The University of Victoria Vikes won the bid to host the 2026 U SPORTS Men’s Soccer Championship where they will host Canada's top eight men's university soccer programs at Centennial Stadium.
"This is obviously a huge opportunity, and it's really exciting for our program and our current players," said men's soccer head coach Larry Stefanek in a news release. "Having the top teams in the country come to Victoria is big for the Vancouver Island soccer community, the city, the university, and our program."
This will be the fifth time UVic hosts the championships, with the Vikes hosting in 1975, 1978, 1999 and most recently in 2011 when they captured their fifth national title.
"We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional national championship experiences for student-athletes, teams, and fans while elevating the profile of U SPORTS soccer on a national scale," said Nick Clarke, director of varsity performance sport at UVic, in the release.
The top eight teams will travel to Victoria in November 2026, with the Vikes guaranteed a host berth. The Vikes have competed at the national tournament 14 times in program history.
"On behalf of the UVic men’s soccer alumni we are all very excited to hear the news of the U SPORTS soccer nationals returning to Victoria. The alumni look forward to not only helping make the tournament a success but also supporting the UVic men's soccer team strive towards another national title, as we did in 2011," said Moreno Stefani, co-chair of the men's soccer alumni chapter, in the release.
More details on the championship, including tournament dates and ticket information, will be released closer to the event.
