CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State University and the Canadian Football League Players' Association today announced a collaboration that provides CFL Players' Association members access to the university's top-ranked online educational programs.
The agreement gives hundreds of CFL active players the opportunity to advance their education in one of more than 80 degree and certificate programs delivered online by Oregon State Ecampus. The collaboration makes OSU the CFLPA's exclusive provider of online education in the United States.
Due to the volatile nature of professional football, the average career in the CFL is three years or less. Since its inception in 2016, the CFLPA Academy has sought to provide career development opportunities aimed at helping the league's active players prepare for life outside of professional football.
"The mandate for our academy, and the CFLPA more broadly, is to respond to the needs of our members and seek to provide meaningful opportunities to ensure their holistic success on and off the field," said Brian Ramsay, executive director of the CFLPA. "By collaborating with a leading academic institution in Oregon State University, we are ecstatic that our membership will continue to gain unparalleled access to educational resources."
Oregon State Ecampus consistently ranks in the national top 10 for online education by U.S. News & World Report, including No. 5 this year. In the 2019-20 academic year, Ecampus served more than 10,000 exclusively distance learners in all 50 states and more than 50 countries.
Innovative corporate collaborations such as the CFLPA alliance enable Oregon State to give individuals increased access to educational opportunities via online programs.
"Whether they are professional athletes or members of the traditional workforce, we are committed to helping our distance learners create a new path forward in their careers," OSU Ecampus Associate Provost Lisa L. Templeton said. "We're eager to meet the CFLPA members' unique needs through innovative course delivery and excellent student support services online."
Several Oregon State football players have gone on to play in the CFL, a nine-team league that took its current form in 1958. The CFLPA was formed in 1965. The CFL is the second largest professional football league in the world behind the NFL.
Members of the CFLPA can apply to Oregon State now as a part of this collaboration, receive a tuition benefit as part of the agreement, and begin taking Ecampus classes this winter. OSU's winter term begins Jan. 4.
OSU Ecampus has similar corporate collaborations with organizations such as Peet's Coffee and the Professional Hockey Players' Association.
