Countdown To Training Camp

The countdown to CUFLA season is officially on. With training camp now just 13 weeks away, anticipation is already beginning to build across the country as programs start preparing for another run at the Baggataway Cup. After a 2025 season that featured dominant performances, surprise contenders, and one of the deepest playoff races in recent memory, expectations for 2026 are already high. The full season schedule is expected to be released in August, while details surrounding the 2026 Baggataway Cup championship weekend will be announced over Canada Day weekend. For fans who have been waiting through the offseason, the return of CUFLA is finally starting to feel close.

The early favourites heading into the new year are familiar names. Guelph (12-1) enters the season as the team to beat after another dominant campaign that reinforced the Gryphons as one of the premier programs in Canadian university lacrosse. Their combination of depth, structure, and experience makes them the benchmark entering 2026. McGill (9-3) also returns with major expectations after once again proving themselves among the East’s elite, while Trent (9-2) continues to build momentum as a legitimate championship contender. Brock (8-4) remains impossible to overlook whenever playoff conversations begin, with the Badgers consistently finding ways to elevate their play when the postseason arrives. Even Western (5-4), despite not producing the season many expected last year, still carries the reputation and talent level to immediately put itself back into contention.

Beyond the top tier, the league may be more competitive from top to bottom than it has been in years. Nipissing (10-4) quietly put together one of the strongest records in the country last season and enters 2026 with confidence that they can challenge the traditional powers. Queen’s (6-6) showed flashes of high level play throughout 2025 and could take another step forward with a more experienced roster, while Laurier (6-5) and Toronto (5-6) both proved capable of competing with nearly anyone on the right weekend. In the East, Bishop’s (4-7) and Carleton (3-7) continued to show growth in a conference that became increasingly difficult from week to week.

There are also several programs looking to turn progress into breakthrough seasons. Ottawa (2-7) has continued to build depth and competitiveness, while McMaster (2-8) showed signs late last season that they are closer to climbing the standings than their record suggests. Laurentian (0-9) enters the new year hungry for improvement and will be looking to establish momentum early in the schedule. One of the defining traits of CUFLA over the last several years has been the shrinking gap between the league’s top and bottom teams, and that trend appears likely to continue heading into 2026.

That is ultimately what should make this season so exciting for fans across the country. Rivalries matter immediately, travel weekends are never easy, and every conference game can completely shift playoff positioning by October. Established contenders still lead the preseason conversation, but there is enough parity across the league to guarantee surprises before the regular season comes to a close. With training camp rapidly approaching, the August schedule release on the horizon, and Baggataway Cup details arriving on Canada Day weekend, the buildup toward the 2026 CUFLA season is officially underway.