The landscape of Quebec university football is set to change as the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) announced a significant rebrand of its championship trophy.
The longstanding Coupe Dunsmore (English: Dunsmore Cup) will be replaced by the newly christened Coupe Jacques-Dussault (Jacques Dussault Cup), honoring one of Quebec football's most influential figures.
The announcement came during the opening Saturday of the 2025 season before a matchup between the Concordia Stingers and the Montreal Carabins with TVA Sports broadcasting.
Jacques Dussault's impact on Quebec football spans five remarkable decades. His path began as a player at the university level, suiting up for both Ottawa and McGill, where he served as starting middle linebacker on McGill's historic 1973 squad that captured the QUAA championship, won the Western Bowl national semifinal, and advanced to the Vanier Cup championship game.
During the 1980s, Dussault served as a defensive coach for both the Montreal Alouettes and Montreal Concordes, before the team folded. Dussault holds the honour of being the first French speaking coach in CFL history.
He later coached the Montreal Machine from 1991 to 1992, the sole Canadian entry in the World League of American Football (WLAF).
Perhaps most significantly for university football, Dussault played a pivotal role in revitalizing the Université de Montréal's football program in 2002.
As the inaugural head coach of the Carabins, he spent four seasons building the foundation of what would become an uber-competitive university program.
This marks the end of an era for the Dunsmore Cup while ushering in a new chapter that celebrates Quebec's rich football heritage.
The Dunsmore Cup was first presented to the Ontario-Quebec Interuniversity Football Conference (OQIFC) in 1987 through the leadership of Queen's University officials.
Named in memory of Robert "Bob" Lionel Dunsmore
The distinctive bronze trophy, designed by Peter Dorn of Queen's University, features a football resting on a launching tee, with the ball slightly modified to give it a cup-like appearance.
Bob Dunsmore himself was a remarkable figure whose life extended far beyond football.
After serving with distinction in the Canadian Armed Forces during World War I (earning the Military Cross), he built a distinguished career in the petroleum industry, served as chairman of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation from 1959 to 1963, and remained a devoted Queen's University supporter throughout his life.
His environmental consciousness led to extensive tree-planting campaigns on the Queen's campus, including the crabapple trees that line University Avenue.
The official unveiling of the completed Coupe Jacques-Dussault is scheduled for Nov. 8, preceding the RSEQ's championship.