Varsity sport action is set to return to the York campus this fall after Ontario University Athletics (OUA) announced on Wednesday the fall sport schedules for the 2021-22 season.
The York Lions will see the return of football, soccer, field hockey and women's rugby in September, with training camps opening early in the month and games beginning a couple of weeks later.
The Lions football team will be the first to resume action after nearly two years without action. Condensed from the usual eight-game schedule over the span of a nine-week regular season, the adjusted 2021 campaign will feature six games per school across a seven-week span. Highlighting the Lions' schedule are two games against the rival Toronto Varsity Blues, first downtown Toronto on Oct. 16 before a rematch two weeks later at York.
The Lions will also face the Carleton Ravens in their home opener on Sept. 25 and will host the McMaster Marauders on Oct. 23. The road schedule begins with the season opener on Sept. 18 in Waterloo against the Laurier Golden Hawks and includes an early October game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the nation's capital.
Men's and women's soccer will also have a condensed schedule and a new three-division format for 2021. The Lions will see a new set of teams this year for their regular-season schedule with games against Ontario Tech, Ottawa (women only), RMC, Trent, Carleton and Queen's on the docket. In most cases, they will play a home-and-home against each team throughout the season, beginning with the Excalibur on Sept. 23 on the road and then at home on Sept. 30.
The field hockey Lions will play in the newly formed East Division this year and, like the football team, will face the rival Blues more than usual. This season, the schedule features four games between the City of Toronto squads, including two at York and a pair at U of T. The Lions will also face the Gaels and the McGill Martlets for two games each.
The women's rugby Lions earned their way into the upper Shiels Division in 2019 and will face a tough schedule against the Gaels, Guelph Gryphons, Marauders and Brock Badgers. They have a bye in the opening week and will play their first two games on the road, in Kingston and Hamilton, before returning home to host the last two games of the regular season.
All four sports will see playoff action begin following the conclusion of the regular season, and the seasons will culminate with the championships in November.
The schedules for other Lions fall sports, including cross country and tennis, will be announced at a later date.
2021 FALL SPORT SCHEDULES
Football
Saturday, Sept. 18 at Laurier, 1pm
Saturday, Sept. 25 vs. Carleton, 4pm
Saturday, Oct. 9 at Ottawa, 5pm
Saturday, Oct. 16 at Toronto, 1pm
Saturday, Oct. 23 vs. McMaster, 1pm
Saturday, Oct. 30 vs. Toronto, 1pm
Women's Soccer
Thursday, Sept. 23 at Ontario Tech, 6pm
Thursday, Sept. 30 vs. Ontario Tech, 6pm
Saturday, Sept. 25 at Ottawa, 2pm
Saturday, Oct. 9 vs. RMC, 1pm
Friday, Oct. 15 vs. Trent, 6pm
Sunday, Oct. 17 at Trent, 1pm
Friday, Oct. 22 at Carleton, 4pm
Sunday, Oct. 24 vs. Ottawa, 1pm
Friday, Oct. 29 vs. Queen's, 6pm
Sunday, Oct. 31 at Queen's, 1pm
Men's Soccer
Thursday, Sept. 23 at Ontario Tech, 8:15pm
Thursday, Sept. 30 vs. Ontario Tech, 8pm
Thursday, Oct. 7 at RMC, 6pm
Saturday, Oct. 9 vs. RMC, 3pm
Friday, Oct. 15 vs. Trent, 8pm
Sunday, Oct. 17 at Trent, 3:15pm
Friday, Oct. 22 at Carleton, 6:30pm
Sunday, Oct. 24 vs. Carleton, 3pm
Friday, Oct. 29 vs. Queen's, 8pm
Sunday, Oct. 31 at Queen's, 3:30pm
Field Hockey
Saturday, Sept. 25 at Queen's, 12pm
Sunday, Sept. 26 vs. Queen's, 1pm
Wednesday, Oct. 6 at Toronto, 7pm
Friday, Oct. 8 vs. Toronto, 7pm
Saturday, Oct. 16 vs. McGill, 4pm
Sunday, Oct. 17 vs. McGill, 11am
Wednesday, Oct. 20 vs. Toronto, 7pm
Saturday, Oct. 23 at Toronto, 1pm
Women's Rugby
Saturday, Oct. 2 at Queen's, 7pm
Saturday, Oct. 9 at McMaster, 7pm
Saturday, Oct. 16 vs. Guelph, 1pm
Friday, Oct. 22 vs. Brock, 7pm
All OUA schedules for the 2021-22 season remain subject to change based on any pertinent updates from the provincial government, public health authorities and provincial sport organizations. Game-specific adjustments to dates/times may also be made by OUA members over the summer months.
