December 7, 2025

Dear President and Vice Chancellor Joy Johnson and Provost and Vice-President Academic Dilson Rassier,

We write this letter on behalf of SFU Track and Field Alumni to express our strong support to retain the indoor track and field program at SFU. We note that we were not contacted by SFU or the independent consultant at McLaren Global Sport Solutions to engage in the consultation process leading to the decision to leave the NCAA. Although we do not agree with this decision, retaining indoor track and field is the only option that aligns with the university’s commitment to “maintain a varsity athletics program that supports student athletes and creates opportunities for them to thrive”.

The experience as a student athlete is unique. We can reflect on our time as student athletes as extremely positive and have shaped who we are today.  We represented the university with pride and passion in a culture where high performance, discipline, respect and camaraderie were valued. We felt the athletics department and university were behind us to support this culture and values when we represented SFU. The recent decisions by the university have shifted our perspectives and will undeniably change the culture and legacy we experienced at SFU. 

Track and field is a low barrier to entry, inclusive sport that provides opportunities for long term development and a range of competitive opportunities. The SFU track and field program has consistently provided a high performance environment that has produced 176 national champions, 19 Olympians, and numerous national team members who have represented Canada at international competitions.This put the spotlight on SFU in the local and national community, generating positive media and reputation. The university age range (18-22) is a critical time in an athletes career for development. If indoor track and field is eliminated at SFU, an opportunity for young athletes to develop in the sport will be taken away.

Indoor track and field has always been an essential component of our competitive schedule and long term development. SFU has competed in a competitive indoor track and field schedule since the program's inception. SFU has produced 81 national indoor champions in the NAIA and NCAA, including athletes continuing on to represent Canada at the World Indoor Athletics Championships (Cameron Proceviat (Canadian indoor mile record, 2022), Lindsey Butterworth (world finalist 6th place, 2022), Alison Andrews-Paul (2025)), all without having an indoor track facility in the lower mainland.

A program without indoor or outdoor track and field is not a competitive model that supports development and will remove SFU as an opportunity for young student athletes to participate in the sport. Retaining cross country as the only team in athletics will make it near impossible to recruit the best athletes, as without the opportunity to compete in track and field at the university, they will choose to go elsewhere. The likelihood of the cross country team being competitive is therefore extremely unlikely.

We call on the university to retain the indoor track and field program at SFU. If removed, another student athlete population will be eliminated, and a 60 year legacy will be irreversibly impacted. As SFU continues on this path of damaging decisions, it will continue to lose the support of alumni, future students, and other connected community members. 

Sincerely,