Western Mustangs 2026 Summer Update

While the summer months may look a little quieter on the competition calendar, there has been no shortage of activity across Western Sports & Recreation as we celebrate an outstanding 2025–26 season and prepare for an exciting year ahead.

Celebrating a Year of Mustangs Excellence

Throughout May and June, our annual Mustangs Season of Celebration gave us the opportunity to recognize the achievements of our varsity programs and the 1200 student-athletes who represent Western with tremendous pride.

There was certainly a lot to celebrate this year. Among the highlights, our Men's Track & Field team captured its second consecutive U SPORTS national championship, with Head Coach Caroline Ehrhardt earning the Bob Boucher Award as U SPORTS Men's Coach of the Year. Caroline was also inducted into the Greater Sudbury Sports Hall of Fame in June – a well-deserved recognition of an exceptional career as both an athlete and coach.

And on Mother's Day in May, Rebecca Goudy, Women's Softball, was one of several women recognized with the Grace Annie Lockhart Sesquicentennial Pin at Mount Allison University. The pin celebrates Mount Allison's legacy as the first university in the British Commonwealth to grant a woman a bachelor's degree - Grace Annie Lockhart's historic walk across the stage in 1875 - and honours alumnae who have made significant impacts in their fields and communities. For

We also continued to celebrate the impact our student-athletes make well beyond competition. Track & Field's Aaron Thompson received the inaugural OUA Community Service Award and was recognized nationally with the U SPORTS Community Service Award for the second consecutive year. Aaron was also this year's recipient of Western's G. Howard Ferguson Award, recognizing his remarkable contributions across athletics, academics and university life.

Honouring the People Who Make the Mustangs Special

Another important moment this summer was celebrating the tremendous legacy of long-time Mustangs Football Head Coach Greg Marshall. Hundreds attended his retirement event in June, recognizing his accomplishments as he moves into retirement after nearly two decades leading the program.

At the same time, our football program is moving forward under new Head Coach Michael Faulds. Michael joined Western following 13 seasons at Laurier, including undefeated regular seasons in 2024 and 2025 and back-to-back U SPORTS Coach of the Year honours. There is a great deal of excitement building as the team prepares for its first season under his leadership.

We also hosted our Mustangs Coaches Appreciation event in early June where we honoured a pair of long-time coaches who have made profound impacts on the respective teams.

Mike Lumley was named this year's recipient of the Jack Fairs Coaching Award of Merit, which recognizes excellence amongst head coaches at Western. Lumley is retiring after more than 25 years at the helm of the Mustangs Baseball program. The Mustangs are hosting a retirement reception for Lumley on August 29, 2026. For more details visit: Westernmustangs - MIKE LUMLEY RETIREMENT RECEPTION

We also awarded the Fran Wigston Eberhard Assistant Coach of the Year award to the late Mike Tomlinson. The Men's Golf Assistant Coach was involved with the program for 27 years and was always a calm and compassionate leader. Tomlinson passed away in January of 2026 and the award was accepted by members of his family.

Preparing Our Facilities for the Future

This summer has been busy preparing our facilities for the future. With the significant renewal of Alumni Hall underway, our Men's and Women's Basketball and Volleyball teams will call Thompson Arena home for their fall 2026 competitions. 

This has involved a tremendous amount of planning and collaboration across Sports & Recreation and with Western. We have tested the new hardwood court in Thompson Arena and are developing an exciting game-day strategy, including "super weekends" that will bring basketball and volleyball together for multiple home games in one location.

Importantly, this transition has been planned to ensure as minimal impact as possible for our other varsity programs and recreation activities.

Mustangs Making an Impact Beyond the Field

We took some time to recognize some Western Mustangs Soccer alumni who made significant contributions to the FIFA World Cup Soccer event this past summer – Gareth Wheeler and Nick Bontis. I would encourage you to check out their stories.

Welcoming the World to London and Western - 2026 FISU Rowing

One of the biggest projects occupying our attention this summer took place August 13-15, when Western and London welcomed the world for the 2026 FISU World University Championships Rowing at Fanshawe Lake (Fanshawe Conservation Area).

This was a milestone event – the first FISU World University Championships Rowing ever hosted in North America – and an incredible opportunity to showcase Western, London and our longstanding Mustangs rowing tradition on the international stage.

The championships brought together more than 300 student-athletes representing 20 delegations from around the world, creating an exciting international sporting experience right here in our community. For Western, the event also provided an opportunity to highlight the strength of university sport and the role our institution can play in bringing major international competitions to London. Not only did the athletes and officials stay on campus, but we hosted multiple competition, training and social events that spanned more than a week. 

Hosting rowing at Fanshawe Lake was particularly meaningful given Western's long and proud connection to the sport. The championship venue provided an outstanding setting for high-level university competition while allowing athletes, coaches, officials and visitors from around the world to experience London and the broader Southwestern Ontario community.

Western worked alongside FISU, U SPORTS, Rowing Canada Aviron, the Ontario Government, the Government of Canada, Tourism London and our community partners and sponsors to prepare for this event. From venue preparation and competition operations to transportation, athlete services, communications and hospitality, an event of this scale requires months of detailed planning and coordination. But hosting an international championship is ultimately about much more than the competition itself. It is about bringing people together, creating lasting memories and showcasing what is possible when a university and its community come together with a shared purpose. It was a full week of wonderful events, and I am incredibly grateful to the staff, volunteers and partners who have been working behind the scenes to make FISU Rowing 2026 a success.

Building Toward 2026–27

And while all of this happened, our coaches and student-athletes have already started preparing for 2026–27. Training, recruiting, scheduling and season planning are well underway, and before long our fields, courts, arenas, pool, stadium and more will once again be filled with Mustangs.

Day after day, practice after practice, Western student-athletes give their all. They understand they're part of something bigger than themselves. Mustangs turn failure and setbacks into opportunities to grow, as athletes and as individuals. That's where the biggest learning takes place.

But fitting everything into a day is challenging. Student-athletes balance academic priorities, team commitments and relentless training schedules. With limited opportunities to earn income, donor support plays a critical role in their success.

Preparing Leaders for the Long Run

Day after day, practice after practice, Western student-athletes give their all. They understand they're part of something bigger than themselves. Mustangs turn failure and setbacks into opportunities to grow, as athletes and as individuals. That's where the biggest learning takes place. But fitting everything into a day is challenging. Student-athletes balance academic priorities, team commitments and relentless training schedules. With limited opportunities to earn income, donor support plays a critical role in their success.

Donors help student-athletes grow into the leaders they're meant to be. Your support allows them to focus on academics and training. It also shows them their hard work is recognized and celebrated, and that they belong at Western. Your gift funds scholarships and bursaries, safety, strength and conditioning equipment, coaching and training opportunities and mental and physical wellness supports. Any amount makes a difference. Join me and let's show student-athletes we're all in for the long run!

Summer is always an important transition point for us – a chance to celebrate what we accomplished together while building toward what comes next.

Looking to the Fall

Fall 2026 promises to be an exciting and busy season for the Western Mustangs, with teams returning to campus ready for another year of competition and fans having plenty of opportunities to get behind their teams.

Football opens their home schedule on September 6 against York before welcoming McMaster, Queen's and Laurier to Western Alumni Stadium throughout the fall. Single game tickets are now available. Western students get in free to all regular season home games with valid Western ONECard. Soccer will also get underway in August, with both the men's and women's teams hosting their home openers at Western Alumni Stadium, while rugby, hockey, basketball and volleyball will add to a packed fall calendar. 

This season will also bring a new look to some Mustangs game days, as basketball and volleyball move temporarily to Thompson Arena during the Alumni Hall renovation. The move will create an opportunity to introduce Super Saturdays, bringing multiple Mustangs teams together in one location to create an exciting, high-energy experience for students, alumni and fans.

Beyond the competition, the fall will be filled with team updates, student-athlete stories, game-day experiences, community initiatives and opportunities to showcase the people and programs that make the Mustangs one of the most recognizable brands in Canadian university sport.

There is a tremendous amount happening across Western Sports & Recreation, and I am excited about what lies ahead.

Go Mustangs!

Christine Stapleton
Director, Western Sports & Recreation