SFU confirms football team cancelled for 2023 season, 'special advisor' to be appointed

Simon Fraser University football alumni had hoped a meeting Thursday morning with SFU president Joy Johnson and other school officials would be a step toward having the varsity football team reinstated.

But in the afternoon SFU released a statement restating the team will not play the 2023 season. 

"We will not be playing varsity football in the fall of this year," it said.

The statement went on to say that a "special advisor" will be appointed "to review and make recommendations regarding potential sustainable opportunities for football."

"We are committed to an open and transparent process. A final decision will be made by the university. This process will take time for all to be heard and for options to be weighed."

Johnson announced the team was being axed on April 4, citing "ongoing uncertainty" caused by the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference dropping SFU football beginning in 2024.

On the same day, SFU senior athletic director Theresa Hanson told players the decision to axe the team was not financially motivated and called the process to join another conference "very complex." 

Players and alumni said they were blindsided by the announcement and wondered why the school hadn't applied to play in other conferences like Canada West or the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

On Thursday evening, the SFU Football Alumni Society issued a statement on its twitter account saying it "disapproves" of the university's decision.

Lawyer and former player Glen Orris is quoted in the statement, saying with the appointment of the special advisor for a review, the university must "immediately" reinstate the football program. 

"Without that, there is no football program to evaluate," Orris is quoted saying.

Alumni society president Mark Bailey is also quoted saying the university's "process does not consider the future of SFU's current student-athletes.

"SFU must reinstate the program for 2023 to make this process work toward a conclusion," Bailey said.

Last week, the alumni society filed an injunction application in B.C. Supreme court on behalf of five scholarship players claiming the school is in breach of contract.

If successful, the courts could order SFU to continue the program. SFU has three weeks to file a response. The injunction application hearing is scheduled for May 3.

News that the 57-year-old varsity football program was being eliminated ignited a wave of support from the Canadian football community and beyond.

On Wednesday, B.C. Lions owner Amar Doman said he and his friends will match donations to SFU football to the tune of $500,000 per year for the next five years.

"We are doing everything we can to support SFU football, not only for the upcoming 2023 season that's upcoming, but for the future and the decades to come," he said on social media. Doman is calling for donations on April 25th, which he dubbed "Save SFU Football Day."

Orris told CBC Thursday morning the breadth of support would bode well for the program.

"I believe if we can get the program reinstated it'll come back better and stronger than it's ever been," said Orris.