Bishop’s Gaiters football returns to the RSEQ

What does Bishop’s’ return mean for the Stingers’ upcoming football season?

SportsKassidy Belle Jacobs — Published September 22, 2026 0 minutes

The Gaiters cited high travel costs as their reason for returning to the RSEQ. Competing in the AUS conference meant travelling to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, requiring teams to fly as their main mode of transportation. This created costly and time-consuming travel for all teams league-wide.

The conference's expansion comes at a time of transition for the Concordia Stingers, as the team’s previous defensive coordinator, Paul Eddy Saint-Vilien, has been appointed as interim head coach. He suggests the Gaiters’ comeback will create a healthy rivalry. 

“I think our conference needed this,” Saint-Vilien said. “Having the extra team will make great competition for us.”

The Gaiters’ arrival also occurs at a moment when the Stingers' offensive line has been met with adversity. Starting quarterback Antoine Ouimet suffered a leg injury during a preseason game against Guelph. Glenn Valentine, a former MVP at John Abbott College, stepped up as the Stingers’ starting quarterback at the start of the regular season.

“Becoming the starting quarterback hasn’t been too stressful because my coaches have always set me up really well and have given me first-team repetition practices from the beginning,” Valentine said.

Star Gaiters defensive back Alex MacDonald recorded 43.5 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions last season, making him a key player for the Stingers offence to watch. Valentine expressed that while he doesn’t see the Gaiters as a threat, the Stingers will have to adjust to how their new opponents play.

“Bishop’s hasn’t played in the RSEQ for a while now,” Valentine said. “Since we haven’t faced the Gaiters recently, I can’t really plan around what game strategy works on them.”

Saint-Vilien, on the other hand, believes the Stingers have everything under control when it comes to facing Bishop’s, as they'll have time to study and adapt to the Gaiters’ gameplay.

“By the time we play them, we’ll already be three games into the season,” Saint-Vilien said. “We're going to be able to watch and have an idea of what they’ve been doing.”

Shifting focus to the defence, the Stinger’s star defensive back, Mendel Joseph, feels excited heading into the team’s match-up against their newest opponent.

“I love facing new receivers that I’ve never played against,” said Joseph. “And I love a challenge, so it’s going to be exciting playing against a new team.”

Joseph shared Valentine’s sentiment, saying that facing an unfamiliar team will be a test for the Stingers. The defence will face Bishop’s’ back-to-back AUS MVP and star quarterback, Justin Quirion, adding another challenge to the matchup. Still, Joseph remains confident in the defence's ability to make the necessary adjustments and handle whatever the new matchup brings.

“It’s going to feel different playing a new quarterback,” said Joseph. “But after the first quarter, I think we’ll be able to adapt to their offence's game plan.”

While the Stingers expect some obstacles when facing the Gaiters, they believe Bishop’s will also have their work cut out for them, as they settle back into the RSEQ. 

“The RSEQ is a tough conference; it’s probably one of the best in Canada,” Saint-Vilien said. “So I think they’re going to have to adjust to us, and the other teams, a little more than we’ll be adjusting to them.”

Concordia will face Bishop’s twice this season. Their first matchup this season will be on Sept. 26 at the Gaiters’ Homecoming, before they host the Gaiters at Concordia Stadium on Oct. 31.