Simon Fraser University has ‘no plans’ to revive football team after U Sports acceptance

Photo courtesy: Simon Fraser Football

Simon Fraser University was officially accepted as the 59th member institution of U Sports on Thursday, but anyone still holding out hope for the return of their football program will be sorely disappointed.

A spokesperson for the school confirmed to 3DownNation that despite the announcement, “SFU has no plans to add a football team under U Sports.”

Simon Fraser cancelled its football program in April 2023, citing the lack of a long-term home and viable regional opposition. 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, believing acceptance to be both unlikely and costly. 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 via a press release in January 2025. The school cited a “new strategy” for its athletic and recreation department and acknowledged an “uncertain financial climate,” though it denied this was a factor in its decision to eliminate football.

Simon Fraser previously competed in U Sports 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. The team spent the majority of its history competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) before enrolling in NCAA Division II in 2011.

The Red Leafs have been approved for participation in men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, indoor track and field, soccer, swimming and wrestling with U Sports. They will participate in the Canada West conference beginning in 2027.

“Now that U Sports has voted, SFU Athletics & Recreation will work on the next steps of transitioning to U Sports from the NCAA for fall 2027,”  executive director of SFU Athletics and Recreation, Luc Simard, said in a statement. “U Sports offers a high-quality varsity experience. Competing against local Canadian universities will enhance natural rivalries and the fan experience on campus for all SFU students, leading to a deeper sense of SFU community.”

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

Simon Fraser University 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.