Navacord BC Insurance Training Camp is now well into its first week as players, coaches and staff settle into the long grind in advance of the official start of the 2026 Canada West season.

After officially reporting Monday afternoon, upwards of 90 T-Birds have hit the gridiron each of the last two days as they start to give the coaching staff a real sense of what they've got to work with as a whole.

"We're off to a solid start, there's a lot of effort, a lot of kids excited to be on the field and coaches excited to be on the field," said UBC head coach, Blake Nill. "Like usual at the beginning of any training camp, you've got young men who are trying to make an impression, young men who you can see the stress in them. So, as it plays out it'll become more consistent and once that occurs then we can start evaluating and making the decisions we need to."

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As with any training camp, this year's version means different things to each athlete. For some, it's showcasing their ability to remain in a starting role, for others it's proving they are ready to take another step. For the 30 incoming recruits, it's their real first opportunity to show they have the potential to meld within the UBC system.

"You just need to see if they can handle the increase in expectation, the accountability that's going to be needed for them to be major role players in the program," Nill said. "Some will be able to adapt okay, but it's a bit of a learning curve and at its steepest right now. But, five days from now we'll be having a different conversation."

Unlike last year, the 'Birds do not have a pre-season contest to test their mettle against another Canada West opponent. That adds to the need for intensity during camp to be ready for the season opener in Calgary on September 4.



"We've spoken about that as coaches almost every meeting, about making sure we balance learning with the type of urgency that we need on the field. The first time we have the opportunity to play a real opponent it's going to count, so we got to do everything we can as coaches to just manifest that kind of environment and keep it pretty consistent over the course of camp."

Novacord BC Insurance Training Camp continues through August 29 when the team will begin intense preparations for their week one battle with the Calgary Dinos.

The 'Birds host the Alberta Golden Bears on Friday September 11 for their home opener at Thunderbird Stadium.