Simon Fraser University (SFU) will apply to return to Canada West and U SPORTS to ensure the long-term sustainability of varsity sport and to enhance natural rivalries and the fan experience on campus for all SFU students.
Since the university committed to the NCAA 15 years ago, many things have changed that have called into question the alignment with SFU's values, the student experience and financial viability. Ultimately, the executive team felt that competing in the U.S. is not sustainable due to financial and logistical constraints and other decision-making factors outlined in the independent report.
If the application is successful, SFU will compete in U SPORTS and leave the NCAA and U.S. competition.
"SFU is committed to building an athletics program that offers a high-quality competitive experience within an excellent academic setting," says Dilson Rassier, provost and vice-president, academic. "The decision to pursue an application with U Sports was not made lightly, but in the long run, will help support sustainability for the athletics program and the university at large, while deepening our sense of community for students and future student-athletes."
In September, the university commissioned an independent report to explore potential impacts of transferring out of the NCAA and into a Canadian competitive athletic framework. The independent consultant's report has been released publicly. The university thanks Bob Copeland for his excellent work in analyzing this complex situation.
The executive considered the report as well as non-sport-related impacts of competing in the U.S., feedback from student-athletes and the sporting community and financial implications. SFU is committed to maintaining a varsity athletics program that supports student-athletes and creates opportunities for our athletes to thrive both in sport and education.
"We recognize that this decision will be disappointing for current student-athletes, many of whom came to SFU specifically to compete in the NCAA," Rassier says. "Moving forward, our goal is to support our athletes to continue their athletic careers as they see fit."
This decision will impact SFU's softball, golf and outdoor track and field teams. These teams would be retired as varsity sports should SFU be accepted into Canada West and U Sports as there is no national championship for these sports within U SPORTS. The university will also take this opportunity to review the impact of this decision on indoor track.
A critical aspect of the decision-making process was related to financial and logistical sustainability. As the university continues to experience financial challenges, a return to U SPORTS-and thus a lower cost competition framework-would create stability for the SFU Athletics & Recreation program and contribute to a sustainable athletics model while offering a high-quality varsity experience for student-athletes.
Now that a decision has been made, SFU Athletics and Recreation will apply to join the Canada West conference of U SPORTS for Fall 2027 and will proceed with the next steps of the application, which includes additional fees and discussions. The decision to admit SFU or not rests with Canada West and U SPORTS. We expect their decision to be announced in Spring or Summer of 2026.
It's important to reiterate that there are no immediate changes and there remain steps ahead in the application process. If accepted, SFU will leave the NCAA and U.S. competition at the end of the 2026-2027 season.
Spokesperson
DILSON RASSIER, SFU Provost and Vice-President, Academic
