Robert Bateman Secondary School grad Sam Davenport has battled for years for the Simon Fraser University football program on the gridiron, but never expected to end his playing career by squaring off against the school in court.
Davenport and his SFU football teammates are in the midst of a B.C. Supreme Court hearing to reinstate the program after the school axed the team on April 4.SFU made the decision to cut football after the Texas-based Lone Star Conference the school had been competing in announced in February that they would be dropping SFU after the 2023 season.
SFU was on the schedule for the 2023 but instead chose to scrap the program. The school’s athletic director Theresa Hanson stated that the choice to dump football was in the best interest of the student-athletes and the school did not make an application to join Canada’s U Sports conference because the process to join was “incredibly complex”.Davenport and his teammates disagree with Hanson on what their best interests are and ultimately the fate of the program will play out in court this week.
B.C. Lions owner Aman Doman stated that he will donate up to $500,000 of his own money to save the team. SFU alumni have also stepped up with donations and public support. A new group called the SFU Football Mom Squad has formed to bring a female lens to the campaign to save the team. A number of politicians have also pledged their support. More than $700,000 has already been raised to support the program.
"Over 1,000 donors, almost a million dollars. Let's hope that this money will get put to work so we can have a season this fall."