The Bisons football team begins the 2025 regular season on the road on Thursday night at 8:30 CT against UBC. The action can be watched live on canadawest.tv. Manitoba is coming off a 7-1 2024 campaign, finishing first in the regular season standings for the first time in 17 years. They defeated the Thunderbirds in both contests last year, 33-10 on the road in week two, and 51-38 at home in week eight. 

Last year's road victory against UBC marked the first time in 12 years that the Herd had won a regular season game at Thunderbird Stadium and their season sweep was also a first in 12 years. They are 11-12 on the road over the last 29 years against their conference rival, but they've lost seven of the last eight against UBC (regular season and post-season) when traveling west since 2015.

The Herd return ten starters on offence, a group that lit up the Thunderbirds to the tune of 84 points in two victories in 2024. Captain Vaughan Lloyd had a career day at receiver in the week two road victory, racking up 143 of Manitoba's 286 total passing yards om five grabs, along with a touchdown. His connection with Bisons pivot and reigning Canada West Player of the Year Jackson Tachinski, will be key. The duo won a provincial championship together in high school at Vincent Massey in Winnipeg, and their connection dates way further than that. 

Manitoba also returns four of five starters (All-Canadian left tackle Sean Rowe, centre Mark Rauhaus, right guard and CFL Draft pick Matt Stokman, right tackle and East West Bowl selection Victor Olaniran) on an offensive line that helped pave the way for a school record 2,016 rushing yards a year ago. First Team All-Canadian Breydon Stubbs is also back for his fifth and final year, one season after setting a school record for rushing touchdowns in a season, with 14. Stubbs broke the record in week eight against UBC, scoring four while rushing for 244 yards. In two games against the T-Birds in 2024, Stubbs combined for 349 yards and five scores. 

Defensively, the Bisons picked off UBC quarterbacks six times in the two meetings last year. Strong side linebacker Dario Macchia contributed one of those, and will have a larger role in 2025, along with a secondary that graduated every starter from last year, minus Owen Miller.

Click here for Manitoba's offensive preview, here for defence and here for special teams.