On October 12, Canada West announced changes to the varsity hockey, volleyball, basketball and soccer schedules for the 2024/25 seasons.
The changes were made to increase local rivalries and help to decrease travel among the division for student athletes, according to 49 Sports.
UBC’s football, hockey, volleyball, basketball, soccer and women’s rugby teams play under the Canada West (CW) conference. The conference spans from BC to Manitoba and includes 17 different universities across 13 sports, although not every university participates in every sport offered under CW.
Both men's and women's hockey will be split into two divisions, with teams rotating divisions each season. Over the course of six years, all nine teams will face each other in divisional play. Games will still be played outside of the division. The games outside of the division will act like exhibition games, as they will be played less, but count for conference points.
Playoffs will still include six teams, but with cross-over from the divisions.
Volleyball will continue to be a single division, but with a 20-game season instead of a 24-game season. Teams will only play 6 other teams, rotating each year, rather than 12 each season. Four of the six teams will be “annual opponents” and always play each other, putting more emphasis on rivalries.
CW noted further discussions of volleyball scheduling will take place in early 2024.
CW basketball will be divided into 2 divisions, each with a standardized 20-game season. Although this is the same amount as the current season, an “increased focus on regional rivalries” should decrease overall travel time.
2024/25 playoffs will now be a 12-team single-elimination format compared to every team qualifying for the post-season. Additionally, last season, UBC announced that it will host the 2024/25 Final 8 championships for both men and women’s teams — a first for U Sports.
The soccer schedule is divided by sex, with the men’s side seeing little change with the 2023 playoff timing approved for future seasons. The women face a few more changes. Women’s soccer is already split into two divisions — Pacific and Prairie — but now each division will have a standardized 14-game schedule. Playoffs for both teams will feature eight teams in a single-elimination format.