VANCOUVER, BC – For the first time in 38 years, Chicoutimi will re-enter U SPORTS, Canada’s top-tier university athletic division.
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, UCAQ, for short, joins U SPORTS after a nearly four-decade hiatus, becoming the 57th school in the organization, having last played in men’s hockey in the 1985-86 season.
The UQAC Inuk last played in U SPORTS when they competed in men’s hockey in the 1985-86 season but will join as a probationary member for two years in men’s and women’s cross country, women’s volleyball and men’s track and field, with the potential for more sports in the future.
As of 2022, the Inuk also brought back a men’s hockey program but will not join U SPORTS until at least 2025-26. They have joined the RSEQ division 2 for 2023-24.
The decision to welcome UQAC as a full member to U SPORTS will be voted on at the 2025 U SPORTS annual general meeting.
“After having concluded a site visit last month and meetings with UQAC leadership and athletic department staff, we are ecstatic to confirm the Inuk will be joining U SPORTS for the 2023-24 season,” U SPORTS CEO Pierre Arsenault said in a statement.
“UQAC is a leader in the Saguenay region for academics and sport and has a tradition of a holistic approach to supporting students. They are a perfect fit for membership in U SPORTS, and we look forward to seeing Inuk student-athletes competing at U SPORTS competitions for many years to come!”
The name “Inuk,” originated from the Indigenous word meaning human beings or man, while also being the name of the Inuit, the Indigenous peoples of the Artic. While the school will keep the team name, the athletics programs will undergo a visual rebrand ahead of the 2023-24 seasons.
“Our membership to U SPORTS strengthens our university’s commitment to supporting its students and student-athletes and ensuring their success,” said Dr. Ghislain Samson, President of UQAC. “On behalf of myself, our Inuk and the UQAC community, I want to say how proud we are to be joining the U SPORTS family and of our new place in Canadian university athletics.”