Carabins Capture National Championship in Regina
The University of Montreal Carabins are once again the kings of Canadian university football, claiming the 2025 Vanier Cup with a decisive 30-16 victory over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. The historic championship game unfolded on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Regina's Mosaic Stadium before an announced crowd of 8,896 spectators.
Dominant Performance Seals Victory
The Carabins' triumph was fueled by an outstanding performance from freshman quarterback Pepe Gonzalez, who stepped into the starting role following the graduation of former Hec Crighton Trophy winner Jonathan Sénécal. Gonzalez completed 27 of 33 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns, showcasing remarkable poise for a first-year player on the national stage.
"I knew what kind of team we had in training camp," said Gonzalez after the game. "We knew if everybody was on the same page and we worked hard, we could be on this stage right now."
This victory marks Montreal's second U Sports football championship in three years, with their previous win sandwiched between victories by their Quebec conference rivals from Laval. The result extends Quebec's dominance in the national championship to four consecutive years.
Heartbreak Continues for Saskatchewan Program
For the Saskatchewan Huskies, the loss represents their seventh straight Vanier Cup defeat, a frustrating streak that dates back to their championship victories in 1996 and 1998. The Huskies have now fallen in back-to-back championship games in 2021, 2022, and now 2025.
Head coach Scott Flory, who played on those championship Huskies teams in the 1990s, expressed the difficulty of another close call. "I can't speak to the teams before I was here, but I know the teams in 21-22 and now, it's hard," said Flory. "At the end of the day you want to be in this game and get an opportunity. We fought our butts off. We've been through a lot."
The Huskies faced significant adversity throughout the season, including six or seven season-ending knee injuries and the absence of quarterback Anton Amundrud, who recently left the team for lymphoma treatments and was not in attendance for the championship game.
Saskatchewan quarterback Jake Farrell reflected on the emotional conclusion to their season: "I'm thankful to share the field with my guys one last time. Obviously it wasn't the result we wanted, but I'm just thankful to be in the spot."
The game also highlighted the ongoing championship drought for Saskatchewan as a province, which hasn't won the Vanier Cup since 1998—one year before the legendary Regina Rams moved from junior football to U Sports.
