It also serves as a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and events to the public and the media.

This is similar to what would be called a "college athletic conference" in the United States.

After the merger between Quebec's university, collegiate, and high school governing bodies in 1989, the amalgamated association was named the Fédération du sport scolaire du Québec/Quebec Student Sports Federation, abbreviated FSSQ and QSSF.

As with all of Canada's provincial high school athletics associations, the RSEQ is an affiliate member of the United States–based National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

Since the 2017–18 school year, Bishop's has played football in AUS, but remains a member of RSEQ in other sports.