Regina Rams

The Regina Rams are the CIS football team that represents the University of Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The Rams nickname is used by the university's football team only; all other teams at the school are named Regina Cougars. The Rams joined the CIS in 1999 and have competed in the Canada West Conference since then.

Club history
The Regina Rams were formed in 1954 when two junior football teams, the Bombers and the Dales, merged into one football club. The Rams participated in the Man-Sask Junior Football League until 1976, when they joined with junior teams from Alberta to form the Prairie Football Conference. The club would participate in the CJFL until 1998, winning ten Canadian Junior Football Championships along the way.

In 1999, after competing for 45 years in junior football (Canadian Junior Football League), the Regina Rams became a member of the Canada West Conference of the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (CIAU), now Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). The University of Regina came to community partnership agreement with the CJFL team that made the transfer possible. Rather than change their name to Regina Cougars, the football team continued to use the moniker "Rams." In only their second year of playing in the CIAU, the Rams won the Canada West Conference championship and then the Atlantic Bowl. They then went on their way to the Vanier Cup where they lost 42–39 to Marcel Bellefeuille's Ottawa Gee-Gees. Since then the Rams have played in the Canada West Championship game three times. During their entire tenure in the CIS, Frank McCrystal has been the Regina Ram's head coach. He first took the reins of the team in 1984, making 2013 his 30th season as head coach of the Rams and his 15th in the CIS. In 2007, after leading his team to a 6–2 regular season record and an appearance in the Hardy Cup game, McCrystal was named the 2007 Canada West and CIS coach of the year. Building on the Rams' tradition and with an eye to the future, Coach McCrystal has been instrumental in implementing many program enhancements during his tenure.

CIS Playoff Results

 * 1999 Out of Playoffs
 * 2000 Defeated Calgary Dinos in semi-final 33–32 Defeated Manitoba Bisons in Hardy Cup 25–22 Defeated Saint Mary's Huskies in Churchill Bowl 40–36 Lost to Ottawa Gee-Gees in Vanier Cup 42–39
 * 2001 Defeated Saskatchewan Huskies in semi-final 58–31 Lost to Manitoba Bisons in Hardy Cup 23–17
 * 2002 Defeated Calgary Dinos in semi-final 39–17 Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in Hardy Cup 44–28
 * 2003 Lost to Simon Fraser Clan in semi-final 53–46
 * 2004 Out of Playoffs
 * 2005 Out of Playoffs
 * 2006 Lost to Manitoba Bisons in semi-final 44–29
 * 2007 Defeated Saskatchewan Huskies in semi-final 19–13 Lost to Manitoba Bisons in Hardy Cup 48–5
 * 2008 Lost to Calgary Dinos in semi-final 24–17
 * 2009 Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in semi-final 53–23
 * 2010 Lost to Calgary Dinos in semi-final 40–33
 * 2011 Lost to Calgary Dinos in semi-final 16–4
 * 2012 Defeated Saskatchewan Huskies in semi-final 31–9 Lost to Calgary Dinos in Hardy Cup 38–14

Regina Rams in the professional ranks
As of the end of the 2012 CFL season, five former Rams players are on CFL teams' rosters:
 * Chris Bauman, Calgary Stampeders
 * Chris Getzlaf, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * Neal Hughes, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * Brendon LaBatte, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * Jordan Sisco, Saskatchewan Roughriders

As of opening day of the 2012 NFL season, two former Rams players are on NFL teams' active rosters:
 * Jon Ryan, Seattle Seahawks
 * Akiem Hicks, New Orleans Saints