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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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O Canada!
Division II looks north of the border for potential members
Division II looks north of the border for potential members
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By Gary T. Brown
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
When the NCAA Executive Committee made it possible last year for Canadian institutions to consider joining the Association, Division II applauded loudest by being the only division to propose legislation that would allow for schools north of the border to become members as early as 2011.
It made sense for a division seeking new members — particularly in the western region — and for a division accustomed to being on the cutting edge of policy, as it has been recently with amateurism deregulation, strategic positioning and community engagement.
While Division II has its arms open, the reaction from the handful of interested Canadian schools has been more guarded to protect their relationships with current conferences and organizations. One institution that has been more forthcoming than others is British Columbia-based Simon Fraser University, though officials there acknowledge a common-sense need for caution as well.
Canadian colleagues might forgive Simon Fraser’s interest in NCAA membership. When the university named for the famous Scottish explorer opened its doors in 1965, the chancellor at the time wanted his athletics programs to play exclusively in the states. Since then, Simon Fraser has kept both countries happy as members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
“NCAA membership is a decision that must be made carefully because it has so many ramifications,” said Simon Fraser’s Diane St-Denis. “We are sensitive to the fact that any departure — particularly if several Canadian schools were to move — affects other people and organizations.”
It isn’t the first time Simon Fraser has considered Division II, either. The school appeared ready to join Division II at the 1998 NCAA Convention until the proposal was ruled out of order because it applied to a single division rather than Association-wide.
Simon Fraser sought NCAA membership at the time because some of its key rivals, including Seattle Pacific University and Western Washington University, were leaving the NAIA for Division II. Simon Fraser subsequently could not find a league in the NAIA in which to continue volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, and football. Facing the difficulty of trying to be an independent in those sports, the school moved its programs to Canada, where Canada West colleagues were gracious enough to help. Thus, Simon Fraser currently plays basketball, volleyball and football in Canada, and soccer, swimming, track and softball in the NAIA The wrestling program competes in both countries (because the sport is conducted differently in each).
Canadian members and NAIA members also would have trouble arguing Simon Fraser’s fit with NCAA Division II. St-Denis, who is serving as the school’s interim AD while officials seek to replace the retired Wilf Wedmann, said Simon Fraser athletics has been true to a Division II-type philosophy since the school’s founding. The review about whether to join the NCAA has served only to reaffirm that standing.
“There is a natural fit with Division II,” St-Denis said. “I’ve been brushing up on my strategic-positioning platform, and at its core, it is about the balance among community, academics and athletics. The phase we are in right now of searching for an athletics director and assessing whether to pursue NCAA membership, we find ourselves reaffirming that there is a fit between us and the NCAA. The Division II strategic-positioning document tells us that from a philosophical perspective.
“We believe in community, academics and athletics. We tell our student-athletes to be students first and be important in their communities. You could be a team’s top scorer, but if you can’t contribute to your community, you’re not a member of our team. We’ve had to part ways with people over that concept. We are unwavering in that regard.”
What Division II can do
St-Denis said Simon Fraser won’t decide its Division II interest until the department-wide review is completed, perhaps not for another month or two. But she did say that if the school pursues Division II membership, it will do so the right way.
“When we were examining this in the 1990s, we realized then that our institution philosophically was similar to the NCAA,” she said. “The NAIA has a similar approach as Division II, so we have just stayed with that. It allows us to position athletics within the institution as being part of the educational experience. It’s one thing to get a degree; it’s another to learn life skills that will help you apply that degree. That’s been part of our fabric, and it’s great that it fits with what Division II is all about.”
Though Simon Fraser may fit with the NAIA, Canadian Interuniversity Sport and the NCAA, the latter’s brand appeals to school officials.
“Everyone knows what the NCAA stands for, which is great athletics,” St-Denis said. “That’s powerful because it reaches beyond the border. From a philosophical point of view, we want to be associated with an association that can provide us with great opportunities for our student-athletes on the fields and courts, in the classroom and in their communities.”
St-Denis said the recognition the NCAA brings would allow Simon Fraser to tap new markets. She also noted an opportunity to provide student-athletes “a different type of athletics experience.”
“Some people ask if that means the competition is better within the NCAA. Not necessarily,” she said. “Every athletics association has some programs that are excellent, some in the middle and some not as good. We’re not passing judgment on our Canadian colleagues; we just want to offer a different experience.”
She said Division II membership also would allow Simon Fraser to award athletics-based aid, which is not allowed in Canada. Schools there can offer a student only tuition and fees, and only to a certain number of students on a team. St-Denis said that leads to some of the country’s best students — and athletes — going to the states. Some of them leave for the athletics programs, while others go for the scholarships they receive.
What Canada can do
Not everything is clear-cut, though. Simon Fraser risks a media hit with a move to the NCAA. St-Denis said for example that the school’s teams appear regularly on national Canadian broadcasts. As an NCAA member, that exposure might be on a more regional basis, though Division II through its partnership with CSTV is beginning to offer more national games. St-Denis also said that most Canadian viewers have access to American channels, which could mitigate the transitional TV pains.
Print media in Vancouver and elsewhere also likely would follow Simon Fraser across the border, St-Denis said, especially since Canadian newspapers already are used to following Canadian student-athletes who play at American institutions. The appeal of the NCAA brand also would attract attention, she said.
As much as affiliation with the NCAA could help the right Canadian school, the rewards could be reciprocal. It’s a new market for the NCAA, St-Denis said, one that offers an international flavor and adds to an already diverse Division II. Even now, she said, when American teams travel to Vancouver they get more than a competitive game from Simon Fraser. They also receive tours and an education about the country’s culture.
Canada also offers Division II the chance to tap into a membership that already understands the division’s strategic-positioning platform. Division II Membership Committee Chair Jim Johnson said that’s what caught his attention when several Canadian schools presented to the committee this summer.
“What impressed me most was their understanding of the NCAA and their knowledge of administering athletics in a way that is similar to how we do it in Division II,” said Johnson, commissioner of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. “You got the feeling they already were a lot like many of our Division II schools.”
St-Denis said she’s not surprised by that reaction, since over time Simon Fraser has become known for producing Olympians, Rhodes Scholars and key community members — just like NCAA schools do.
“If we do decide to pursue this path, we wouldn’t simply want to be participants in Division II,” she said. “We would want to contribute to Division II.”
Simon Fraser quick facts
Location: Burnaby, British Columbia (satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey)
Founded: 1965
Enrollment: 18,500
Nickname: The Clan
Colors: Red, blue, white
Men’s sports: Basketball, cross country, football, soccer, swimming and diving, track and field, wrestling
Women’s sports: Basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, track and field, volleyball
Athletics Web site: www.sfu.ca/athletics/
About The Clan
The university is named for a North American-born explorer of Scottish ancestry who helped open the Canadian west to world trade. The university has focused on maintaining Simon Fraser’s Scottish heritage. “Our original uniforms had tartan colors on them,” said Athletics Director Diane St-Denis. “Our athletics nickname, ‘Clan,’ is the Scottish word for family. We believe we are a family, in line with the meaning of clan. And it’s not just our teams — as a university, we are a large family that works together for a common goal. We support each other and we push that family theme in all we do as a university.”
Simon Fraser’s athletics facilities include new field turf at Terry Fox Field and the new West Gym complex. The school offers seven sports each for men and women.
It made sense for a division seeking new members — particularly in the western region — and for a division accustomed to being on the cutting edge of policy, as it has been recently with amateurism deregulation, strategic positioning and community engagement.
While Division II has its arms open, the reaction from the handful of interested Canadian schools has been more guarded to protect their relationships with current conferences and organizations. One institution that has been more forthcoming than others is British Columbia-based Simon Fraser University, though officials there acknowledge a common-sense need for caution as well.
Canadian colleagues might forgive Simon Fraser’s interest in NCAA membership. When the university named for the famous Scottish explorer opened its doors in 1965, the chancellor at the time wanted his athletics programs to play exclusively in the states. Since then, Simon Fraser has kept both countries happy as members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
“NCAA membership is a decision that must be made carefully because it has so many ramifications,” said Simon Fraser’s Diane St-Denis. “We are sensitive to the fact that any departure — particularly if several Canadian schools were to move — affects other people and organizations.”
It isn’t the first time Simon Fraser has considered Division II, either. The school appeared ready to join Division II at the 1998 NCAA Convention until the proposal was ruled out of order because it applied to a single division rather than Association-wide.
Simon Fraser sought NCAA membership at the time because some of its key rivals, including Seattle Pacific University and Western Washington University, were leaving the NAIA for Division II. Simon Fraser subsequently could not find a league in the NAIA in which to continue volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, and football. Facing the difficulty of trying to be an independent in those sports, the school moved its programs to Canada, where Canada West colleagues were gracious enough to help. Thus, Simon Fraser currently plays basketball, volleyball and football in Canada, and soccer, swimming, track and softball in the NAIA The wrestling program competes in both countries (because the sport is conducted differently in each).
Canadian members and NAIA members also would have trouble arguing Simon Fraser’s fit with NCAA Division II. St-Denis, who is serving as the school’s interim AD while officials seek to replace the retired Wilf Wedmann, said Simon Fraser athletics has been true to a Division II-type philosophy since the school’s founding. The review about whether to join the NCAA has served only to reaffirm that standing.
“There is a natural fit with Division II,” St-Denis said. “I’ve been brushing up on my strategic-positioning platform, and at its core, it is about the balance among community, academics and athletics. The phase we are in right now of searching for an athletics director and assessing whether to pursue NCAA membership, we find ourselves reaffirming that there is a fit between us and the NCAA. The Division II strategic-positioning document tells us that from a philosophical perspective.
“We believe in community, academics and athletics. We tell our student-athletes to be students first and be important in their communities. You could be a team’s top scorer, but if you can’t contribute to your community, you’re not a member of our team. We’ve had to part ways with people over that concept. We are unwavering in that regard.”
What Division II can do
St-Denis said Simon Fraser won’t decide its Division II interest until the department-wide review is completed, perhaps not for another month or two. But she did say that if the school pursues Division II membership, it will do so the right way.
“When we were examining this in the 1990s, we realized then that our institution philosophically was similar to the NCAA,” she said. “The NAIA has a similar approach as Division II, so we have just stayed with that. It allows us to position athletics within the institution as being part of the educational experience. It’s one thing to get a degree; it’s another to learn life skills that will help you apply that degree. That’s been part of our fabric, and it’s great that it fits with what Division II is all about.”
Though Simon Fraser may fit with the NAIA, Canadian Interuniversity Sport and the NCAA, the latter’s brand appeals to school officials.
“Everyone knows what the NCAA stands for, which is great athletics,” St-Denis said. “That’s powerful because it reaches beyond the border. From a philosophical point of view, we want to be associated with an association that can provide us with great opportunities for our student-athletes on the fields and courts, in the classroom and in their communities.”
St-Denis said the recognition the NCAA brings would allow Simon Fraser to tap new markets. She also noted an opportunity to provide student-athletes “a different type of athletics experience.”
“Some people ask if that means the competition is better within the NCAA. Not necessarily,” she said. “Every athletics association has some programs that are excellent, some in the middle and some not as good. We’re not passing judgment on our Canadian colleagues; we just want to offer a different experience.”
She said Division II membership also would allow Simon Fraser to award athletics-based aid, which is not allowed in Canada. Schools there can offer a student only tuition and fees, and only to a certain number of students on a team. St-Denis said that leads to some of the country’s best students — and athletes — going to the states. Some of them leave for the athletics programs, while others go for the scholarships they receive.
What Canada can do
Not everything is clear-cut, though. Simon Fraser risks a media hit with a move to the NCAA. St-Denis said for example that the school’s teams appear regularly on national Canadian broadcasts. As an NCAA member, that exposure might be on a more regional basis, though Division II through its partnership with CSTV is beginning to offer more national games. St-Denis also said that most Canadian viewers have access to American channels, which could mitigate the transitional TV pains.
Print media in Vancouver and elsewhere also likely would follow Simon Fraser across the border, St-Denis said, especially since Canadian newspapers already are used to following Canadian student-athletes who play at American institutions. The appeal of the NCAA brand also would attract attention, she said.
As much as affiliation with the NCAA could help the right Canadian school, the rewards could be reciprocal. It’s a new market for the NCAA, St-Denis said, one that offers an international flavor and adds to an already diverse Division II. Even now, she said, when American teams travel to Vancouver they get more than a competitive game from Simon Fraser. They also receive tours and an education about the country’s culture.
Canada also offers Division II the chance to tap into a membership that already understands the division’s strategic-positioning platform. Division II Membership Committee Chair Jim Johnson said that’s what caught his attention when several Canadian schools presented to the committee this summer.
“What impressed me most was their understanding of the NCAA and their knowledge of administering athletics in a way that is similar to how we do it in Division II,” said Johnson, commissioner of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. “You got the feeling they already were a lot like many of our Division II schools.”
St-Denis said she’s not surprised by that reaction, since over time Simon Fraser has become known for producing Olympians, Rhodes Scholars and key community members — just like NCAA schools do.
“If we do decide to pursue this path, we wouldn’t simply want to be participants in Division II,” she said. “We would want to contribute to Division II.”
Simon Fraser quick facts
Location: Burnaby, British Columbia (satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey)
Founded: 1965
Enrollment: 18,500
Nickname: The Clan
Colors: Red, blue, white
Men’s sports: Basketball, cross country, football, soccer, swimming and diving, track and field, wrestling
Women’s sports: Basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, track and field, volleyball
Athletics Web site: www.sfu.ca/athletics/
About The Clan
The university is named for a North American-born explorer of Scottish ancestry who helped open the Canadian west to world trade. The university has focused on maintaining Simon Fraser’s Scottish heritage. “Our original uniforms had tartan colors on them,” said Athletics Director Diane St-Denis. “Our athletics nickname, ‘Clan,’ is the Scottish word for family. We believe we are a family, in line with the meaning of clan. And it’s not just our teams — as a university, we are a large family that works together for a common goal. We support each other and we push that family theme in all we do as a university.”
Simon Fraser’s athletics facilities include new field turf at Terry Fox Field and the new West Gym complex. The school offers seven sports each for men and women.
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