Simon Fraser University football alumni had hoped a meeting Thursday morning with SFU president Joy Johnson and other school officials would be a step toward having the varsity football team reinstated.
But in the afternoon SFU released a statement restating the team will not play the 2023 season. "We will not be playing varsity football in the fall of this year," it said.
The statement went on to say that a "special advisor" will be appointed "to review and make recommendations regarding potential sustainable opportunities for football." "We are committed to an open and transparent process.
A final decision will be made by the university. This process will take time for all to be heard and for options to be weighed." Johnson announced the team was being axed on April 4, citing "ongoing uncertainty" caused by the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference dropping SFU football beginning in 2024.