BURNABY, BC – Simon Fraser University made the difficult decision that it will not conduct NCAA intercollegiate athletics competition in winter sports during the 2020-21 season, and it will not conduct competition for fall sports during the upcoming spring semester, Senior Director of Athletics and Recreation,
Theresa Hanson, announced today.
Today's decision impacts the winter sports seasons for basketball, indoor track and field, swimming and diving, and wrestling and fall sports seasons for soccer, volleyball, and cross country. The 2020 football season will not be played due mainly to health and safety concerns for student-athletes playing spring (2021) and fall (2021) seasons within six months. The 2021 football season is scheduled to begin in August.
The safety and well-being of SFU student-athletes, coaches and staff remains the top priority at SFU during these unprecedented challenges the university is experiencing in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The health risk posed by COVID-19, the Canada-USA border restrictions and a mandatory 14-day quarantine for international travelers weighed heavily in this decision that was made in consultation with the University and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). As the only Canadian university competing in the NCAA, SFU hosts and competes against USA-based universities.
"We are doing our very best to manage the pandemic in a practical and thoughtful way to ensure the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches and staff during this period of uncertainty," explained Hanson. "We know this decision will be especially disappointing for our student-athletes, but we will continue to provide support, encouragement and training opportunities in the months ahead."
SFU's spring championship sports—outdoor track and field, softball and golf—have no changes to their schedules at this time. "We will continue to monitor the status of the COVID-19 virus including any possible impact on our spring sports," explained Hanson.
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