The Montreal Alouettes will host their 2026 training camp on the campus of Université Laval in Quebec City.
“We are excited to come to Quebec City and work together with Université Laval’s Rouge et Or and take advantage of their excellent facilities,” vice-president of football operations and general manager Danny Maciocia said in a statement. “We know that Quebec City is a football city where the passion for the sport is deeply rooted in the sporting culture. We are convinced that this new step will be very beneficial for our team and for the development of football in the region. We look forward to meeting all the fans.”
Camp will run from May 10 through at Pavillon de l’éducation physique et des sports de l’Université Laval, more commonly known as PEPS. On-field practices will take place on an almost daily basis and will be open to the public free of charge. A full schedule will be released in the coming days.
“The arrival of the Montreal Alouettes sets the tone for our football season at the PEPS, which will culminate with the presentation of the Vanier Cup next November,” Laval’s director of sports activities, Julie Dionne, said as part of the announcement. “It will be a unique opportunity for our fans to appreciate the talent of professional players and reconnect with several former Rouge et Or student-athletes.”
The Alouettes held their last two training camps in the suburb of Saint-Jérôme. In 2022 and 2023, the team travelled to Trois-Rivières.
The Laval Rouge et Or are the most successful program in Canadian university football, winning 12 Vanier Cups since their inaugural season in 1996. The team regularly draws capacity crowds at their stadium Stade Telus, and set an attendance record in 2024 when 20,903 fans came to watch a game against the rival Montreal Carabins.
“Over the years, the Rouge et Or organization and its teams have built a football culture that has become a model, through strong programs that have allowed athletes to reach high levels of excellence,” Alouettes owner Pierre Karl Péladeau wrote. “I would like to thank the rector, Sophie D’Amours, the Director of Sports Activities, Julie Dionne, and the teams at the University and Rouge et Or for making this partnership possible. We are convinced it will further strengthen the special bond between football and the citizens of Quebec City, whom the Montreal Alouettes look forward to meeting on the field.”
Quebec City has been speculated as a potential target location for a CFL expansion franchise, though little has been done to test the market. Stade Telus at Laval last hosted a professional game in 2015, when the Alouettes and Ottawa Redblacks drew just 4,778 for an exhibition clash. In 2003, a crowd of 10,358 attended a preseason game between Montreal and the Ottawa Renegades.
“Université Laval is very proud to host the Montreal Alouettes’ training camp on its campus. Our high-level sports facilities have everything needed for a professional team, student-athletes, and football fans alike,” Rector of Université Laval, Sophie D’Amours said. “Once again, our dynamic campus environment is opening its doors to athletes and the general public.”
The Alouettes will not play preseason games at Laval despite their presence for training camp. They will return to Percival-Molson Memorial Stadium in Montreal on Friday, May 22, for their first of two meetings with the Redblacks, before travelling to Ottawa on Friday, May 29.
The Montreal Alouettes were relatively quiet in free agency, though they still added quarterback Dustin Crum, receiver Jerreth Sterns, and return specialist DeVonte Dedmon. The team also suffered some key losses, including Austin Mack (Edmonton Elks), linebacker Darnell Sankey (B.C. Lions), defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy (retirement), and return specialist James Letcher Jr. (Saskatchewan Roughriders).
The Alouettes hold the eighth overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. The team will play its first preseason game against the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday, May 22, and its first regular-season game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday, June 4.
In 2025, Montreal finished second in the East Division standings with a 10-8 record and beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final before losing the 112th Grey Cup to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
