The rules of the game have suddenly changed for UNBC athletics, but the school's bid to join the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) is still very much alive.
Wednesday afternoon in Saskatoon the Canada West Universities Athletic Association decided to defer for until June a vote on UNBC's application to become part of Canada West.
UNBC had proposed joining the CIS in basketball in 2012 and in soccer in 2014, but earlier this week Canada West altered its membership rules and now requires each member school to compete in at least two different sports.
"It's a little disappointing, but at the same time it's been a three-year process now and one more month to wait an find out the fate of this application is not too much longer to wait," said Jason Kerswill, UNBC's athletics and recreation director. "Obviously it would have been great to get an answer [Wednesday].
"The motion that was put forward had our basketball teams moving forward in 2012 and our soccer teams moving forward in 2014. At the meetings as late as [Wednesday] they changed some of the membership criteria for Canada West. In light of those changes, the motion the executive put forward would have been in noncompliance with those changes that require any new institution move forward with two sports at the same time."
Kerswill has informed Canada West officials UNBC will be prepared to bump up its men's and women's soccer programs for 2012, and have them ready for the CIS that year, along with its two basketball teams.
Canada West will vote on UNBC membership status at the CIS annual general meeting in Victoria, June 6-9. Approval of 10 of the 13 voting members is needed for UNBC's bid to be accepted.
Canada West has requested more information from UNBC, which Kerswill says is simply a matter of rewriting the bid proposal to include soccer along with basketball to begin play as CIS probationary teams in 2012.
"I'd love to say it's just a formality, but at the same time, we've put forth strong proposals a couple of times to Canada West and we've been turned down once and the vote's been put off twice," said Kerswill. "There's part of me wondering if this is just delaying a 'no' vote, but I'm confident with what we're putting forward we'll be in a good spot in June."
Kerswill said the money is available to accelerate UNBC's plans for its soccer teams. UNBC had wanted more time to follow through on its plan to hire full-time coaches and free up more scholarship money and travel funding. That process will have to be stepped up if Canada West approves UNBC next month.
Canada West approved Mount Royal University in Calgary as a member school in four sports -- basketball, volleyball, soccer and hockey.
Canada West has yet to decide whether to form a second tier for its teams that would group smaller schools like Mount Royal, University of the Fraser Valley and Thompson Rivers University in a division separate from the major programs at UBC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
"A tiering system within Canada West would be beneficial to the smaller and newer institutions in terms of being competitive right off the bat," said Kerswill.
CIS-UNBC timeline
2002 -- UNBC begins internal discussions to prepare a bid to join the Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
July 2008 -- UNBC submits 60-page bid package along with a $10,000 application fee to the Canada West Universities Athletic Association to move the Northern Timberwolves basketball from the B.C. Colleges Athletic Association into the CIS.
November 2008 -- Canada West selection committee tours city athletics facilities and meets with UNBC coaches and staff.
May 2009 -- Canada West decides vote on UNBC's CIS application will be put off for one year.
May 2010 -- Canada West rejects UNBC bid, citing concerns over UNBC's failure to fill the position of athletics director, the cost of travel the city for its member teams, and the fact UNBC was applying for limited CIS entry for only one sport (basketball).
December 2010 -- Canada West allows UNBC to resubmit its application, a proposal to join CIS in men's and women's basketball in 2012 and in men's and women's soccer in 2014.
May 2011 -- Canada West selection committee approves CIS bid from Mount Royal University in Calgary, puts off a decision on UNBC for one month due to a recent policy change requiring that Canada West membership schools compete in at least two sports.
June 2011 -- Canada West announces it will vote on UNBC application at CIS meetings in Victoria.
CANADA WEST LINEUP
Schools in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association, which is part of Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
UBC (Vancouver), UVic (Victoria), Simon Fraser University (Burnaby), University of the Fraser Valley (Abbotsford), Trinity Western University (Langley), Thompson Rivers University (Kamloops), University of Calgary, University of Alberta (Edmonton), University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon), University of Lethbridge, Brandon University, University of Regina, University of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba (Winnipeg), UBC -Okanagan (Kelowna -- to begin play in September), Mount Royal University (Calgary -- to begin competition in 2012).
