Before they reach the elite level, athletes need a place to hone their skills and compete against rivals of comparable age. In Canada, talent development is conducted largely on the college level with major universities fielding teams in many different sports. This system has its benefits and drawbacks, but it is entrenched in the local sports culture and represents an integral part of Canada’s identity.
Since college sports are primarily a North American phenomenon, it’s fascinating to view it through an international lens. In particular, we will look into how Canadian collegiate sports stack up against similar institutions in other English-speaking countries.
Canadian College Sports Explained
Colleges and universities in Canada use athletic competition to boost their visibility and attract more entrants, but in the process they enable a high-level of competition and provide young talent with access to expert coaching and state-of-the-art facilities. This is a nationally coordinated activity, with the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) acting as the governing body for colleges. CCAA consists of 6 divisions that are largely geographically organised, with one each for Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba Alberta, Pacific region, and Atlantic region. Total number of member schools is currently at 99, and the organisation crowns a national champion in ten different disciplines, with high stake games being popular targets for sport bet in Canada. Another governing body that manages athletic competition for universities that issue degrees is named U Sports, with a total of 58 members (some of which also belong to CCAA). This organisation awards athletic scholarships in 6 men’s sports and 7 women’s sports.
How Canadian College Sports Compares with the US?
The level of quality, publicity, and finances surrounding college sports in the US is much higher than in Canada. While the two models are relatively similar and both emphasise amateurism as a guiding principle, in practice the US is leaning much further into commercialisation and competitiveness. Another difference is sheer size – the US college sports governing body known as National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is so massive that it divides its members in three separate divisions based on the college enrollment and athletic budget. Division 1 alone counts more than 350 members, and it collects revenues in the billions from ticket sales, TV rights, and sponsorships. In football, baseball, and basketball, NCAA plays the role of a feeder system that develops players who go on to sign with professional franchises. Additionally, sports teams of certain US universities have large numbers of fans scattered widely across the nation and even abroad, and in some regions may even be more popular than pro teams.
Why Don’t United Kingdom and Australia Have Competitive College Sports?
Technically speaking, colleges and universities in the United Kingdom and Australia do sponsor sports and they regularly compete against each other. In reality, these competitions are nothing akin to what is happening in North America. They mostly feature regular students rather than special talents recruited specifically to represent the university, while the majority of fans are also students. Basically, college sports in these countries are outside of the major player development system, which is instead entrusted to youth sections of professional clubs. This is a key philosophical difference from the Canadian approach, as educational institutions don’t want to spend too much of their resources on activity they don’t consider to be an essential part of their mission.
Is Canadian College Sports System a Good Solution?
Judging by the level of sports success Canada is experiencing internationally despite having a relatively small population, the system currently in place seems to be working. Some would argue that college sports are largely obsolete and need to be replaced with a method that gives players a better chance to monetise their skills early. Given that the status quo is a part of Canada’s sport tradition, it wouldn’t be easy to change it without sacrificing a lot of money and causing an urgent need for establishment of new youth leagues and tournaments. Nations like the UK have demonstrated that alternatives are possible, but a sweeping reform of Canadian college sports is not likely at this time. Canada loves doing things its own way and tends to hold on to its traditions in every field, and youth sports are no exception.
