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鈥檚 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鈥檚 U Sports conference because the process to join was 鈥渋ncredibly complex鈥�.
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. Meanwhile, the Canadian football community has rallied around the student-athletes.
B.C. Lions owner Amar 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."
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Amar Doman on the latest response in the fight to
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In that spirit, . He explained he chose SFU for football, but also to focus his studies on criminology. His great grandfather, Dr. H. Ward Smith, was a pioneer in the field of forensic research and was one of the first directors of forensic sciences in Canada.
Davenport wrote that it will be extremely challenging to transfer his football scholarship to another school.
鈥淲ithout the scholarship, it will be extremely difficult for me to pay for SFU,鈥� he stated. 鈥淲ith me finishing school in the next couple of semesters, transferring to a new school would be difficult. Some of my credits will not transfer which would result in extending the time to complete my degree, putting me into further debt. This is not affordable for me.鈥�
He said all the uncertainty has also taken a toll on his mental health.
鈥淲ith the continued uncertainty, this process has absolutely destroyed my mental health,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is hard not to be frustrated because of the news.鈥�
Davenport re-iterated that this decision by SFU could potentially drastically alter his life and urged Johnson to reconsider.
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Davenport stated he has not yet heard back from Johnson.
The court hearing began on Monday (May 1) and a decision is expected on or around May 5.
