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CIS committee shown the strong side of UNBC, and this community |
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Written by Citizen Staff
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Tuesday, 18 November 2008 |
GRADE POINT COLUMN, by JASON PETERS, Citizen staff
The University of Northern British Columbia made its case.
So did the community of Prince George as a whole.
To convince the Canada West Universities Athletic Association to welcome UNBC into the basketball fold in 2010, everything that could have been done, was done.
Now it's up to Canada West.
Does it want UNBC, or doesn't it?
Canada West officials were in Prince George for a Friday facilities tour, meetings and interviews. They also attended the home-opening basketball games of the UNBC men's and women's teams.
As a facility for basketball, the Northern Sport Centre was recognized by CWUAA president Clint Hamilton as state-of-the-art.
In meetings, Hamilton and fellow Canada West committee members Dick White, Sandy Slavin and Coleen Dufresne received assurances from UNBC president Dr. Charles Jago that the institution is completely committed -- financially and otherwise -- to moving into Canada West.
In interviews with UNBC coaches and support staff, Hamilton and company were shown that all the pieces will be in place for successful entry into Canada West.
And then, to top things off, roughly 1,400 Prince George sports fans showed up at the Sport Centre for those Friday night games. That size of a crowd would rival or surpass any that will watch Canada West basketball this season.
The biggest issue related to UNBC's possible Canada West future is one that Prince George residents cannot control.
This city's location on the map.
Accepting UNBC would mean Canada West basketball teams will also accept the extra time and cost involved in traveling here. However, the point was made during Friday meetings that for teams flying from Manitoba, for example, a trip to Prince George is really no different than a trip to Victoria -- or to Nanaimo or Kelowna, for that matter. Those latter two cities have schools (Vancouver Island University and UBC Okanagan) that are also trying to gain Canada West membership for 2010.
A team starting its journey in Winnipeg would have to first land in Calgary or Vancouver before carrying on to the final destination -- whether that be Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna or Prince George. So, no real difference in terms of travel arrangements.
Strangely, if there is opposition within Canada West to adding Prince George to the travel schedule, it could come from right here in B.C. For schools like UVic, UBC and SFU, a flight to P.G. not only means extra cash out of the budget, it means veering off a well-worn, southern path.
And hey, fair or not, southern teams simply don't like trips to the north, where it's always cold and nasty.
A wildcard in all of this is the fact UBC and SFU may not be part of Canada West much longer. The possibility exists they could be competing in Division 2 of the NCAA as early as next September.
"We understand that both Simon Fraser and UBC are in consultation processes now on their campuses to determine whether or not they are going to apply (to the NCAA)," Hamilton said.
"We will be waiting to see what steps they're going to take in terms of formal applications to the NCAA."
For UNBC, the next chapter in this story will unfold in February when it will get the chance to make one last pitch to Canada West. Part of that pitch should be a reminder that when the UNBC women's basketball team played in the provincial championship game last March at the Northern Sport Centre, the crowd in attendance was the largest one to watch a women's basketball game in Canada last year.
Can Canada West turn its back on such obvious fan interest? Let's hope not.
The CWUAA will hold its annual general meeting in Winnipeg in May. At the meeting, league members will vote for acceptance or rejection of the UNBC, VIU and UBC-O bids. Votes will also be held to determine the fate of two other probationary members, Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops and the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford.
So, six months from now, we'll know.
Does Canada West want UNBC, or doesn't it? Right now, the odds are split right down the middle.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 18 November 2008 )
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