University of Regina

About the University of Regina

The U of R provides a dynamic, innovative, and supportive learning experience with a growing national reputation for excellence in teaching and research. The University’s comprehensive services and programs prepare students to excel in local and global communities and its research opportunities attract the best and brightest minds.

The University’s programs have grown in response to the needs of the province; the balance of scholarship, research, and public service is attracting students and international attention. Specialized programs are offered in a number of areas including journalism, kinesiology, social work, media production and studies, actuarial science, petroleum engineering, fine arts, software systems, education, police studies, health studies, public policy, business administration, and many others. A co-operative education program – the first in Western Canada – is available in arts, business administration, engineering, and science (computer science, physics, chemistry and biochemistry, and mathematics and statistics). An Aboriginal co-operative education program is available in each of these areas.

The undergraduate petroleum engineering program is the largest in the country. The Police Studies B.A. was the first policing degree to be offered by a Canadian university and is resulting in partnerships with police services in the province and beyond.

During the 2007-08 fall term, the University had a total enrolment of 12,147. Of these, 10,570 were classified as undergraduates and 1,577 were registered as graduate students.


About University of Regina Athletics

The modern era of intercollegiate athletics at the U of R dates back to 1968, when the men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s volleyball, and men’s wrestling teams participated in the Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Association. After four seasons in the WCIAA, the Cougars and Cougettes became charter members of the newly formed Great Plains Athletic Conference prior to the 1972-73 season.

The U of R took a brief hiatus from intercollegiate play during the mid-1970s but quickly returned all five varsity teams to the GPAC and added a men’s hockey team which rose to national prominence almost immediately. Under the guidance of head coach Reg Higgs, the Cougars won four GPAC banners in their first six years of existence. The team had its finest finish in the CIAU in 1980, when the Cougars defeated Moncton and Guelph to advance to the national championship game.

Regina hosted its first national tournament in 1979, when the CIAU women’s basketball championship came to town. Making their first appearance in a CIAU tournament, the Cougettes were defeated in the quarterfinals by Laurentian, which would go on to win the CIAU title with a win over Victoria.

Prior to the 1983-84 season, the U of R changed the name of its women’s teams from the Cougettes to the Lady Cougars, as they would be known until the 1990s. Currently, all U of R teams – with the exception of the Rams – are known as, simply, the Cougars.

After nine seasons in the GPAC, the U of R’s men’s hockey team – along with Brandon and Manitoba – joined Canada West in 1985-86, creating a highly competitive eight-team conference.

The late 1980s saw the quality of the U of R’s athletic teams grow stronger and stronger. Led by coach Ken Murray, the men’s basketball team qualified for the 1989 CIAU Championship in Halifax, where they advanced to the semifinals before bowing out to Victoria. 1989 also saw the U of R’s first Canada West title, as the men’s wrestling team claimed the conference championship. The women’s volleyball team qualified for the 1990 CIS Championships, while the women’s basketball team played in the national tournament in 1989, 1990, and 1991.

Guided by head coach Leo McGee, the men’s wrestling team brought home the U of R’s first national championship in 1997 and successfully repeated as CIS champions in 1998. The Cougars won an incredible six Canada West championships in a row in the mid to late-1990s.

The late 1990s saw the addition of men’s and women’s track & field, women's wrestling, and men’s and women’s swimming. Through a community partnership agreement, the Regina Rams ascended from the junior ranks to the CIS and retained their moniker while operating as a University of Regina team. The Rams had a meteoric introduction to CIS football, going all the way to the Vanier Cup game in just their second season of university ball.

By the time the early 2000s had arrived, the U of R’s women’s basketball team had established itself as a force on the CIS scene. Head coach Christine Stapleton guided the Cougars to the national championship in 2001, culminating a spectacular season that saw the team lose just two games all season long.

The GPAC was merged into Canada West following the 2000-01 season, paving the way for women's soccer to join prior to the 2001 season. Men’s and women’s cross country were added as well, bringing the total number of University of Regina intervarsity teams up to its current number of 16.

In 2008-09, the Cougars will host the CIS Women’s Basketball Championship, the first national championship that the U of R has hosted since the women’s hockey tournament in 2002.

National Champions
1997 – Men’s Wrestling (story)
1998 – Men’s Wrestling (story)
2001 – Women’s Basketball (story)

Conference Champions (Canada West)
1989 – Men’s Wrestling (story)
1994 – Men’s Wrestling (story)
1995 – Men’s Wrestling (story)
1996 – Men’s Wrestling (story)
1997 – Men’s Wrestling (story)
1998 – Men’s Wrestling (story)
1999 – Men’s Wrestling (story)
2000 – Football (story)
2001 – Women’s Hockey (story)
2002 – Men’s Wrestling (story)
2004 – Women’s Basketball (story)
2009 – Men's Cross Country (story)
2010 – Men's Track & Field (story)

Conference Champions (Great Plains)
1978 – Men’s Hockey (story)
1979 – Men’s Hockey (story)
1980 – Men’s Hockey (story)
1982 – Men’s Hockey (story)
1989 – Women's Basketball (story)
1990 – Women’s Basketball (story)
1991 – Women’s Basketball (story)
1999 – Women’s Basketball (story)
2000 – Women’s Basketball (story)
2001 – Women’s Basketball (story)