Football schedule released as league enters new era

The season is set to kickoff with newly introduced standalone primetime action

Canyon Cairns is moving from the Blues to the Silver Bombers this season, while Lucas Di Mattia is moving from the Trojans to the Huskers. They face each other on Sunshine Superwash Sunday Primetime Football in Week 5.

The schedule for the upcoming Sunshine Superwash SportsKlub Football season has officially been released, and the spring campaign is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing seasons in league history.

A six-team field, returning franchises, new rivalries and the debut of a prime-time spotlight format will define the road to Power Bowl 39, scheduled for June 21.

Two familiar names are returning to the league after a four-season absence. The McLean and Dickey Thunderbolts, formerly known as the Chargers, and the CMF Automotive Silver Bombers, previously the Raiders, are both back in the league. Their return expands the competition to six franchises and adds another layer of history to a league already built on long-standing rivalries.

The Thunderbolts make their return immediately under the spotlight. They open the season on Friday, April 3, in the first stand-alone game of the year as part of the Cordery Electric Bunny Bowl, taking on the reigning three-time Power Bowl champion Synergy Healthcare Augies. The matchup carries historic significance for another reason. It will be the first time in 18 seasons that the Augies will not be quarterbacked by Tyler Evans.

The game also marks the debut of Sunshine Superwash Primetime Football, a new initiative that creates stand-alone showcase games during the season. With no other games being played simultaneously, players from around the league and the wider SportsKlub community will be able to gather to watch and support teammates, friends and rivals. The format is designed to create a unique atmosphere similar to prime-time NFL matchups, with the league’s full attention focused on a single game.

The Silver Bombers will begin their new era during the opening weekend as well. Captained by Jesse Bremner, the team opens Week 1 with a Bunny Bowl matchup against the Wagner Lawn Care Trojans, the franchise formerly known as the Chiefs and a long-time rival.

The opening weekend tournament will conclude on Sunday, April 5, when the Bunny Bowl champion is crowned. Seeding for the championship round will be determined based only on the results from Friday’s games, using the tiebreaker format of win-loss record followed by point differential, points scored and points against.

Week 2 continues the league’s primetime showcase concept with a game rich in local history. On April 12, the Trojans and Rick Grant Landscaping Blues meet in what has been dubbed the Battle of the Collegiates. The Trojans name honours Park Street Collegiate Institute, while the Blues represent Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute, making the matchup a celebration of local school pride and small-town sports history.

Week 3 on April 19 brings another storyline with a personal twist. Silver Bombers quarterback Jesse Bremner will face many of his former teammates when he takes on the Blues, the team he previously quarterbacked before the league expanded to six franchises.

One of the most anticipated games of the season arrives in Week 4 on April 26, when the Augies and Blues meet in a primetime Power Bowl 38 rematch. The Blues will be looking for revenge after last season’s championship loss, but the rosters on both sides have undergone significant changes. Several players who appeared for the Blues in Power Bowl 38 — Raygen Hendley, Braeden Errico and Steve Hamilton — are now part of the Augies roster. Meanwhile the Blues continue to be led by veterans Matt Planta and Vince Pitines. Despite the changes, both teams are expected to remain contenders for the league’s top spot.

The game will kick off at 9:30 p.m., a later start than usual due to scheduling conflicts with other Orillia user groups, but one the league believes will be worth the wait.

Another late kickoff appears in Week 5 on Sunday, May 3, when the Silver Bombers and Huskers meet in the league’s other 9:30 p.m. matchup of the season.

Mid-season excitement returns with the annual Birthday Bowl, scheduled for Saturday, May 16, featuring the Trojans and the Santa's Nook Huskers in a primetime matchup. The Huskers will welcome back veteran receivers Mike Black and Scott Oliver, both of whom captured the Power Bowl championship with the Augies last season.

The Birthday Bowl tournament will follow the same reseeding format used for the Bunny Bowl, with the championship round scheduled for the following evening on May 17.

The regular season will conclude in dramatic fashion on Sunday, June 7. Three games will close out the schedule that night: Huskers vs. Augies, Thunderbolts vs. Trojans, and Blues vs. Silver Bombers. Two of the games will begin at 7 p.m., while the matchup with the most significant playoff implications will be moved into the 8 p.m. primetime slot.

The postseason begins the following week. The SportsKlub Football playoffs will take place on Sunday, June 14, with the following matchups: 4 seed vs. 1 seed, 6 seed vs. 5 seed, 3 seed vs. 2 seed.

The season will culminate the following Sunday with Power Bowl 39 on June 21, which will feature a unique three-game championship night format. Loser of 6 vs. 5 vs. Loser of 3 vs. 2, Winner of 6 vs. 5 vs. Loser of 3 vs. 2, Winner of 3 vs. 2 vs. Winner of 4 vs. 1.

The final game of the night will crown the league champion and mark the first stand-alone Power Bowl since Power Bowl 35, giving the championship game its own dedicated spotlight.

With returning franchises, new rivalries and a schedule designed to showcase the league’s biggest matchups, the upcoming SportsKlub season promises to deliver one of the most entertaining campaigns the league has seen yet.

To see the full schedule, click here.