By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer
On September 17, SFU announced that the university was considering leaving the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the collegiate sports governing body of which Simon Fraser is the only non-American institution. The press release drew notable pushback, garnering opposition from the SFU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) alike.
As part of this decision, SFU commissioned an independent report led by Bob Copeland, senior vice-president of McLaren Global Sports Solutions Inc., to examine “the impacts of joining U Sports and/or other Canadian competitive frameworks.” U Sports is a governing body of university sports, with a distinct structure, rules, and philosophy from the NCAA.
The report was delivered on November 17. Nine days later, the university released a decision: Canada’s NCAA team will move forward to rejoin U Sports in 2027, leaving behind more than 50 years of international competition.
Copeland’s report found that “SFU projects a $20 million deficit in 2025–26 and the department [of athletics and recreation] is facing a $1 million budget cut over the next five years.” Transitioning to U Sports would result in annual savings of $1,108,798, according to the findings. Notably, $575,695 of this total would come from discontinuing men’s and women’s golf and softball, though multiple coaches commented that, even if SFU remains in the NCAA, “the department must cut varsity teams in order to be more competitive.” U Sports also does not sponsor outdoor track, meaning these teams would be cut as well.
The Peak corresponded with SAAC president Jordan Thorsen for student input on the university’s choice. “Our view was that the report was incomplete in several areas and did not represent the full picture. We addressed these shortcomings directly in our response and were confident in the arguments we put forward,” said Thorsen.
In their open letter to the university, the SAAC and SFSS addressed the financial concerns mentioned above. They stated that “SFU Athletics comprises less than 1% of the university’s annual expenditure and is largely funded by the student-paid Recreation and Athletics Fee.” The letter also noted that “the university routinely manages operational expenditures and revenue activities in US dollars in research, procurement, investment, and academic partnership contexts. The financial mechanisms to manage currency exposure already exist at the institutional level.”
As well, the SAAC and SFSS response stated that “SFU has not given the department of athletics and recreation the opportunity to become more financially self-sufficient within the NCAA framework.”
Concerns regarding human rights were also explored. In February 2025, the NCAA updated its policy to include a clause that “a student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team.” Alternatively, U Sports policy “allows student-athletes to compete as their sex assigned at birth or their gender identity.” The open letter noted, however, that “transgender women are barred from participating in female competitions in Alberta” and “withdrawing from the NCAA would not resolve the complexities of supporting trans athletes.”
Moving forward, Thorsen noted that the SAAC has “met with senior administration at SFU to discuss the transition process, including how to ensure adequate resources for student-athletes during what has been a difficult period for many, and to determine next steps toward a smooth and successful transition back into the U Sports framework.
“We will be working to preserve as many of the benefits of the NCAA model as possible while collaborating with the university to ensure student-athletes are positioned to succeed.
“We hope the university will work with us to make SFU a successful athletic program, regardless of competitive affiliation.”
— Jordan Thorsen, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president
