Where’s the party at? The top 10 football atmospheres in the nation

Below are the average attendance/game leaders over the past three seasons as listed on the U SPORTS website. (2022–2024). 

1. Laval Rouge et Or (15,487/game)

Laval dominance over the past 20 years is legendary, but not everyone realizes the cultural significance that the Rouge et Or hold in Quebec City, with the program's debut coming just a year after the NHL's Nordiques relocated to Denver. Stade Telus, their home, officially sits 12,750, but can be expanded to about 20,000 with standing room. The all-time attendance record was set on Sept. 7, 2024, when 20,903 faithful saw their Rouge et Or take down the rival Montreal Carabins by a score of 23-22. Anyone who has ever played at this stadium will tell you that it is the most pro like atmosphere in all of U SPORTS. The home town crowd loves their Rouge et Or, and they will certainly make themselves heard on game day.

2. Western Mustangs (6,803/game)

London is an underrated football city, with a great football footprint at all levels of the sport. Having a historical U SPORTS powerhouse in your backyard definitely helps drive the city’s love of the game. Hosting the largest crowds in the OUA, Western Alumni Stadium holds a capacity of approximately 8,000 but has held larger events in the past, including a few games in which the hometown Mustangs were not even in. These included the 2022 Vanier Cup between Laval and Saskatchewan (8,420 attendees) and even a CFL preseason game back in 2002 between the Argos and Tiger Cats (9,178 attendees).  

3. Sherbrooke Vert et Or (5,879/game) 

About an hour-and-a-half east of Montreal is the city of Sherbrooke. Home to about 175,000 people, Sherbrooke is certainly a university town and an interesting addition to the top of this list. The top two schools, Western and Laval, are recognized as national powerhouses with 20 Vanier Cup championships between them (12 for Laval and 8 for Western). Sherbrooke has not only never won a Vanier Cup, but the Vert et Or are one of only two U SPORT Programs that have never won a conference championship (the other is York). Despite this lack of championships, the Vert et Or fans certainly show up on game day to fill Stade de l’Université de Sherbrooke. Imagine what would happen if the Vert et Or made a Dunsmore Cup run. 

4. Saskatchewan Huskies (4,307/game) 

If you know anything about the Canadian football landscape, you’ve probably noticed that football is popular in the prairies. Located in Saskatoon, Griffiths Stadium’s capacity is listed at 5,743, however the regular season record of 10,054 was set on Sept. 8, 2023 in a tilt with provincial rival Regina. The all-time house record, including playoff and national games, was set during the 2006 Vanier Cup. Temporary seating was installed to accommodate the 12,567 people who bore witness to Laval completing a Vanier Cup three-peat in a 13-8 defensive affair against the hometown Huskies. Griffiths Field also regularly plays host to training camp for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. Safe to say that University of Saskatchewan is deserving of the fourth spot on this list. 

5. Montreal Carabins (4,001/game) 

Taking up the fifth spot on this list are the Montreal Carabins who play at the 5,100 seat CEPSUM (Centre d’éducation physique et des sports de l’Université de Montréal). While not as historically successful as Laval, the Carabins have certainly given their fans a lot to cheer about in recent years. Over the last 11 seasons, Montreal has gone toe to toe with Laval in a provincial stranglehold over the RSEQ that has seen no other program even reach the Dunsmore Cup. As you can imagine, this has created one of the best and most competitive rivalries in all of U SPORTS football. While it’s not as big as Stade Telus, CEPSUM certainly creates a chaotic environment for their Carabins especially when Laval comes to visit. 

6. Queen's Golden Gaels (3,957/game) 

A program with a rich history unsurprisingly makes an appearance in the top 10. It’s sixth place ranking however, may be indicative of the program’s absence from the national conversation since 2009. Despite a lack of championships, Queens enjoys one of the newest facilities in the country. Richardson Stadium was rebuilt in 2016 and now includes 8,500 seats and standing room for about 1,000 more. Located in the university town of Kingston, Ontario (population of ~138,000) Queen's University has played host to the last two Vanier Cups. 2023 saw the Montreal Carabins take down the UBC Thunderbirds in a 16-9 contest in front of 7,109 spectators, while the 2024 championship game hailed a 22-17 Laval victory over Wilfrid Laurier with a sold out 9,500 in attendance. 2025 even saw the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks use the Golden Gaels facility for their training camp. This is definitely a school that is investing in their commitment to football and it could help them move up this list in the coming years. 

7. Windsor Lancers (3,622/game) 

Anyone living in Ontario knows that Windsor is a football hotbed. The border city of just over 300,000 has consistently produced elite CFL and NFL talent. That love for football spills over into the nationally seventh ranked average attendance over the last three seasons, third in the OUA. While Alumni Stadium is a smaller venue with only 2,000 permanent seats, the university’s own website claims that the venue has a max capacity of 10,000! While a standing room crowd of 8,000 people may be a little far-fetched, the average attendance is well above the available seating in the last three seasons. As the Lancers continue to cement themselves as a winning program in the OUA, look for this community to rally behind them. 

8. UBC Thunderbirds (3,140/game) 

The Thunderbirds have a long history, national championship pedigree, and one of the largest student bodies in the nation, so it makes sense that they are the second Canada West team to show up on our list. Thunderbird Stadium is not the most modern facility in the nation by any means.  The field is encompassed by a 3,500 seat grandstand on one side and a grassy hill large enough for about 5,000 on the other. The attendance record for a UBC football game came on Sept. 17, 2017, when a homecoming crowd of 9,542 saw the Thunderbirds defeat the Saskatchewan Huskies 31-10. The stadium was also used for a B.C. Lions preseason game in 2015. 

9. Guelph Gryphons (3,482/game) 

Once dubbed the Oregon of U SPORTS due to their numerous jersey combinations in the 2010-2015 era, the Guelph Gryphons have had a medium amount of success since their first season in 1950. The program has a Vanier Cup title (1984) and four Yates Cup championships (1984, 1992, 1996, 2015), but falls behind in comparison to the championship calibre of other OUA programs such as Western, Queens, Laurier, and McMaster. Where they do not fail to impress is their facility and fan experience. Alumni Stadium includes 7,500 fixed seats, a state of the art Football Pavilion which includes a rooftop patio viewing experience, and a large grassy hill for overflow student seating. Guelph has a history of CFL connections as well. In 2013, Alumni Stadium capacity was expanded to 13,000 as the Hamilton Tiger Cats used the facility as their home stadium while their formerly-named Tim Hortons Field was rebuilt. More recently (2022-2025) the Toronto Argonauts have used the facility for their training camp. 

10. Manitoba Bisons (2,697/game) 

Manitoba rounds out our list with an interesting debate. While the Bisons have the 10th ranked average attendance in the nation, good for third in Canada West, their games usually feel empty. That is because, like Regina and Calgary, the Bisons play in a CFL stadium. Princess Auto Stadium (formerly IG Field) has a capacity of 32,343 and is home to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In such a large environment the average Bisons crowd drowns in a sea of empty seats. This raises the question, should U SPORTS schools separate themselves from CFL franchises in an attempt to build more appropriately sized facilities? Or should more university programs lean into the partnerships with professional teams and work together to try and grow their product? 

Honourable Mention

Panda Game: Ottawa Gee-Gees vs. Carleton Ravens @ TD Place Stadium 

the Panda Game

Panda Game since 2014