now 9-1 at the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup.