© Copyright – 2025 – Athletics Illustrated
In 870 AD, Saint Æbbe the Younger, an Abbess of Coldingham Priory, coined the aphorism, “He cut off his nose, to spite his face.” Whether metaphorical or not, we know the Scots were brave, but that one was out there.
So go two Canadian universities: McGill University in Montreal, Quebec and Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia.
McGill has decided to cut the athletics program and several other sports to save money. Athletics has been around the school for 125 years.
One may wonder what the eraserheads at Desautels Faculty of Management, especially those who teach a PhD program in a research-oriented program designed to prepare students for academic careers, think of hiring Deloitte to do an audit to the published number of $29.782 million. Or how much it may have cost to have KPMG for another audit on the sports program, a dollar figure not publicly available? I was likely not cheap. In total, McGill is looking to save $45 million from its 2025-26 budget to manage operating deficits.
One way the university could have saved money is by not spending the alleged tens of millions on audits.
The university will also increase tuition fees.
“To be successful in track and field, we would have to probably make a pretty significant financial commitment to them to give them some tools to compete at the next level. And part of the evaluation was, well, can we finance them to the point where we think they can be successful,” Perry Karnofsky, McGill’s director of services, told the Montreal Gazette.
Athletics Canada is not happy about this.
The national governing body published the following open letter: “Athletics Canada is extremely disappointed and dismayed by the decision of McGill University to cut its track and field program in 2026. The impact is beyond one university program. It affects all Canadian track and field, athlete development, and access to top-level competition and training facilities in Quebec, and across the country.”
As it turns out, the Scots, to protect their chastity against the invading Vikings, disfigured themselves. Shades of the Russians’ Scorched Earth Policy against the advancing Napoleonic Army. Saying that, McGill’s is not known for its history program.
Meanwhile, Simon Fraser University has announced that the institution is applying to rejoin U Sport. If approved, the school will cut several sports programs, including athletics.
Perhaps they should not be approved to join the league.
SFU was in the NCAA for 15 years.
U Sport should require SFU to maintain its teams if it wants to join U Sport and Canada West programs.
Meanwhile, the Vikings had their way with the Scottish women despite their disfigurement.
