As their new roster takes shape, the 91原创 Rams have an expanded pool of potential picks to ponder.

Thanks to SFU鈥檚 decision to shut down their NCAA football program, a number of players from the Burnaby university were among the 110 who showed up for the spring identification camp at McLeod Athletic Park over the May Long weekend.

Team president Dana Matheson projected 75 to 80 players will be invited to spring training camp in July to vie for spots on the team roster, for the new season that begins July 29th with an away game against the Valley Huskers, followed by their first home game against the Vancouver Island Raiders on Saturday, August 5 at 4 p.m.

Matheson predicted the 2023 version of the Rams will be 鈥渁 little bit more seasoned, a little older. So it should be a good year.鈥�

New head coach Jordan McCarty said some of that seasoning will likely be provided by Simon Fraser University in the wake of the controversial decision by SFU to close its football program.

鈥滻 have spent time up there as a coach,鈥� McCarty told the 91原创 Advance Times, describing the SFU decision as 鈥渦nfortunate.鈥�

鈥淪o I did have a connection with those players, and we were obviously able to accumulate a few of those guys that come down off the hill 鈥� and then they鈥檒l be playing with us this year.鈥� 

He said the addition of university players will benefit the team as a whole, because they will bring a 鈥渟erious鈥� focus to the game.

鈥淚t pushes the group forward,鈥� McCarty said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like contagious, this is the standard.鈥�

鈥淥ur roster is gonna be very competitive,鈥� the coach predicted. 鈥淭he team is looking good.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have fun, but ultimately, we鈥檙e looking to score points and obviously defend the field.鈥�

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McCarty, the quarterback who led the 91原创 team to a Canadian Bowl appearance in 2014, was the Rams quarterback coach for three season, and helped them to the 2021 Canadian Bowl championship win.

Asked about the transition to head coach, McCarty commented 鈥渋t hasn鈥檛 been too rough. I鈥檝e been around a lot of good coaches.鈥�

READ ALSO: 91原创 Rams win Canadian Bowl

British Columbia Football Conference 2023 schedule will see the seven BCFC teams again play a 10 game regular season schedule with two bye weeks per team.

BCFC play-offs will take place over the Oct. 21-22 weekend when the top four teams advance to the post-season.

Oct. 28 is the date set for the Cullen Cup BCFC championship game, which will take place at the home of the highest seeded remaining team.

This season, the BCFC champions will host the Canadian Bowl on Nov. 11 against either the prairie football conference or Ontario football conference champions who will battle two weeks earlier in a national semi-final.