More cuts to SFU sports with dismissal of marketing and communications team

The athletics and recreation department at Simon Fraser Universityhas shrunk once again with the dismissal of all three people on the marketing and communications team, along with a fourth person high up in the recreation department, CBC has confirmed.

Longtime marketing and communications associate director Steve Frost, and managers of communications Wilson Wong and Jacob Lazare, were informed their jobs had been eliminated in an email and Zoom call Tuesday.

The cuts followSFU president Joy Johnson'ssudden and controversial decision last year to eliminate the school's football team.

Theend of the 57-year-old program came as a complete surprise to the dozens of football student athletes, staff and supporters, sparking heavy criticism, a lawsuit and a high-profile fundraising campaign aimed at keeping the program alive.

Senior athletics director Theresa Hanson stepped down in August of last year and has not been replaced.

A report commissioned by the school amid the blowback found that SFU Athletics and Recreation was facing an operationaldeficit of $1.7 million this year.

In an emailed statement, SFUconfirmed that budget challenges were a consideration in the job cuts.

"We can confirm thatsome roles were eliminated as this work can be supported through other areas of the organization," said the statement.

With the elimination of football, SFUnow has teams competing in eight different sports under the U.S.-based National Collegiate Athletics Association.

"There is no change in SFU's commitment to the NCAA at this time, and the university will continue to fulfil NCAA game requirements," said the statement.