Sarah Mills: Public entities need to be more transparent
Sarah Mills says a single coroner choosing not to release the toxicology report in the case of Saskatchewan Roughrider J...
There are some things you might forget when packing for a championship football game — your lucky socks or even cleats — but for the Saskatoon Hilltops, their checklist omission was slightly more conspicuous: The actual Prairie Football Conference (PFC) championship trophy.
The Hilltops issued a public apology to the Regina Thunder organization on Monday after a major administrative oversight left the newly crowned champions empty-handed during their post-game celebrations on Sunday.
Read more:
- Regina Thunder pulls away from Sasktoon Hilltops, claims PFC title
- Saskatchewan finds end zone late, clinching postseason berth with 16-12 win
- Meadow Lake track star Avery Pearson races to first pro contract
The Regina Thunder beat the Saskatoon Hilltops 44-19 to win the 2026 Prairie Football Conference title. (Britton Gray/980 CJME)
The Thunder claimed the PFC championship title with a decisive 44-19 victory over the Hilltops at Leibel Field in Regina. However, when it came time for the post-game trophy presentation, the league’s championship hardware was nowhere to be found.
As the defending PFC champions, the Hilltops were tasked with transporting the trophy to Regina to pass it along to the 2026 winner. On Monday, the club took full responsibility for failing to do so.
“As the defending champions, it was our responsibility to ensure the trophy was there to be presented to this year’s winner,” a Hilltops executive statement said on X.
“We made an incredible oversight, and we are truly sorry.”
We messed up - BIG time. To the entire @reginathunder organization, we are so sorry we failed to provide you with the experience you deserved as PFC Champions. https://t.co/t8gx1pXUkO
— Saskatoon Hilltops (@SaskHilltops) October 19, 2026
The Saskatoon organization emphasized that they understand the immense sacrifice required to win the conference and deeply regret disrupting Regina’s milestone moment.
“The Regina Thunder earned the right to celebrate that special moment with the trophy in their hands, and we sincerely regret that our oversight took away from their celebration,” the statement continued.
“To the Regina Thunder, congratulations on a well-earned championship. You deserved your moment.”
The Thunder will now advance to the Canadian Bowl semifinals without any bad blood lingering between the provincial rivals. travelling to Sault Ste. Marie to take on the Ontario Football Conference champion Sault College Cougars.
The winner of that match will head to B.C. to take on the B.C. Football Conference champions, which will be decided on Oct. 24 between the Westshore Rebels and Langley Rams.
The Hilltops concluded their apology by highlighting the “tremendous respect” shared between the two premier junior football programs.
Read more:
