Injunction to be filed for reinstatement of Simon Fraser University football program

The fight to reinstate Simon Fraser University鈥檚 football program has become a legal battle.

The Simon Fraser Football Alumni Society will file an injunction against the Burnaby, B.C. school to reinstate its football program. The litigation is scheduled to be filed in B.C. Supreme Court on Wednesday, with the Alumni Society doing so on behalf of seven players on the team.

鈥淣ormally, an injunction is something you seek before the action is taken,鈥� said Glen Orris, a Vancouver lawyer and former SFU football player who鈥檚 also the director of the SFU Football Alumni Society. 鈥淭he action will be for breach of contract.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e saying is by terminating the program, they鈥檙e breaching the contract they had with the student-athletes.鈥�

The move comes a week after school president Joy Johnston announced Simon Fraser was discontinuing its football program, effective immediately. Johnston added the decision wasn鈥檛 based upon money, rather the Texas-based Lone Star Conference鈥檚 announcement it would not renew its football affiliation with Simon Fraser past the 2023 campaign.

Simon Fraser posted a 1-9 record last year. But in March, the football team promoted Eric Taylor to offensive coordinator and hired Samuel Richard as its special-teams coordinator.

SFU is the only Canadian school in the NCAA and has had a football team since 1965.

鈥淚鈥檓 hoping the matter will be resolved quickly without having to deal with the legal issues,鈥� said Orris, a former receiver at Simon Fraser who also spent three seasons with the CFL鈥檚 Winnipeg Blue Bombers. 鈥淎s a lawyer, my view is going to court is your last option when all else fails.

鈥淏ut the difficulty we鈥檙e getting here is we don鈥檛 have any feedback from the university. We鈥檝e asked the question: 鈥業s it about money?鈥� They鈥檝e said, 鈥楴o, no, it has nothing to do with money. The issue is we can鈥檛 find a conference.鈥� Our position is, 鈥榃ell, you can find a conference. We can find you one, we鈥檝e got one.鈥� Canada West hasn鈥檛 committed but they鈥檝e been very clear that they would greatly appreciate an application and they鈥檇 look upon it favourably.鈥�

The school鈥檚 decision has come under fire because the football team had a place to play this season. What鈥檚 more, Simon Fraser fielded a football squad in U Sports, the governing body of university sport in Canada, from 2002 to 2009, posting a 16-47-2 record.

Now, hurdles exist for a return to U Sports as the organization鈥檚 bylaws don鈥檛 allow members to belong to other conferences. SFU reportedly had a conversation with Canada West officials late last month but an application to join doesn鈥檛 appear to have been made.

Less than a week later, the school announced the cancellation of its football program. Simon Fraser moved to the Lone Star Conference in 2022.

Simon Fraser鈥檚 varsity teams have been competing against NCAA Division II schools south of the border since 2010-11. While the football program ceased, Johnson said SFU will continue to field teams in 18 NCAA Division II sports.

Simon Fraser鈥檚 football team competed within the Division II Great Northwest Atlantic Conference (GNAC) from 2010 to 2021. Before that, it played in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1965 until 2001.

Since the school鈥檚 decision, there鈥檚 been a lot of support for SFU football.

Last week, CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie issued a letter to U Sports CEO Pierre Arsenault, Canada West managing director Rocky Olfert and all Canadian university athletic directors and head football coaches petitioning that SFU鈥檚 program be allowed to continue in Canada.

On Tuesday, both Football Canada and the CFL Players鈥� Association followed suit with similar letters condemning the school for its decision and asking the program be reinstated.

鈥淚t is beyond devastating that the program ended so abruptly without any outreach or calls for support,鈥� CFLPA executive director Brian Ramsay wrote in an email to Johnston. 鈥淵ou, in effect, have ended not just the program but the careers of aspiring athletes to the professional ranks.

鈥淲orse, you allowed spring practices to occur, knowing you had already decided to cancel the program. I am told during those practices; players also suffered severe injuries. There is a huge, untapped groundswell of public support not to have the SFU football program cancelled. The CFLPA is happy to work with you to establish a coalition to find a new conference for the SFU Red Leafs, to salvage the season, and get the athletes back on the field where they can develop their potential and aspire to the professional ranks. You owe your students that much.鈥�

Football Canada president Jim Mullin, in a letter to U Sports schools playing football, asked they find a way to allow Simon Fraser to continue playing in Canada.

鈥淪ince 1965, SFU has been one of our country鈥檚 innovators in college football,鈥� Mullin said. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 playing Canadian or American football, they have contributed significantly to the culture and growth of our sport.

鈥淯nfortunately, the current administration of Simon Fraser is not viewing that contribution through the same lens as Football Canada. Please find a path to welcome Simon Fraser football back to Canadian competition and to the 162-year tradition of Canadian football which was started by and is currently led by Canada鈥檚 universities.鈥�

鈥擠an Ralph, The Canadian Press

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