Simon Fraser University officially shuts down football program

The final whistle has blown for Simon Fraser University’s storied varsity football program, as the university confirmed Wednesday that the program will not be making a comeback.

The decision comes after years of uncertainty for the team, which hasn’t hit the field since 2022, when it was dropped by the Lone Star Conference in Texas.

In search of solutions, SFU hired Bob Copeland of McLaren Global Sports Solutions, to review the program’s options.

But Copeland’s findings were grim. His report confirmed that SFU had no option to play in the NCAA or the U.S., and that returning to U Sports in Canada would be costly, with no guarantees of success.

SFU had previously competed in the Canada West conference alongside teams like the UBC Thunderbirds until it made the decision to join the NCAA Division II in 2010. SFU is the only Canadian university in the NCAA.

In a statement, the university acknowledged it is “facing an uncertain financial climate,” like many other institutions. While it emphasized that financial challenges did not directly lead to the decision to end the football program, it did stress that the challenges “reinforce the need for stronger financial prudence across all aspects of the university, including athletics and recreation.”

Mark Bailey, president of the SFU Football Alumni Society, expressed his frustration with the decision, noting the lack of communication from the university throughout the process.

“We’ve been attempting for months to communicate with the university…and we’ve not been given the opportunity to have a conversation,” Bailey told 1130 NewsRadio.

“We haven’t been given the opportunity to understand all the avenues SFU has attempted to seek out to have a viable and successful football program.”

Recognizing the challenges, Bailey claims several alumni have pledged commitments totaling “millions of dollars.”

“We have to start looking at other post secondary institutions in the province to see who would be able and willing to have another football program implemented within the B.C. landscape,” said Bailey.

Bailey points out that the decision to completely abolish the program creates a significant gap in opportunities for student-athletes.

“It’s a disservice to student athletes in this province, as well as other communities or other provinces, there’s, there’s one less opportunity for student athletes to further their education and obviously their football careers.”

“SFU has made, in my opinion, a terrible decision, backed by a process that was not inclusive or transparent.”

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