The Vanier Cup was created in 1965 as the championship trophy of the Canadian College Bowl. For the first two years of competition, the Canadian College Bowl was an invitational event, with a national panel selecting two teams to play.
In 1967, the Canadian College Bowl was declared the national football championship of the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union (CIAU), now Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), with a playoff system determining the two participants.
In 1982, The Canadian College Bowl was renamed the Vanier Cup.
VANIER CUP WINNERS.
| 2012 | Laval University (7) | 37 - 14 | McMaster University |
| 2011 | McMaster University (1) | 41 - 38** | Laval University |
| 2010 | Laval University (6) | 29 - 02 | University of Calgary |
| 2009 | Queen's University (4) | 33 - 31 | University of Calgary |
| 2008 | Laval University (5) | 42 - 21 | University of Western Ontario |
| 2007 | University of Manitoba (3) | 28 - 14 | Saint Mary's University |
| 2006 | Laval University (4) | 13 - 08 | University of Saskatchewan |
| 2005 | Wilfrid Laurier University (2) | 24 - 23 | University of Saskatchewan |
| 2004 | Laval University (3) | 07 - 01 | University of Saskatchewan |
| 2003 | Laval University (2) | 14 - 07 | Saint Mary's University |
| 2002 | Saint Mary's University (3) | 33 - 21 | University of Saskatchewan |
| 2001 | Saint Mary's University (2) | 42 - 16 | University of Manitoba |
| 2000 | University of Ottawa (2) | 42 - 39 | University of Regina |
| 1999 | Laval University (1) | 14 - 10 | Saint Mary's University |
| 1998 | University of Saskatchewan (3) | 24 - 17 | Concordia University |
| 1997 | University of British Columbia (3) | 39 - 23 | University of Ottawa |
| 1996 | University of Saskatchewan (2) | 31 - 12 | St. Francis Xavier University |
| 1995 | University of Calgary (4) | 54 - 24 | University of Western Ontario |
| 1994 | University of Western Ontario (6) | 50 - 40* | University of Saskatchewan |
| 1993 | University of Toronto (2) | 37 - 34 | University of Calgary |
| 1992 | Queen's University (3) | 31 - 00 | Saint Mary's University |
| 1991 | Wilfrid Laurier University (1) | 25 - 18 | Mount Allison University |
| 1990 | University of Saskatchewan (1) | 24 - 21 | Saint Mary's University |
| 1989 | University of Western Ontario (5) | 35 - 10 | University of Saskatchewan |
| 1988 | University of Calgary (3) | 52 - 23 | Saint Mary's University |
| 1987 | McGill University (1) | 47 - 11 | University of British Columbia |
| 1986 | University of British Columbia (2) | 25 - 23 | University of Western Ontario |
| 1985 | University of Calgary (2) | 25 - 06 | University of Western Ontario |
| 1984 | University of Guelph (1) | 22 - 13 | Mount Allison University |
| 1983 | University of Calgary (1) | 31 - 21 | Queen's University |
| 1982 | University of British Columbia (1) | 39 - 14 | University of Western Ontario |
CANADIAN COLLEGE BOWL WINNERS.
| 1981 | Acadia University (2) | 34 - 12 | University of Alberta |
| 1980 | University of Alberta (3) | 40 - 21 | University of Ottawa |
| 1979 | Acadia University (1) | 18 - 12 | University of Western Ontario |
| 1978 | Queen's University (2) | 16 - 03 | University of British Columbia |
| 1977 | University of Western Ontario (4) | 48 - 15 | Acadia University |
| 1976 | University of Western Ontario (3) | 29 - 13 | Acadia University |
| 1975 | University of Ottawa (1) | 14 - 09 | University of Calgary |
| 1974 | University of Western Ontario (2) | 19 - 15 | University of Toronto |
| 1973 | Saint Mary's University (1) | 14 - 06 | McGill University |
| 1972 | University of Alberta (2) | 20 - 07 | Waterloo Lutheran University |
| 1971 | University of Western Ontario (1) | 15 - 14 | University of Alberta |
| 1970 | University of Manitoba (2) | 38 - 11 | University of Ottawa |
| 1969 | University of Manitoba (1) | 24 - 15 | McGill University |
| 1968 | Queen's University (1) | 42 - 14 | Waterloo Lutheran University |
| 1967 | University of Alberta (1) | 10 - 09 | McMaster University |
INVITIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS.
| 1966 | St. Francis Xavier University (1) | 40 - 14 | Waterloo Lutheran University |
| 1965 | University of Toronto (1) | 14 - 07 | University of Alberta |
** double overtime was played.
* overtime was played.