A couple days ago, I asked my community what the most unique school in college football history was. I got a few good answers, and some people were keyed in to the direction I was headed in---the Simon Fraser Red Leafs, who were, so far, the only Canadian school to ever join the NCAA for any level of athletics.
Simon Fraser doesn't have a long history, having just started their athletics programs in 1965. And they definitely don't have a very fruitful history, either---at least in the measure of other universities' successes. But they are definitely one of the most unique, and for the short time they were an NCAA member from 2011 to 2022, they left an indelible mark on the league and its future.
Today, I examine the past of the Simon Fraser football program, and look into the team that made it possible for potential future schools, like Toronto or British Columbia, to finish their story at the NCAA's division one.