Simon Fraser Red Leafs football explained

Teamname:Simon Fraser Red Leafs football
Headcoach:Mike Rigell
Headcoachyear:2nd
Hcwins:2
Hclosses:16
Stadium:Terry Fox Field
Stadsurface:Artificial turf
Conference:Lone Star
Firstyear:1965
Athleticdirector:Vacant
Websitename:athletics.sfu.ca
Websiteurl:http://athletics.sfu.ca/index.aspx?path=football&
Atwins:186
Atlosses:321
Atties:2
Bowlwins:0
Bowllosses:1
Conftitles:1 (2003)
Uniform:Image:NCAA SFU Jersey 2019.png
Color1:Red
Color1hex:E90024
Color2:White
Color2hex:FFFFFF
Mascotdisplay:McFogg the Dog
Last Year:2022

The SFU Red Leafs football or Simon Fraser Red Leafs football team represented Simon Fraser University since the athletic department's inception in 1965 until 2022. The team 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 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (now U Sports) and thereby switched to playing Canadian football against Canadian University teams in 2002. While playing in the CIS, SFU won its 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 football team began competing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference of NCAA Division II in 2010, and have played the American format of football again since.[1] After the GNAC dropped football after the 2021 season, SFU and the other two GNAC members that still sponsored the sport became football-only members of the Lone Star Conference.[2] After the 2022 season, it was announced on April 4, 2023, that football would be dropped from the school after it was previously announced the Lone Star Conference was ending its affiliation with Simon Fraser after the 2023-24 season.[3]

The team previously used the names "Clansmen" and "Clan;" those names were retired in 2020.[4] The new nickname "Red Leafs" was announced in September 2022.[5]

Rivalry

The team had maintained a cross-town rivalry with the Vancouver-based University of British Columbia Thunderbirds as they are also the only two universities in British Columbia that field football teams. Since 1967, the two teams have competed in the Shrum Bowl, an annual game played at alternating venues with alternating rules. SFU holds a 17–16–1 series lead after winning in three consecutive years from 2008 to 2010 to claim the lead. Due to the two schools playing in two different leagues, the scheduling of these games has often been difficult, with no game being played from 2011 to 2021.[6] The Shrum Bowl was revived and played again on December 2, 2022, where UBC defeated SFU 18-17 under American rules.[7]

Season results

[8]

(*) In 2009, two victories were nullified because CWUAA accused SFU for having ineligible players in both games. However, SFU argued that they followed CWUAA's guidelines perfectly and that the player was eligible at the time of the accusation. The Manitoba Bisons also used an ineligible player in a Simon Fraser win, so the game was declared "no contest."

CIS playoff results

Red Leafs in the CFL

Since the program first began in 1965, Simon Fraser University has had the most first overall selections with five.[9] [10]

As of the start of the 2024 CFL season, five former SFU players were on CFL teams' rosters:

[11]

Red Leafs in the NFL

Former SFU wide receiver Victor Marshall was invited to the Seattle Seahawks rookie camp in May 2013 and earned a contract on May 13 to take part in Organized Team Activities and training camp as a tight end.[12] On July 30, 2013, the Seahawks released Marshall during training camp.[13]

On April 27, 2018, former SFU DE Nathan Shepherd was selected 72nd overall in the 2018 NFL draft by the New York Jets and made the 53-man roster out of training camp. As of the end of the 2023 NFL season, Shepherd was on the New Orleans Saints' roster.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: SFU first Canadian school in NCAA . Simon Fraser University . Simon Fraser University . July 10, 2009 . January 22, 2012.
  2. Three football teams to join LSC as affiliate members . Lone Star Conference . November 18, 2021 . July 10, 2022.
  3. https://www.si.com/college/2023/04/04/simon-fraser-drops-football-ncaa-canada "Simon Fraser, NCAA's Only Canadian Member School, Ends Football Program"
  4. Web site: SFU Athletics name change. SFU Athletics. August 12, 2020.
  5. Web site: SFU Announces New Varsity Team Name. SFU Athletics. September 6, 2022.
  6. Web site: Shrum Bowl called off for 2011 season . Josh Curran . The Ubyssey . August 30, 2011 . January 22, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120303033819/http://ubyssey.ca/sports/shrum-bowl-called-off-for-2011/ . March 3, 2012 .
  7. Web site: Shrum Bowl rebirth ends in Red Leaf 18-17 loss in front of 2,922 fans . . December 2, 2022.
  8. Web site: SFU Clan football Year by Year Record . December 14, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110517102031/http://athletics.sfu.ca/teams/football/yby/ . May 17, 2011 .
  9. Web site: 2021 CFL Draft Guide . . June 6, 2021.
  10. Web site: SFU CFL Draft . SFU Athletics . June 6, 2021.
  11. Web site: CFL players. Canadian Football League. June 15, 2024.
  12. http://www.seahawks.com/news/press/article-1/Seahawks-Make-Roster-Moves/b1ae3925-474c-4d1e-99da-168ff0bc85a3 Seahawks make roster moves
  13. http://www.seahawks.com/news/press/article-1/Seahawks-Make-Roster-Moves/f2ebc6eb-9913-4c48-81bd-8887a45487f7 Seahawks make roster moves