Canada West accepts Simon Fraser University as probationary member

Photo: Canada West

Canada West has accepted Simon Fraser University (SFU) as a probationary member for the 2027-28 academic year, the conference announced. The decision was made official at the Canada West annual general meeting on Thursday morning in Kelowna, B.C.

SFU’s acceptance was contingent upon receiving more than 75 percent approval from the conference’s membership. The school must now receive probationary membership in U Sports, which will be under review at the organization’s annual meeting in St. John’s, N.L. next month.

“On behalf of our 17 member institutions, we are pleased to welcome Simon Fraser University back into the fold,” said Canada West president Ben Matchett in a statement.

“We were impressed by the commitment of SFU’s institutional and athletic leadership to this process, and we look forward to working with them on the transition process as we prepare for the Red Leafs to join competition in the fall of 2027.”

SFU has been approved for competition in men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, indoor track and field, soccer, swimming, and wrestling.

The institution cancelled its football program in April 2023, citing the lack of a long-term home. SFU’s football team moved to the Lone Star Conference (NCAA Division II) in 2022, though its membership wasn’t going to be renewed for 2024.

Theresa Hanson, who was then the school’s athletic director, told 3DownNation that SFU didn’t make a formal application to join U Sports before axing the program. She and the school parted ways four months later.

Following considerable pushback from alumni and the Canadian football community, SFU hired Bob Copeland, the senior vice-president of McLaren Global Sport Solutions, as a special advisor to assess the feasibility of the school’s football program.

His findings, which were released in September 2023, determined that the only route for the school to return to the gridiron would be through U Sports.

Despite considerable efforts to save the program, which included a supreme court injunction and a fundraising initiative that raised close to $700,000, the football program was officially killed in January 2025.

The Red Leafs previously competed in Canada West from 2000 to 2010. The football team won one Hardy Cup during this time, defeating the University of Alberta Golden Bears in 2003 by a score of 28-18.

This marks the first time Canada West has expanded since 2017, when MacEwan University in Edmonton was granted full membership.

SFU will continue to participate as members of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (NCAA Division II) for the 2026-27 academic year.

“This vote is an important step for the university and its journey to join U Sports and Canada West,” said SFU athletics and recreation executive director Luc Simard. “We humbly thank member schools and their leadership for their support and for guidance during this process.”

Alumni of SFU’s football program include Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees Lui Passaglia, Dan Ferrone, Glen Suitor, Dave Cutler, and Doug Brown as well as current CFL players Michael Couture and Ante Milanovic-Litre.

Simon Fraser was founded in 1965 and is based in Burnaby, B.C., though it also has campuses in Surrey and Vancouver. It has around 35,000 students.