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Continued from page 1 program, announced April 4 by SFU president Joy Johnson.

SFU was a part of NCAA Div. II competition the second highest level of collegiate sports in the U S

But earlier this year, SFU said theTexas-based Lone Star Conference decided not to renew its affiliate membership agreement with the Red Leafs and the upcoming scheduled season would be their last, leaving the school without a league to play in starting in 2024.

Johnson said SFU will honour athletic scholarship commitments for those who choose to stay and meet eligibility requirements for the 2023-24 school year.

Kristie Elliott was a kicker with SFU for four years and made history along the way, becoming the first female player to play and score for a Canadian college football team

After her playing days were over, she became the director of football opera- tions and recruitment for the program

Elliott said she and other staff members were called to individual meetings April 4 before a larger team meeting was held to break the news

She said the announcement blindsided her, especially since the program still had one year left in the Lone Star Conference before the agreement ended.

“We had a two-year contract,” she told the NOW.

“We thought that we were set in stone to have one more season at least. So, when we came to the meeting and she [athletic directorTheresa Hanson] said the program is terminated immediately, I think that’s where the major shock came from ”

Elliott added many asked Hanson and administration why they couldn’t play during the upcoming season, but there was no concrete answer or reason provided

This has ultimately left many players in peril

“We found out after spring camp just finished.

That’s not a lot of time for other players, like current players, to find a new school to go to, and it takes a long time for the recruiting process,” Elliott explained

“So now, players are unsure if they’re going to even be able to have a season, and for some players, it’s their senior year. It’s very difficult to transfer.”

In an interview, Hanson told the NOW that numerous options were considered, but none were feasible.

Hanson said SFU’s athletics department started exploring other avenues once it was determined the conference renewal agreement was not going to be approved after the 2024 season.

“The landscape for Div II football has significantly changed since we joined the NCAA,” she explained

“And in recent years, there’s been a number of Div II football schools that have discontinued their programs across our conference that we played in [Great Northwest Athletic Conference] and across Div. II. In January of this year, the Lone Star Conference council presidents had voted not to renew Simon Fraser in another two-year affiliate agreement. So, it was, at that time, with that announcement, we found that we have no place to play as of 2024

“We had stated that ‘OK, we need to do a lot of research, we need to look at what options are available to us ’”

Hanson said they talked to the NCAA, NAIA and U SPORTS Canada’s highest level of university sport

“Within the NCAA, there was no opportunity to join another conference And to be an independent Div II football school is not a sustainable option for us short- or long-term because we’d have a very tough time getting games It would be very tough to actually meet our requirements for the NCAA ”

She says they pursued discussions with U SPORTS, but they knew that, as a Div II NCAA school, they didn’t meet the existing bylaws for membership within the or- ganization

“Pursuing an exemption for football only would be very complex, it’s unprecedented,” Hanson said

“There’s no path for that, and it would cause more uncertainty for our athletes with something that has absolutely no assurance that it would happen.”