AUS-QSSF inter-conference games to continue through 2012

Courtesy Atlantic University Sport

(MONTREAL, QC / HALIFAX, NS) - Atlantic University Sport (AUS) and the Quebec Student Sport Federation (QSSF) are pleased to announce the continuation of their inter-locking university football schedule through the 2012 season.

Over the three-year period, the four Atlantic University Sport football teams will play one interlock game each season, while the Quebec based university football teams will each play two interlock games in three years, one in the Maritimes and one at home.

"We are extremely pleased with the opportunity to continue the football interlock with the QSSF and their member schools," said Phil Currie, Executive Director of Atlantic University Sport. "After much discussion and brain-storming, we have developed a three-year interlock agreement and a new interlock format which will allow each conference to work on and develop areas that are unique to each conference while maintaining regular season competition between them. We both knew that status quo was not an option and worked from that premise which proved to be a successful approach."

Atlantic University Sport and the Quebec Student Sport Federation are the only two regional associations in Canada to play inter-conference football games during the regular season.

In 2010, all four of the inter-conference games will be contested on Saturday, September 18th, the second week of regular season competition for AUS schools and the third week of regular season competition in the QSSF. The rotation of opponents will be based primarily on the previous season's standings. The 2010 opponents will be as follows:

- Laval Rouge et Or at Saint Mary's Huskies
- Montreal Carabins at StFX X-Men
- Acadia Axemen at Bishop's Gaiters
- Mount Allison Mounties at Sherbrooke Vert et Or

The McGill Redmen and Concordia Stingers are currently not scheduled to play an inter-conference game in 2010.

With today's announcement, the QSSF football schedule will also increase from eight (8) to nine (9) regular season games effective the 2010 season. The 2010 AUS football schedule will continue with an eight (8) game regular season format, a semifinal playoff game (third place at second place) and the Loney Bowl AUS championship game, hosted by the first place team. All four Atlantic conference teams will play each AUS opponent twice (one home and one away), one interlock game and an additional third game versus an AUS team for a total of eight regular season games.

"We are extremely happy that we can continue our partnership with the AUS," said Patricia Demers, director of university programs for QSSF. "We believe that this agreement meets the objectives of both the AUS and QSSF and significantly contributes to the development of Canadian university football while meeting the demands from our Quebec universities to increase the number of regular season games."

The addition of a ninth regular season game in Quebec means the elimination of the bye-week for all teams over the Thanksgiving weekend. Each season, three teams will play five (5) home games, while the remaining three will play five (5) on the road. Over the next six years, all QSSF teams will play an equal number of home and road games.

The full QSSF 2010 football schedule will be released in February while the AUS schedules are ratified each May at the association's Annual General Meeting.