The Vanier Cup (French: Coupe Vanier) is the trophy awarded annually to the champion Canadian football team in U Sports, the governing body for university sports in Canada. The U Sports football champion is determined in a one-game playoff (the Vanier Cup game), played by the winners of the Uteck Bowl and the Mitchell Bowl. In turn, the participating teams are determined by the winners of four bowl games: the Loney Bowl (AUS), Hardy Cup (Canada West), Dunsmore Cup (RSEQ), and Yates Cup (OUA). The Vanier Cup game is played at a neutral site that changes every year; the hosting university is determined months or years in advance.

The Laval Rouge et Or have won the most Vanier Cups (12), while the Western Mustangs have the most appearances (15). Eighteen teams have won the Vanier Cup, while three others have played for the championship but never won. There are six active teams that have never appeared in the championship game. The most recent game was the 60th Vanier Cup game which was played on November 22, 2025, at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. The Montreal Carabins won their third championship in franchise history, defeating the Saskatchewan Huskies, 30–16.

The Vanier Cup was created in 1965 as the championship trophy of the Canadian College Bowl. For the first two years of competition, the Canadian College Bowl was an invitational event, with a national panel selecting two teams to play, similar to other U.S. collegiate bowl games. In 1967, the Canadian College Bowl was declared the national football championship of the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union, later Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and now U Sports, with a playoff system determining the two participants.

The Vanier Cup was played in Toronto, Ontario, from its inception in 1965 through 2003. However, after the CIS opened the game to host conference bids in 2001, the possibility arose to have games held outside Toronto. As of 2025, 41 of the 61 Vanier Cups have been played in Toronto, eight in Quebec City, five in Hamilton, two in Kingston, one in Regina (November 22, 2025), one in Saskatoon, one in Vancouver, one in London, Ontario, and one in Montreal. No games have been staged in the Atlantic region. Four times, the game has been played in the same city and during the same weekend as the Grey Cup: 1973, 2007 and 2012 in Toronto and in 2011 in Vancouver at BC Place Stadium.

The winners' trophy is named after Georges Vanier (governor general of Canada 1959–1967) and was first awarded in 1965 to the winner of an invitational event contested between two teams that were selected by a panel. In 1967, the trophy was declared the official "CIAU National Football Championship" and a playoff system was instituted. From its creation until 1982, it was known as the Canadian College Bowl. The game typically occurs in late November, although it is occasionally played in December.

On June 8, 2020, U Sports announced that all fall athletics championships for the 2020–21 season had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Note: All Ted Morris Trophy and Bruce Coulter Award winners played for the winning team, unless otherwise noted.

^ A. Bob McGregor, Ted Morris Trophy winner in 1971, played for the runner-up team.
^ B. In the 1972 game, the Vanier Cup Committee and Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union officials decided to crown co-winners from the same school.
^ C. Rob Schrauth, Bruce Coulter Award winner in 1993, played for the runner-up team.
^ D. Brent Schneider, Ted Morris Trophy winner in 1994, played for the runner-up team.