If you search the schedule of events for SFU’s 50th Anniversary, you will notice that the Shrum Bowl is listed on September 3 of this year, over the Labour Day weekend.
The Shrum Bowl was an annual meetup between the SFU Clan and the UBC Thunderbirds’ football teams. Named for Dr. Gordon Shrum, SFU’s inaugural chancellor, the annual game has always brought out UBC’s and SFU’s rivalry — sometimes even in the form of riots.
Of the first game, held October 16, 1967, The Peak reported, “Dr. Gordon Shrum called it exuberant spirit — the Vancouver police no doubt had another name for it.”
During the game, UBC engineers kidnapped SFU’s student president, and a riot broke out. The game ended eight seconds early when fans rushed to the field and pulled down the field goal posts. Needless to say, the Clan — or the Clansmen as they were called — won 32–13.
However, due to SFU’s dominance and the usage of American rules, the games were alternatingly discontinued and revived throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. However, between 1987 and 2010, the event was held every year except 1994 — with home advantage alternating, and rules depending on the home turf.
This year’s game, if it occurs, would mark the first time that SFU and UBC have faced each other in five years. The once-annual event ran into scheduling problems when SFU joined the NCAA in 2010. With an official announcement on SFU’s website, it would appear that SFU fans can once again watch the Clan beat the Thunderbirds in a game of pigskin.
However, it now looks like the game won’t be held — at least, not on September 3.
In September, athletics director Milt Richards told The Peak that there was an unwritten agreement that if the Labour Day weekend was free, there would be a Shrum Bowl. And the weekend was open.
Both universities agreed on the date; however, this time it was the NCAA who was not on board.
“We approached the NCAA for a waiver to play the game prior to the start of the Division II schedule during the September Labour Day weekend,” said sports information director Steve Frost. “This weekend is traditionally reserved for the opening of the Division I season. The NCAA denied our request.”
Richards elaborated, “The only time [UBC] have available is to play that early week, and Division II starts a week later.” He noted that “the thought is that, if the NCAA would allow us to start a week early, that would be a big advantage over other schools.”
Although SFU is appealing the NCAA’s decision, UBC has recently scheduled a game against Laval University on August 29, meaning that the Labour Day weekend is no longer available.
But Frost remains adamant that there could be a Shrum Bowl this year. An alternate plan would be to instead play during the Canada West bye week, which usually falls on the Thanksgiving weekend.
Last year, UBC vetoed the idea in order to give their players rest. This year, the problem is not that UBC doesn’t want to play that weekend, but the opposite — they already have a game scheduled that weekend.
Now the plan is to try and move that game to another week, allowing the Shrum Bowl to be played that weekend. According to Frost, this is the “only chance” for the game to happen.
“I’m not ready to give up on it,” said Frost. “If Blake Nill, their head coach, says ‘yep’ [to moving the game], we’re going to try and move heaven and earth to get that game open that weekend.”
Through negotiations, both Frost and Richards insist that both sides want to have a Shrum Bowl.
“UBC and Simon Fraser both want to play the game,” said Richards.
Should the game be played this year, it will be SFU’s turn to host, as UBC hosted the last one — a 27–20 victory for the Clan.
