2 years after dropping 'Clan' name, Simon Fraser teams to be known as 'Red Leafs'

Two years after dumping their controversial Clan nickname, Simon Fraser University's sports teams will be called the Red Leafs.

SFU announced the news on Tuesday after what the Burnaby, B.C. school called an extensive consultation process that began in 2020.

"I'm proud that the university is moving forward under the Red Leafs name," SFU president Joy Johnson said in a statement. "We feel it captures the heritage and spirit of SFU, and its unique role in collegiate sports."

SFU's sports logo has included a maple leaf for decades, and it is "recognized as a symbol of unity across its campuses," the university said in a statement.

The Red Leafs will debut their new look with a launch party on Thursday. The women's volleyball team, which plays on Thursday night, will be the first to wear the new name.

Introducing the new name for our varsity athletics teams. New name, same unwavering university spirit. <a href="https://t.co/RfPXR5wX08">https://t.co/RfPXR5wX08</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sfu_athletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sfu_athletics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepTheLeaf?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepTheLeaf</a>

The push to dump the 55-year-old nickname, which had been shortened from the original Clansmen, came after more than 13,000 people signed a petition in June of 2020. In a virtual town-hall meeting in July, 97 per cent of attendees voted to change the name. The Clan was a nod to heritage of Scottish explorer and fur trader Simon Fraser, but there was significant concern about the name mistakenly being tied to the Ku Klux Klan.

A Nov. 10. 2020 statement from SFU's presidents office said: "I want to pause and reflect — and ask our community to take a moment to reflect — on the work of Black