U Sports chief executive officer Pierre Arsenault says McGill University’s decision to cut 25 sports teams following the 2025-26 season is “unfortunate.”
The Montreal school said it “carried out an extensive review process that involved discussions with internal and external stakeholders” before coming to its conclusion last Thursday.
“We spend all of our days celebrating just how complicated it is to be a student-athlete and just how significant the performances and the accomplishments of student-athletes are just to even manage that double life of being high achieving students and high achieving athletes at the same time,” Arsenault said.
“And so we have no doubt that it’s difficult news for both student-athletes and coaches and we understand that whenever an institution makes choices like this, it’s because that’s down to the options that they had, that ultimately there weren’t other viable options.”
McGill stated an audit in 2024 and an independent external review in 2025 made it clear the current structure in place “was no longer sustainable.”
The school said it reviewed all clubs and teams over the past several months using multiple criteria, including the RSEQ sport model — the framework used by Quebec’s governing body for school sport — as well as competitive viability, recruitment pools and resource requirements.
The programs being cut for 2026-27 include track and field, women’s rugby and men’s volleyball. The full list also includes badminton, baseball, fencing, field hockey, figure skating, golf, lacrosse, logger sports, nordic skiing, sailing, squash and tennis.
In addition, McGill said the return of its cheerleading and women’s flag football teams depends on whether the RSEQ grants an exemption for next season.
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In a joint statement provided to The Canadian Press, Athletics Canada and Athletisme Quebec expressed their disappointment with McGill.
“Athletics Canada is extremely disappointed and dismayed by the decision of McGill University to cut its track and field program in 2026. The impact is beyond one university program. It affects all Canadian track and field, athlete development, and access to top-level competition and training facilities in Quebec, and across the country.”
As McGill is one of just three Canadian schools with an indoor banked running track, Athletics Canada said “this decision takes away opportunities from athletes all over the country.
“We strongly urge the University to review this decision, Athletisme Quebec and Athletics Canada are willing partners to sit down with the University and help find solutions to reinstate the program.”
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Arsenault said U Sports was informed of the decision “shortly before” it was announced but was not provided much information.
“These matters were handled or are always handled internally to navigate what programs are viable, not just with athletics, but across an institution across all sectors,” he said. “And we did get a little bit of information that it was coming, not any amount of details to what was involved.”
When asked if there could be a way to prevent such a situation potentially happening again in the future, Arsenault said it’s about highlighting the impact university sports has.
“Ultimately, I think what we want to try and do is just continue to make sure there’s awareness, celebration and broad spread reach and impact for, not just the student-athletes themselves, … but how it reaches beyond that.
“And how it has an impact on youth at younger ages that see what’s possible at the university level and really commit to their own development so that those opportunities can exist for them as well.”
