CFL deeply invested in SFU situation

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/04/2023 (880 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

By now you might have heard about the sudden shuttering of one of Canada’s university football programs and the efforts being made from all corners to salvage it.

Decision-makers at Simon Fraser University, led by president Joy Johnson and athletic director Theresa Hanson, announced April 4 an immediate end to the school’s football team after 57 years in existence. The rationale, Johnson claimed, was owing to a “football landscape (that) has changed significantly in recent years and we no longer believe we are providing an exceptional experience for student-athletes.”

Notably, the Red Leafs were heading into their second and final season in the Lone Star Conference — a college athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division II, based in Texas — after the LSC notified the B.C.-based school that it was making room for another local team and therefore had no more room.

Instead of playing one final season — LSC had already released its schedule — the decision was made to drop it immediately.

That set off a predictable storm of outrage, from alumni as well as the CFL, the CFLPA, the B.C. Lions, among several others, all offering their support to save the program. It’s becoming clear Johnson and Hanson may have bitten off more than they can chew.

The latest development includes the filing of a court order in B.C. Supreme Court on Wednesday to reinstate the program, which is being spearheaded by Glen Orris, a lawyer who is also a member of the SFU Football Alumni Society. The injunction has seven plaintiffs, each current members of the team, ranging from freshmen to seniors, all of whom claim a breach of contract between the university and its student-athletes.

While it’s unsure how exactly this will unfold, there is potential for a lengthy court battle. Of all the people I’ve spoken to about this, including former Blue Bomber and member of the Canadian Hall of Fame, Doug Brown, who played for SFU in the mid-90s, there certainly isn’t a lack of motivation.

Before we look too far ahead, let’s take a look back at the week that was in the three-down loop in the latest edition of CFL Rundown.

1) A couple more points on the SFU drama. You have to feel for the players who are now suddenly searching for a new football home. What’s worse, they had just wrapped up spring training, only to be locked out of their own facilities, and now have to deal with the mental burden of it all as they take their final exams. It should be noted the school is honouring scholarships for next year, which seems considerate on the surface but ignores the fact most, if not all, will want to go somewhere else to play football. A petition to re-instate the program can be found here.

2) If the program does get saved, one would hope the alumni currently fighting for its life will stick around and ensure the program gets back on stable footing. Outside of the benefits of attending university and playing team sports, SFU has simply been treading water on the field for years. The Red Leafs are 4-61 since 2015 and are 186-321-2 all time, a winning percentage of .367. There’s no hiding how ugly that is.

3) I’m hoping the program gets another chance, not only for the people currently fighting for it but also for the health of the game as a whole. That’s because I can’t help but think that the elimination of one university program will only lead to more dropping out. As we learn more and more about the risks inherent with playing football, resulting in fewer and fewer people enrolling in the sport, the future of the game doesn’t exactly seem bright. Hence, the CFL and other major stakeholders’ refusal to just give up.

4) Chad Kelly was back making headlines for exactly the reason you would expect. The Toronto Argonauts quarterback, who helped lead The Boatman to a late-game comeback over the Blue Bombers in last year’s Grey Cup, was on a Barstool Sports podcast earlier this month talking about how he plans to make it back to the NFL. Kelly, the nephew of NFL great Jim Kelly and the final selection of the 2017 Draft, said if he can lead the Argonauts to a consecutive championship, it would be impossible for the NFL to ignore him.

He went even further into why he’s not currently there, saying “teams don’t want a threatening backup that’s gonna take the starter’s job” and that in Toronto he’s on a “s—t contract.” I’ll remind readers, while the 29-year-old Kelly had a nice college career at Ole Miss, he completed just 26 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns in Toronto last season. He’s set to become the No. 1 pivot this year, in what should be, if anything, an interesting season for the Argonauts.

5) Andrew Harris was on the west coast introducing himself to prospects for the team he’ll be taking over fully in 2024. The Winnipeg product and four-time Grey Cup champion signed a five-year deal with the Vancouver Island Raiders of the Canadian Junior Football League, his former club, in February, to become the head of football operations this year and head coach next season. Over the weekend, he attended his first formal event, taking in a high school evaluation camp. Harris got a real taste of coaching last season after injuring a pectoral muscle, which resulted in almost a player-coach role with the Argos. It’s good to see him giving back to the program he has spoken so highly about in the past.

6) Big news out of Saskatchewan, as the Roughriders signed Canadian receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker to a two-year extension on Wednesday. Schaffer-Baker, who set career highs last season with 68 receptions for 960 yards and five touchdowns, was under contract for this season, so his new deal will keep him in Riderville through the 2025 season. It’s great news for the Roughriders, not only because they get to hold onto a player they drafted (fourth round, 30th overall, 2020) and developed, but the thought was after Schaffer-Baker garnered plenty of attention from the NFL over the off-season that it was only a matter of time before he headed south. Keeping good talent in the CFL is important, it’s even better when the kid is Canadian.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton