SFU confirms football team cancelled for 2023 season, 'special advisor' to be appointed

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.

On the same day, SFU senior athletic director Theresa Hanson told players the decision to axe the team was not financially motivated and called the process to join another conference "very complex." 

Players and alumni said they were blindsided by the announcement and wondered why the school hadn't applied to play in other conferences like Canada West or the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

For immediate release:<br>Thursday, April 20<br>SFU MUST REINSTATE football FOR 2023 TO REVIEW<br>THE COURTS WILL DECIDE STUDENT-ATHLETES FUTURE WITH PRESIDENT’S DECISION<br>Burnaby, BC –

On Thursday evening, the SFU Football Alumni Society issued a statement on its twitter account saying it "disapproves" of the university's decision.

Lawyer and former player Glen Orris is quoted in the statement, saying with the appointment of