B.C. Lions owner Amar Doman is among those raising his voice against Simon Fraser University’s sudden discontinuation of its football program.
In a video posted to the Lions’ social media pages late Wednesday, Doman promised that his club would be supporting efforts to reverse the decision and encouraged others to make their voices heard.
A full transcript of the video can be read below:
Hey guys, Amar Doman here with the B.C. Lions. I just wanted to take a quick second and talk to you about what’s happened out at SFU in the football program.
We find it very disappointing and everybody’s got hurt in this — everybody throughout the football world, if you will. Just know that the B.C. Lions are gonna do what we can in the background. We’re not going to go away, we’re going to see whatever we can do to try to get the season salvaged — 2023 — and then work on matters with SFU to try and help all these great athletes that, quite frankly, were woken up surprised with what’s happened out there.
We want to continue the tradition of SFU football. We brought back the Shrum Bowl. We’ve done a whole bunch of different things to try and engage the Lower Mainland and continue the great football programs that are in place.
We certainly, again, are not going to go away, so please make some noise, be visible, be noticeable about what you’re doing, and we’ll keep the message going, guys. Thanks very much and we’ll be doing what we can here. Thank you.
Since taking ownership of the Lions in September 2021, Doman has made connecting with amateur football an organizational priority, recently making a record-setting donation of over $309,000 to local organizations. The team also spearheaded the return of the annual rivalry clash between Simon Fraser and the nearby University of British Columbia — nicknamed the Shrum Bowl — which was played for the first time in 12 years this past December.
The Lions were slated to sponsor the game again in 2023 before SFU unexpectedly pulled the plug on its football team on Tuesday, bringing an end to a program that had existed since 1965.
The school claimed the decision was made primarily due to the Lone Star Conference’s (LSC) choice not to renew SFU’s membership beyond the 2023 season, leaving them without a home for 2024. SFU joined the LSC this past year following a stint with the Great Northwest Atlantic Conference (GNAC) from 2010 to 2021.
Athletic director Theresa Hanson told 3DownNation that the school did not make a formal application for the team to re-join U Sports due to an “incredibly complex” process. U Sports bylaws do not allow its members to belong to more than one conference and SFU has no desire to move its other athletic programs from NCAA Division II, with the school deeming it “unlikely” that an “unprecedented” exemption would be made for them.
However, the move to cancel the program after spring camp with limited consultation and no negotiation with other stakeholders has caused a public outcry, with alumni of the program expected to seek a legal injunction to save the 2023 season. A petition has been circulated online to save the program, though Hanson has said the decision is final and will not be reversed regardless of the number of signatures.
Leaders in the sport, like Doman, are hoping to leverage their positions of power and knock the school off that stance. Even CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie issued a statement on Tuesday, expressing disappointment on behalf of the professional league.
“We at the CFL are disappointed that SFU is discontinuing its football program. It has a storied history and many ties to our league. Thinking of the many people, current and alumni, who have been part of SFU football. Thank you for your countless contributions to our great game.”
With many powerful CFL figures boasting ties to SFU and understanding its importance to the nation’s football ecosystem, the fight to preserve the program appears to have just begun.
