Queen’s and Nipissing Enter 2026 With Championship Ambitions
The 2026 CUFLA season is underway, and two programs enter the new campaign with plenty of reasons to believe they can make a serious run at the Baggataway Cup.
For Queen’s, the goal is to turn years of steady progress into a championship.
For Nipissing, it is about finishing what the Lakers started last season. Both programs have earned the attention. Now they have a new season to prove they belong among the teams competing for the Baggataway Cup in Ottawa.
Queen’s Believes Its Time Has Come
Queen’s enters 2026 with a roster and a belief that head coach Connor Kearnan says are unlike anything the program has had before.
The Gaels finished 6-6 during the 2025 regular season, but their potential was evident throughout the campaign. More importantly, the program continues to build on the momentum that led Queen’s to the Baggataway Cup championship game in 2024.
Now entering his fifth season as head coach, Kearnan believes this is the deepest and most talented Queen’s roster yet. “Our goal is simple: compete for championships,” Kearnan said. “As I enter my fifth season as head coach, this is without question the deepest and most talented roster we've had.” That depth could be one of the defining characteristics of the Gaels this season.
Queen’s returns experienced veterans while adding impact recruits, creating competition throughout the lineup. Kearnan believes the internal standard has continued to rise as players have increasingly bought into the program's approach.“We have experienced veterans, impact recruits, and competition at every position. The standard inside our locker room has never been higher.” The schedule will give Queen’s plenty of opportunities to test that depth.
The Gaels open their confirmed schedule September 19 at McGill before travelling to Bishop's the following day. They will then face Ottawa twice, Trent twice, Carleton twice and McGill again before finishing the regular season October 31 against Bishop's at MikMac Field. Those games should provide a strong measuring stick for a Queen’s team with championship aspirations. McGill finished first in the Eastern Conference last season, while Carleton, Ottawa and Trent all represent significant tests as the conference race develops.
But Kearnan believes Queen’s success will not depend on one or two stars.
“We don't need one or two players to carry us. Our strength is the quality of players we can put on the field from top to bottom, and our expectation is that every player contributes to winning.” That philosophy has become part of the identity of the program. The Gaels' mantra for 2026 is simple: Earn Everything.“Every possession, every game, every opportunity. Nothing is given in this league, and we're going to approach every week with the mindset that respect is earned through performance.” Queen’s has been knocking on the door. Now the Gaels believe they are ready to kick it down.
Nipissing Has Unfinished Business
If Queen’s enters 2026 believing it is ready to take the next step, Nipissing enters the season knowing exactly how close it came last year. The Lakers put together the best season in program history in 2025, finishing 10-4 and advancing to the Baggataway Cup championship game for the first time.
Their run included a regular-season win over eventual champion Guelph, a victory over Toronto in Super Qualifier Weekend and playoff wins over Queen’s and top seeded McGill.
The only thing missing was the championship. Guelph defeated Nipissing 15-5 in the Baggataway Cup final, but the Lakers return to 2026 with much of the core that carried them to that historic run.
Head coach Jason Rudge knows there will be changes. Key players have moved on, while a new recruiting class arrives in North Bay. But the Lakers are not approaching those changes as an excuse.“Unfinished business. That's the fuel driving this group into 2026,” Rudge said.
“We return the core of a team that made noise last season, we're bringing in a stacked recruiting class, and yeah, we lost some key pieces from that 2025 run. But this roster doesn't blink.” That confidence will be tested quickly and repeatedly.
Nipissing's schedule features a number of the league's strongest programs, including an early season rematch with Guelph on September 18 in North Bay. It is one of the most intriguing games on the 2026 schedule. Guelph is the defending Baggataway Cup champion, while Nipissing handed the Gryphons their only regular-season loss last year before the two teams met again in the championship game. The Lakers will also face Brock twice, Laurier twice, McMaster, Western and Laurentian during the regular season.
There is plenty of opportunity to measure this year's team against the programs it could encounter again when the postseason arrives. Nipissing will close its regular season November 1 at home against Laurentian. By then, the Lakers will know whether the combination of returning experience and new talent has been enough to put them back in position to challenge for a championship. Rudge believes the answer will come from the mentality inside the program.“The hunger, the commitment, the edge, that's what fills the gaps. This team is locked in and ready to make its move.”
Two Programs, One Goal
Queen’s and Nipissing arrive at the 2026 season from different starting points.
Queen’s is building toward a breakthrough. The Gaels have been competitive, have reached a Baggataway Cup final and believe their deepest roster yet can finally turn that progress into a championship.
Nipissing already made its breakthrough last season. Now the Lakers want to prove that reaching the championship game was not the peak of the program, but the beginning of something bigger.
Both will face difficult schedules. Both will have to navigate strong conference opponents, road trips and the inevitable challenges that come with a CUFLA season.
And both believe they have the pieces to be playing their best lacrosse when the games matter most.
The destination is already set. The 2026 Baggataway Cup will be played at the University of Ottawa, bringing the championship to Canada's capital. Queen’s wants to earn its way back to the final. Nipissing wants another chance to finish the job. For both programs, the road to Ottawa begins with the same challenge: earn everything.
