U Sports - Canadian University Swimming

U Sports (formerly CIS and CIAU) is the national governing body for university sport in Canada. It oversees varsity swimming programs at 56 member institutions organized into four regional conferences.

What is U Sports?

U Sports is the national brand for university sport in Canada. Founded in 1906 as the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU), it was rebranded to Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) in 2001 and became U Sports in 2016.

For swimming, U Sports sets the national qualifying standards, organizes the annual national championships, and maintains national university swimming records.

The Four Conferences

OUA (Ontario University Athletics) - The largest university swimming conference in Canada, governing varsity programs across Ontario.

Canada West - Governs university athletics in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

AUS (Atlantic University Sport) - The conference for university athletics in the Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador).

RSEQ (Reseau du sport etudiant du Quebec) - Governs university sport in Quebec.

The Competitive Season

September: Preseason training. October-November: Dual meets and invitationals. December: Exams and winter training camps. January: Last chance meets. February: Conference championships (OUA, Canada West, AUS, RSEQ). Late February-March: U Sports National Championships.

Qualifying Times

To compete at U Sports nationals, swimmers must achieve qualifying time standards set annually by U Sports. Conference championships may have their own qualifying standards. Times must be achieved at sanctioned meets during the competitive season.

Eligibility and Recruitment

Student-athletes have 5 years of eligibility from first registration. Must maintain full-time student status and meet academic standards. Transfer athletes must sit out one year unless granted a waiver. Unlike NCAA programs in the United States, Canadian university athletics does not offer full athletic scholarships, though academic entrance scholarships and varsity-specific awards are available.