The Windsor Lancers football team represents the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario in the sport of Canadian football in the Ontario University Athletics conference of U Sports. The Windsor Lancers football team has been in continuous operation since 1968. The team won its only Yates Cup conference championship in 1975 as winners of the OQIFC West Division. The program is one of six currently in U Sports football that have not appeared in a Vanier Cup game. The Lancers have had three Hec Crighton Trophy winners, with Andrew Parici in 1972, Scott Mallender, in 1979, and Daryl Stephenson in 2006.

Recent history The football team was led by head coach Joe D'Amore from 2011 to 2018. D'Amore was named the OUA Football Coach of the Year in 2011 and led the football program to four consecutive OUA playoff appearances in his first four seasons. Quarterback Austin Kennedy (2010–14) had an outstanding career for the Lancers as he was a three-time OUA conference all-star, was the OUA career record holder with 79 touchdown passes and became the fourth quarterback in CIS history to pass for more than 10,000 yards. He was also selected as one of the CIS Top Eight Academic All-Canadians for the 2014–15 season. Following four consecutive seasons in the playoffs, the Lancers missed the post-season from 2015 to 2018. D'Amore resigned following the 2018 season and Jean-Paul Circelli was hired as his replacement, the fifth head coach in the program's history.

Under the guidance of Coach Circelli, the 2022 season saw the Lancers return to the playoffs for the first time in eight years. The Lancers had one player selected in the 2023 CFL draft, Breton MacDougall, who was selected in the sixth round, 53rd overall, by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

In 2023, the Lancers had their best season in recent memory, starting the season hot with victories over McMaster, Guelph, Queen's, Ottawa, Waterloo and York, but fell short against rivals Laurier and Western. The Lancers rolled through Carleton in the OUA Quarter Finals. However, the Cinderella story ended in Laurier as the Golden Hawks outlasted the Lancers in the OUA Semi-Finals, which ended on a hotly debated call by the officials. Following the season, the team began to gain notoriety around the league.

Following this incredible season, the Windsor Lancers looked to have a repeat of their success, and similarly began the season, beating Queen's, Carleton, York, Ottawa and Toronto, but stumbled against Guelph and then lost to Laurier and Western to finish off the regular season. Looking to bounce back in the Quarter Finals, the team came out firing but came up short against Queen's in a game that ended on a Hail Mary pass from the Gaels' QB. After the season, the Lancers had a record 5 players drafted into the 2024 CFL draft. Devin Veresuk ended up being the 2nd overall pick to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, which is the highest pick in Windsor Lancers history. Former Lancers; Liam Hoskins, Joey Zorn, Istvan Assibo-Dadzi, and Muftah Ageli were also drafted.

Season-by-season record The following is the record of the Windsor Lancers football team since 2000:

Season Games W L T Standing Playoffs20008 170 0.125 95 209 7th in OUA Did not qualify20018 260 0.250 96 196 9th in OUA Did not qualify20028 350 0.375 109 202 6th in OUA Lost to Western Mustangs in quarter-final 65–1020038 440 0.500 243 211 5th in OUA Defeated Western Mustangs in quarter-final 21–18Lost to McMaster Marauders in semi-final 55–1520048 350 0.375 201 241 7th in OUA Did not qualify20058 440 0.375 250 226 5th in OUA Lost to McMaster Marauders in quarter-final 49–1920068 62– 0.625 265 167 4th in OUA Lost to Western Mustangs in quarter-final 20–1620078 26– 0.250 156 261 8th in OUA Did not qualify20088 35– 0.375 189 254 7th in OUA Did not qualify20098 26– 0.250 110 244 8th in OUA Did not qualify20108 26– 0.250 156 261 8th in OUA Did not qualify20118 53– 0.625 260 174 5th in OUA Defeated Ottawa Gee-Gees in quarter-final 50–33Lost to Western Mustangs in semi-final 33–2720128 35– 0.375 230 229 5th in OUA Lost to Western Mustangs in quarter-final 56–3520138 44– 0.500 269 230 6th in OUA Lost to Guelph Gryphons in quarter-final 31–2120148 53– 0.625 225 158 4th in OUA Lost to Ottawa Gee-Gees in quarter-final 46–2920158 26– 0.250 166 315 9th in OUA Did not qualify20168 26– 0.250 164 380 10th in OUA Did not qualify20178 17– 0.125 142 362 9th in OUA Did not qualify20188 17– 0.125 168 292 10th in OUA Did not qualify20198 17– 0.125 190 342 10th in OUA Did not qualify2020Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic20216 24– 0.333 67 2316th in OUA West Did not qualify20228 44– 0.500 189 194 6th in OUA Lost to Ottawa Gee-Gees in quarter-final 43–4020238 62– 0.750 256 132 3rd in OUA Defeated Carleton Ravens in quarter-final 14–11Lost to Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in semi-final 21–1420248 53– 0.625 216 183 4th in OUA Lost to Queen's Gaels in quarter-final 22–1920258 53– 0.625 191 155 3rd in OUA Defeated Ottawa Gee-Gees in quarter-final 31–24Lost to Queen's Gaels in semi-final 36–25

National postseason results +Vanier Cup Era (1965-current) Year Game Opponent Result1969Churchill BowlManitobaL 7-411975Churchill BowlOttawaL 6-45 Windsor is 0-2 in national semi-final games and has not appeared in a Vanier Cup.

Head coaches Name Years Notes Gino Fracas 1968–1986 John Musselman 1987–1997 Mike Morencie 1998–2010 Joe D'Amore 2011–2018 Jean-Paul Circelli 2019–present

National award winners Hec Crighton Trophy: Andrew Parici (1972), Scott Mallender, (1979), Daryl Stephenson (2006). J. P. Metras Trophy: Matt Morencie (2009)

Windsor Lancers in the CFL

At the start of the 2026 CFL season, seven former Lancers players are on CFL teams' rosters: Muftah Ageli, Ottawa Redblacks Drew Desjarlais, Ottawa Redblacks Liam Hoskins, Saskatchewan Roughriders Ethan John, Toronto Argonauts Weagbe Mombo, Toronto Argonauts Liam Talbot, Montreal Alouettes George Una, BC Lions

References

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