SFU moves football games to U.S. due to vaccine requirements at border
B.C.'s Simon Fraser University will move four of its home football games across the border to Blaine, Wash. for the upcoming season due to COVID-19 entry requirements to Canada, the school announced Tuesday.
SFU plays at the Division II level and is the only Canadian school that is a member of the NCAA. Visitors entering either Canada or the United States are currently required to be fully vaccinated.
SFU's games against Texas A&M-Kingsville (Oct. 1), Western New Mexico (Oct. 22), Angelo State (Oct. 29) and West Texas A&M (Nov. 12) are being moved to the stadium in Blaine that has an artificial turf field and covered seating for 2,000.
"We are all looking forward to a time when the impact of the global pandemic will be behind us,” Simon Fraser athletic director Theresa Hanson said.
"This news is especially disappointing for our student-athletes, but we continue to support them and advocate for ways to ensure they can train and compete. We are looking forward to creating a home-field atmosphere in Blaine for these games."
SFU is a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference but for football is an affiliate member of the Lone Star Conference. Central Washington and Western Oregon are also GNAC members with affiliation in the Lone Star Conference for football.
Along with moving the four games across the border, SFU canceled a Sept. 10 non-conference game with Montana State-Northern. SFU will play one conference game at its on-campus home field on Sept. 17 against Central
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa police identify victim of Christmas Day homicide in Hintonburg, charge suspect
The Ottawa Police Service says the victim who has been killed on Christmas Day in Hintonburg has been identified.
Bird flu, measles top 2025 concerns for Canada's chief public health officer
As we enter 2025, Dr. Theresa Tam has her eye on H5N1 bird flu, an emerging virus that had its first human case in Canada this year.
Christmas shooting at Phoenix airport leaves 3 people wounded
Police are investigating a Christmas shooting at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix that left three people injured by gunfire.
Your kid is spending too much time on their phone. Here's what to do about it
Wondering what your teen is up to when you're not around? They are likely on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram or Snapchat, according to a new report.
Plush toys recalled due to choking hazard
Health Canada announced a recall on a series of plush toys due to a choking hazard. Anyone who has purchased an elephant, giraffe, lion, tiger and/or panda plush toy with an attached baby can return them to the place of purchase for a refund.
6,000 inmates stage Christmas Day escape from high-security Mozambique prison
At least 6,000 inmates escaped from a high-security prison in Mozambique's capital on Christmas Day after a rebellion, the country's police chief said, as widespread post-election riots and violence continue to engulf the country.
Azerbaijan observes day of mourning for air crash victims as speculation mount about its cause
Azerbaijan on Thursday observed a nationwide day of mourning for the victims of the plane crash that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured as speculation mounted about a possible cause of the disaster, with some experts saying that the airliner was damaged by Russian air defence fire.
Donald Trump says he urged Wayne Gretzky to run for prime minister in Christmas visit
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump says he told Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky he should run for prime minister during a Christmas visit but adds that the athlete declined interest in politics.
Prayers and tears mark 20 years since the Indian Ocean tsunami that killed some 230,000 people
People gathered in prayer and visited mass graves in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Thursday to mark 20 years since the massive Indian Ocean tsunami hit the region in one of modern history’s worst natural disasters.