Thursday, May 06, 2004

Contact: Mark B. Kosak

University College of the Fraser Valley

Director of Athletics

Phone: 604-854-4583

Email: mark.kosak@ucfv.ca

UCFV teams to compete against other universities

Abbotsford – The Canada West Universities Athletic Association announced late Wednesday afternoon that it has conditionally accepted the University College of the Fraser Valley as a probationary member commencing with the 2006-07 athletic season.

A final presentation was made by a UCFV delegation at the Canada West annual general meetings earlier in the day, and the membership voted to accept UCFV as its fourteenth member.

Once membership is final, UCFV’s men’s and women’s basketball and soccer teams will compete against athletes from UVic, UBC, SFU, TWU, and the Universities of Alberta, Calgary, Lethbridge, Regina, Saskatchewan, Brandon, Winnipeg, and Manitoba. Currently, the UCFV Cascades compete in the BC Colleges Athletic Association (BCCAA) against two-year community colleges and university colleges.

UCFV has been looking forward to this announcement for some time.

“It was a demanding process and right now we are both relieved and extremely pleased that our application has been accepted,” says UCFV director of athletics Mark Kosak.

“This decision sets a course for the future of our athletics program that will have a positive impact on the profile and perception of the entire institution. Fraser Valley sports fans can look forward to big-time university athletics right here in their own backyard,” says Kosak.

UCFV began looking into Canada West membership in 2002 and submitted its formal application this past January. Next year, UCFV will report to Canada West on the progress of its preparations to meet all of the requirements of Canada West and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) membership so it can begin competition in the fall of 2006.

The University College of the Cariboo in Kamloops was in the same position last May and, following their presentation to Canada West this week, has now been officially approved to begin competing in Canada West basketball and soccer in the fall of 2005.

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