Post Secondary Pathways
FOOTBALL ONTARIO
Post Secondary Pathways for Elite Athletes
This page is a guide for football Ontario athletes who are looking for information on recruitment and the post-secondary pathways to continue in their football development.
Who Are These Pathways For?
These pathways are for U18 athletes who are in or coming up in the last year of playing in the OFFL, OSFL, OFSAA, and OCFFL and are looking to see the options available to them to continue playing football.
What Pathways Are Available?
Ontario University Athletics (OUA)
The OUA and member institutions provide a shared focus on student-athlete success in academics, athletics, and community leadership. Student-athletes have access to exemplary coaching, superior training and competition, premier facilities, and outstanding academic programming within the scope of categories of The Sport Model and our respective institutions.
Canada West (CW)
Canada West (CW) is the leading university athletic conference in the country and is home to champion student-athletes that excel in the classroom and their communities. Canada West and our 17 members from across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba collectively carry on a legacy of competitive excellence, as our champions proudly go on to represent the conference at U SPORTS national championships.
Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ)
RSEQ is the governing body of the primary and secondary school, collegiate and university sports in Quebec. It also serves as a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in coordinating competition between their university-level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and events to the public and the media.
Atlantic University Sport (AUS)
AUS is a sports organization responsible for governing university sport at member Atlantic Canadian universities. The conference represents member universities and supports their academic missions.
FOOTBALL ONTARIO
When to Start Applying?
Are There Any Specific Signing Periods Related to the Letter of Intent?
No, with the one exception that a Letter can only be entered into in the 12 months immediately preceding the academic year you expect to attend a CIS member school. Any timelines or restrictions of that nature are imposed strictly at the discretion of the institution providing the Letter of Intent. However, it is not uncommon for a school to impose a reasonable time frame (or expiry date) beyond which an unsigned Letter cannot be signed and honoured.
How To Pursue These Pathways?
Recruitment 101/USports Recruitment
Team O Recruiting Presentation 2023 (1)
Letter of Intent Program and Registry
The Letter of Intent (LOI) is a new national initiative that is designed to reduce and limit the recruiting pressures on prospective student-athletes, educate prospective student-athletes on the most applicable U SPORTS regulations, and assist coaches in their recruiting efforts.
The Letter of Intent should not be confused with a letter of admission from a university, as the Letter of Intent is related only to a prospect’s expressed intention to participate at a specific university in U SPORTS. It should also be noted that a prospect does not need to sign a Letter of Intent if they wish to play a U SPORTS sport. The Letter of Intent is a voluntary system that a prospect can choose to enter into and that is respected by all U SPORTS member schools.
