The Ooks had one hell of a run last season. They competed in every possible Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) sport, and most teams made the playoffs. The Ooks medalled in 11 provincial championships and three national championships. Many Ooks athletes and coaches were recognized for their accomplishments.
The hype could be felt across campus — notably in NAIT’s newly renovated gym — and athletics and recreation director Jordan Richey said 2025-26 was one of the most successful seasons he’s seen.
After a fantastic 2025-26, this is what’s next for the Ooks in 2026-27.
Women’s soccer
Home opener: Aug. 29 vs. Portage College Voyageurs
Things start fast for the Ooks women’s soccer team, with tryouts taking place just over a week before the official season begins.
In 2025-26, the team had a 9-2-1 record and an average of 4.17 goals per game, ending the season with a silver medal at provincials after nearly winning gold.
Since March, the Ooks have signed seven new recruits: Emily Narayan, Alanna Vos, Cadence Muir, Trinity Ruys, Rilyn Clement, Gracey Smithson and Grace Jones.
Narayan represented the U19 Fiji Football Association’s national team, while Clement and Smithson already have experience with previous ACAC programs (Smithson is a three-time ACAC all-conference winner).
The growing program has 2025 ACAC North women’s soccer coach of the year Dhee Govender leading it, and the addition of strong new players could bring the women to a season run comparable to the men’s.
Men’s soccer
Home opener: Aug. 29 vs. Portage College Voyageurs
The Ooks men’s soccer team had a deep 2025-26 run, winning gold at provincials and bronze at nationals in Quebec. NAIT will be the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) men’s soccer nationals host this year, giving the men a chance to go for gold on home turf this time. Well, as close to home turf as we can, since we don’t actually have a soccer field on campus.
Experienced head coach Jeff Paulus was looking to recruit new international athletes and aspires to win CCAA nationals, ACAC futsal and ACAC soccer (again). The men gained technical experience playing futsal later in the 2025-26 season, and it seems like there’s no slowing down for the team’s success.
This is a stacked year for soccer fans. First the World Cup, and now CCAA nationals at home? It’ll surely be another exciting year for the Ooks.
Video credits: Reporting by Geono Aloisio, video by Roiel Carlos
Cross-country and indoor track
First cross-country race: Sept. 5
2025-26 was the inaugural season for Ooks indoor track, and the runners proved they had the chops to compete. It was also a great season for cross-country, another newer program at NAIT, now in its fourth year.
The cross-country athletes stayed in the ACAC’s top three throughout the season and nearly medalled at provincials, and four athletes qualified for CCAA nationals in Prince Edward Island.
The Ooks boast some star track athletes, including ACAC all-conference winner and team captain Brynn Hebert, and Malachi Muir, who is set to run for the Ooks again after winning ACAC all-conference rookie of the year last season (plus multiple gold medals).
Golf
First regional: Sept. 13-14
2025-26 was another strong year for Ooks golf. The men won silver at provincials while the women won bronze. Then, the program qualified for nationals for the third season in a row and sent their largest group of players yet.
With the departure of award-winning multi-sport athlete and golf captain Mason Gorski, 2026-27 will see some changes. But Gorski’s presence as an Ook since 2023 leaves the team with a strong legacy and a remaining roster of strong players, including new recruit Nicole Dugas, a competitive golfer with winning experience.
Edmonton is already hosting the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open in August — hopefully, the competitive feel in the city will help prepare the Ooks athletes for a great season.
Men’s hockey
Home opener: Oct. 17 vs. Portage College Voyageurs
2025-26 was a rollercoaster of a season for this team, who will have a new coach after the departure of head coach Scott Fellnermayr this summer. After a rough season start, the men ranked third in the regular season. But at the ACAC semifinals, the Ooks ended their underdog run with a loss against SAIT.
Despite the loss, the Ooks are tenacious, even capable of giving the Chinese national team a run for their money. The team has seven new talented recruits, including three defensemen to provide support for former Spruce Grove Saints goaltender Ryan De Kok, a new Ook, and three forwards to bring up their average goals per game.
The addition of two Melfort Mustangs players, former team captain Zayden Sadlemyer and defenseman Danton Cox, could be the beginning of an Ooks star duo.
A fresh outlook could mean a new start for this dark horse team, but it could also mean another up-and-down season. Fortunately, according to athletics and recreation director Jordan Richey, Fellnermayr left a great foundation with top notch recruits. The Ooks men’s hockey program is full of heart, and it’ll be interesting to see how they handle the program’s changes.
Women’s hockey
Home opener: Oct. 2 vs. Medicine Hat College Rattlers
The Ooks women’s hockey team also made it to ACAC semifinals last season, but were eliminated yet again by rivalry playoff team Red Deer Polytechnic Queens.
Still, they finished third in the conference with a 14-11 record — even with half of their roster in their first or second year.
With the playoff and exhibition experience the women got last year, plus the upcoming Blue Gold Tournament at the beginning of September, the Ooks can only fly upwards.
In fact, last year’s Blue Gold Tournament gave the program a head start on 2026-27 recruits.
The Ooks have some experienced returning players, including goalie Ella Howard, who won silver with Great Britain Ice Hockey at the IIHF Women’s Worlds Division in Spain last April. Plus, the program has signed two players from British Columbia: Louella Rempel and Kasey Ditner. It’ll be a promising season for the ACAC 2024 champion team and head coach Brendan Jensen.
Men’s volleyball
Home opener: Oct. 17 vs. Olds College Broncos
2025-26 was a final chapter for many of last season’s veteran players, including athletes who won the Ooks their first national championship in over a decade, like player of the year Josh Watson. In total, the Ooks men’s volleyball team will be losing 11 players to graduation.
The fourth and fifth-year players who have helped the Ooks volleyball rookies grow have built a legacy, though. The tight-knit team has learned many lessons after placing sixth at provincials last year and being eliminated from bronze semi-finals at nationals.
The Ooks stepping up to lead in 2026-27, like former U19 Team Canada athlete and 2025-26 Ooks recruit Ben Weiss, have proven that they, too, can make an impact against strong opponents. And the program has signed nine new experienced players to help the men gun for gold again. Ben McLaughlin, a left side player from Newfoundland, has a list of athletic achievements and honours, including some gold provincial wins in his teens.
Though it’ll be a vastly different year for the Ooks, the program has attracted strong recruits under coach Phil Dixon. Plus, Ooks 2026-27 transfer Jackson Hawkswell will be playing his former team on Oct. 17, which will make for an interesting home opener.
Women’s volleyball
Home opener: Oct. 17 vs. Olds College Broncos
The Ooks women’s volleyball team took home a provincial bronze last season — their first medal since 2013. Since head coach Erminia Russo Thorpe joined the program in 2021, the women’s team has been improving, and there’s a great chance they can only go up.
Though some veteran players like Addysen Noble have been lost to graduation, Russo Thorpe is ready to “reload” for another strong year — and she thinks 2026-27 will lead these Ooks to top two.
With CCAA all-Canadian Rachel Mallett and four new recruits on the roster, including international student from Switzerland Lisa Buchard, it’s looking good for the Ooks. Buchard is a “quick and agile” middle with a competitive attitude, and along with the other recruits, could help lead this team to silver or gold.
Badminton
First tournament: Oct. 18
NAIT’s badminton program is arguably the best in the country right now. The men’s doubles won gold at nationals last season and the Ooks brought home bronze in women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
The athletes performed well at provincials, too, earning three silvers and a gold ACAC win. Head coach Alan Chow also had an ACAC win — 2026 badminton coach of the year. Chow won the same award in 2023.
The team will see a lot of changes, but the success of last season will guarantee some strong recruits who will carry on the wins under award-winning coach Chow and the Ooks’ desirable badminton program.
Women’s basketball
Home opener: Oct. 30 vs. St. Mary’s University Lightning
The Ooks women’s team will be losing some key players this season to graduation, including Payton Neilson, ACAC’s second-leading 2025-26 scorer, and Micah Reed, who made ACAC history last December with 14 three-point conversions. Neilson and Reed were a dynamic duo for the Ooks, but no fear — things are still looking good for the women.
The program has signed four new athletes, including Ruka Araki, a guard from Shiga, Japan. And it’s no wonder the Ooks women’s hockey team is a place of interest for an international recruit; the team burned through 2025-26 to make the CCAA semi-finals. Despite the loss of Neilson and Reed, head coach and 2026 CCAA Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year Kiera Lyons is here to help the team reach the well-deserved glory they were so close to at nationals last March.
If the women’s basketball team continues their trajectory even after losing two iconic athletes, they will be a force to be reckoned with in 2026-27 and beyond. But can these Ooks beat last season’s success of being fifth in Canada?
Men’s basketball
Home opener: Oct. 30 vs. St. Mary’s University Lightning
The men’s team didn’t have quite the same success as the women in 2025-26, but head coach Adika Peter-McNeilly has been on the move, scouting young athletes with great potential — like Ross Sheppard graduate Cohen Pratt, a promising young guard who showed continuous improvement on his high school team.
Despite the program not medalling at provincial championships last season, the Ooks men’s basketball team is viewed as a strong option for both budding and experienced athletes. The Ooks will gain 11 new recruits for 2026-27, including Pratt. There will be new Ooks from Toronto and Montreal — plus some experienced Albertan players who are excited to join the program.
Mathias Gbeblewu, who is returning to Edmonton after playing at Illinois’ Augustana College, will be a player to watch.
With Peter-McNeilly’s guidance, which has gradually built the Ooks up year by year, and the hype around these new athletes, this season and next will be ones to remember.
Curling
First tournament: Nov. 20-22
Last year, the men had a strong season, winning a CCAA silver medal and being named the CCAA Second Team All-Stars for the entire team’s strength throughout the national championships. Head coach Karynn Flory-Simmons also won CCAA coach of the year, and the Ooks curling program has grown under her leadership.
The program will be losing Ooks director’s award recipient Tyler Brodt to graduation, but it’s still looking good for the Ooks, whose mixed team won silver at provincials last season.
Unstoppable Ooks
Overall, it’s as Richey expected for the Ooks. They seem to just be getting better and better. Make sure to follow all the teams on IG to keep up with what they’re up to!
Feature image by Ana Kostyrko/The Nugget
