The nation’s top university level football talent is coming to Ottawa in a few short weeks, as it was announced Monday that Carleton University will host the 2019 U SPORTS East-West Bowl at MNP Park on Saturday, May 11.

This year’s game marks the first time the annual event will be held in the nation’s capital. The 17th annual top prospects game showcases the next generation of CFL stars heading into their draft years. The game will feature a sideline rematch of the last two Vanier Cup games, as Glen Constantin of Laval and Greg Marshall of Western will be behind the two benches.

“We are extremely excited and proud to be hosting the 2019 East-West Bowl game at Carleton University in Ottawa,” said Carleton head coach Steve Sumarah, at the helm of the Ravens since the team’s relaunch in 2013. “This is the first time Carleton University has had the privilege of hosting the game and the many scouts and coaches from the CFL. We are bound to see an exciting brand of football from the future wave of CFL players.”

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Tickets for the game are on sale now, with kickoff scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT

The West team is mostly made up of U SPORTS football players from Canada West and OUA schools, except Carleton, Ottawa and Queen’s, which play for the East squad. The rest of the East team features players from AUS and RSEQ schools.

The week-long event – including four days of practices, a combine for participating players, and a CFL free agent camp – serves as the first step to identifying future CFL talent. For the next year, players from both squads will vie for coveted spots on the CFL Scouting Bureau Top 20 Prospects List – published in August, December and April – before showcasing their skills at regional and national combines in advance of the draft next spring.

Last year, the West narrowly edged the East 15-14 for their third straight win, extending their lead in the all-time series to 10-6. The game featured all 15 U SPORTS prospects to appear on at least one Scouting Bureau list this season, headlined by Laval defensive end Mathieu Betts, who was named Friday as the top-ranked prospect heading into the 2019 Draft.

Team rosters for the game will be unveiled in early May following the Draft, while livestreaming information will also be confirmed and announced at a later date.

“U SPORTS is really excited with the opportunity presented at Carleton. Working with coach Steve Sumarah and the staff of the university has been seamless,” said U SPORTS Director of Football Richard MacLean. “With the goal of increasing the game profile – so the CFL scouts get a great chance to interact with the top talent is essential for the event and Carleton is proving to be able to deliver.”

2019 U SPORTS East-West Bowl Week Schedule

Date

Event

Time

Tuesday, May 7

CFL Combine

 

 

Practice – East & West

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ET

6:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. PT

 

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET

10:30 a.m. – 12:00  p.m. PT

Wednesday, May 8

Practice – East & West

 

 

Integrated practice

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. ET

6:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. PT

 

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. PT

Thursday, May 9

Practice – East & West

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ET

6:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. PT

Friday, May 10

Practice & Team Photo: East

 

 

Practice & Team Photo: West

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. ET

6:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. PT

 

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET

7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. PT

Saturday, May 11

Warm up

 

Kickoff

11:15 a.m. ET / 8:15 a.m. PT

 

12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT