The Waterloo Warriors, in partnership with U SPORTS and Field Hockey Canada, are excited to announce the 2026 U SPORTS/FHC Field Hockey Championship will be hosted by the University of Waterloo from November 4-8, 2026.
The championship will bring together the top university field hockey teams from across Canada to compete for the national title on Warrior Field. Building on the success of the renewed national championship format introduced in 2024, the tournament continues to showcase the best of university field hockey and ensures national representation from coast-to-coast.
Last year's championship saw the York University Lions capture the national title, defeating the University of Victoria Vikes in the gold-medal match in Charlottetown, PEI. The 2026 championship will feature representatives from the Ontario University Athletics, Atlantic University Field Hockey League, and the Canada West, along with the host Warriors. Final participating teams will be determined through regular-season competition and conference qualification taking place throughout September and October.
"We are thrilled to welcome the best university field hockey student-athletes in Canada to Waterloo in 2026. Hosting national championships is an opportunity to showcase not only outstanding competition, but also the exceptional experience our campus, community, and volunteers can provide. Building on the momentum and success of the 2025 and 2026 Miller Waste U SPORTS Women's Hockey Championships, we are excited to bring another premier U SPORTS event to Waterloo and create a memorable championship experience for everyone involved," said Roly Webster, Director of Athletics and Recreation.
"Field Hockey has a long and storied history at Waterloo, and recently our Warriors captured OUA gold in 2024 and OUA bronze on home turf in 2025. We can't wait to see the black and gold back on the national stage this fall."
Susan Ahrens, CEO of Field Hockey Canada is excited about the growth and the continued connectivity of the university pipeline with the Field Hockey Canada brand. The last two years at York and UPEI respectively have set an exciting precedent of university hockey championship events.
"Over the past two years, we have seen the excitement and enthusiasm grow for the newly created final-four style national championships in the university hockey space. I'm greatly looking forward to the event in Waterloo and excited to see this event continue to innovate and grow," Ahrens said. "My many thanks go out to the University of Waterloo team for taking on this initiative and the Field Hockey Canada staff, especially Hailey Yhap for leading the LOC in delivery of a truly national university tournament."
The Warriors Field Hockey season begins Friday, September 11 when the black and gold take on the Queen's Gales at home. See the full OUA Field Hockey schedule here.
More information on tickets, broadcast, and more will be shared soon. Follow @wloowarriors on Instagram to stay up to date on all the lates info, and read the full announcement from Field Hockey Canada here.
With files from Field Hockey Canada.
