Theresa Hanson is no longer the athletic director at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in what the school has termed a “mutual agreement.” The change is effective immediately.
Rummana Khan Hemani, the schools’ students and international vice-provost, expressed her appreciation for Hanson’s work in an open letter, thanking her for her “many contributions and her commitment to SFU” and wishing her well in her future endeavours.
According to the letter, Hanson oversaw exponential growth in fundraising and athletic endowments at SFU since being hired in 2015. She also signed an exclusive uniform and apparel partnership with Nike and helped choose a new team name.
SFU made international headlines on April 4 following the sudden cancellation of its football program. The decision drew considerable backlash from the football community at the local, provincial, and national levels.
In an interview with 3DownNation, Hanson said the reason for the program’s discontinuation stemmed from the Lone Star Conference’s decision not to renew SFU’s affiliate membership beyond 2023. She believed that it was best not play this fall without the program having a long-term home and felt it was best to allow football players to pursue opportunities at other institutions as early as possible.
Hanson indicated that the school did not make a formal application to join U Sports, calling the process “incredibly complex.” SFU previously competed at the U Sports level from 2002 to 2009 before moving to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II, becoming the only Canadian school to be an affiliate of the NCAA.
SFU committed to honour all athletic scholarships for football players for the 2023-2024 academic year despite the cancellation of the program.
Five players from the football team filed an injunction against the school on April 13, though it was denied by the B.C. Supreme Court on May 11. Following the ruling, SFU hired Bob Copeland, the senior vice-president of McLaren Global Sport Solutions, to serve as a special advisor tasked with exploring options for the future of football at the school.
Hoping for the program to be reinstated for 2023, the SFU Football Alumni Society (SFUFAS) contacted schools on both sides of the border to create a full exhibition schedule. Copeland recently recommended against playing football games in 2023 due to what he called “safety and logistical concerns.” The rest of his ongoing program review will be released next month.
The SFUFAS partnered with local alumni and community leaders including B.C. Lions’ owner Amar Doman to raise money for the program shortly after its cancellation. The drive garnered over 800 pledges worth approximately $700,000 with the collection of the funds being contingent upon the program’s reinstatement.
A number of key alumni also protested SFU’s decision by leaving the school’s Sports Hall of Fame, including Lui Passaglia, Sean Millington, Glen Jackson, Terry Bailey, Doug Brown, Dave Cutler, Wayne Holm, Rick House, Neil McKinlay, Rob McLaren, and Orville Lee.
Hanson did not immediately reply to 3DownNation’s request for comment and has deactivated her Twitter account.