Simon Fraser University, based in British Columbia, has decided to seek U Sports membership after participating in NCAA competitions against American schools for 15 years. The university announced its plan to rejoin the Canada West conference within the Canadian varsity system to ensure the sustainability of sports programs and revive traditional rivalries.
Situated in Burnaby, Metro Vancouver, SFU has been the solitary Canadian institution competing at the Division II level of NCAA since its acceptance into the American organization in 2009. However, the university has expressed that continuing to compete in the United States has become financially and logistically unsustainable.
In a recent development, SFU’s football program, established in 1965, was disbanded in 2023 following the Lone Star conference’s decision not to renew its affiliation. Despite efforts by a group of players and alumni to halt the program’s termination through a Supreme Court injunction, their application was rejected.
As part of its transition back to U Sports, SFU has indicated that its softball, golf, and outdoor track and field teams will no longer operate as varsity sports due to the absence of Canadian championships in those disciplines. The university is also evaluating the future of indoor track, a sport recently eliminated by McGill University.
