Simon Fraser Clan
| Simon Fraser Clan | |
|---|---|
| University | Simon Fraser University |
| Conference | GNAC |
| NCAA | Division II |
| Athletic director | Theresa Hanson |
| Location | Burnaby, British Columbia |
| Varsity teams | 17 |
| Football stadium | Swangard Stadium |
| Basketball arena | West Gymnasium |
| Softball stadium | Beedie Field |
| Soccer stadium | Terry Fox Field |
| Lacrosse stadium | Terry Fox Field |
| Mascot | McFogg the Dog |
| Nickname | Clan (Formerly "Clansmen") |
| Colors | Red and Blue |
| Website | athletics |
The Simon Fraser Clan are the athletic teams that represent Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. SFU's teams formerly played in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics of the United States for all sports. In 1997, Simon Fraser sought to join the NCAA of the United States as a Division II school, but was turned down. After this, SFU decided in 2000–01 to partially transfer to Canadian Interuniversity Sport (now U Sports). Before the transfer, SFU did not compete in Canadian football, instead playing American football.
On July 10, 2009 the NCAA approved SFU's bid to join NCAA Division II starting in 2011–12, where SFU intended to compete in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. However, Canada West, the CIS association the SFU teams were scheduled to play in, issued a probation on all SFU teams for the 2010–11 season, leading to speculation that Clan teams would not have conference to play in. The GNAC admitted SFU one year earlier than planned as a full conference member in time for the 2010–11 season.
SFU currently has 17 varsity programs competing in the following sports (affiliations included):
SFU is the only school to have finished in the top five of the NAIA division of the NACDA Director's Cup, an award given to the top overall college sports program in the United States, in each year since the award was first given to NAIA schools in 1996. The Clan won the NAIA Cup consecutively from 1997 through 2001, and again in 2004. The last win was especially impressive because it occurred after SFU partially transferred to CIS.
Oddly, the SFU Clan holds the NAIA record for most All-Americans and U.S. National Champions (individual).
The Simon Fraser Clan football team has been competing continuously since the athletic department's inception in 1965. The Clan played by American rules while they competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics from 1965 to 2001 against other American teams. Along with other SFU teams, the football program transferred to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport and thereby switched to playing Canadian football against Canadian University teams in 2002. While playing in the CIS, SFU won their first and only Hardy Trophy conference championship in 2003 while qualifying for the playoffs twice. After playing eight seasons in the Canada West Conference of the CIS, the Clan football team began competing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference of NCAA Division II in 2010.
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