Simon Fraser University confirms football won't be returning to the B.C. school

Simon Fraser University is pictured in Burnaby, B.C., Tuesday, Apr 16, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

BURNABY, B.C. — It’s official: Football won’t be returning to Simon Fraser University.

The Burnaby, B.C., school announced Wednesday that football, discontinued in 2023 after the Texas-based Lone Star Conference chose not to renew its affiliation, will not return.

“Over the past several years, the football landscape had changed significantly, and we no longer believed the program provided an exceptional experience for student-athletes,” the school said in a statement.

Simon Fraser appointed Bob Copeland, of McLaren Global Sports Solutions, to review and explore options for the football program. In his report, Copeland confirmed the school had no option to play in the NCAA or United States and that returning to U Sports in Canada would be costly with no guarantees of a positive outcome.

In its statement, the school noted that, like other universities, it is “facing an uncertain financial climate.” While it emphasized that financial challenges did not influence the decision to end the football program, it stated they “reinforce the need for stronger financial prudence across all aspects of the university, including Athletics and Recreation.”

SFU’s provost and vice-president, Dilson Rassier, added: “We recognize the program’s historic place in the province’s sporting history and are deeply proud of the football student-athletes who played with SFU over the years.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2025.

The Canadian Press