Across 15 different sports, McGill University is set to cut 25 clubs and varsity sports when the 2025-26 season comes to an end. The announcement came on Nov. 23, after U Sports and the university agreed to the cuts in a discussion about the programs and their effect on the school’s budget. Perry Kanofsky, McGill’s Director of Services, Wellness Programs and Facility Operations and Daniel Méthot, Director of Varsity Sports, both cited the university’s financial plan as the reason for the cancellations.
“After an audit conducted by McGill’s Internal Audit unit in 2024 and an independent external review in 2025, it became clear that our current structure was no longer sustainable,” said Karnofsky and Méthot.
Athletes around the school were caught off guard by the announcement, saying there was no warning about any of the cuts.
Matthew Randall, a member of McGill’s Nordic ski team, told the CBC that athletes “haven’t really been given a lot of transparency. We don’t really know the facts and how teams were really compared.”
Several McGill sports programs have rich histories dating back decades, with both the men’s and women’s track and men’s rugby being amongst the most successful in their current era.
Anjali Dhillon of McGill’s women’s rugby team spoke to a CBC reporter, expressing her frustrations on the matter from the perspective of a student athlete.
“I’m not surprised. It was really heartbreaking, especially since I feel like it’s such a big part of my life,” Dhillon said.
It’s not only the school’s athletes who are disappointed, as professionals are also speaking out against the decision, including Canadian icon Andre De Grasse. The veteran sprinter commented on the matter, giving his condolences to the track athletes at the Quebec university.
“Woke up to this sad news. Really frustrated for the entire team, the coaches and all the alumni of the McGill track and field program,” De Grasse said.
It wasn’t just a lack of funding or financial setbacks, but the standard to maintain the high-quality programs wouldn’t be possible if the school decided to proceed with running the programs.
Financially, the school sits in a rough spot. It’s in a 15-million-dollar budget shortfall, having cut 100 jobs in response. They plan to cut more amidst a rising concern for the future. Unlike the U.S. — where NCAA sports can bring in revenue to their programs — Canadian university athletics tend to drain resources rather than bring them in.
There are two sides to this dilemma. One is facing the financial crisis and going through with the cuts. The other, more moral side, is finding a solution that keeps the teams around. No matter which side you agree with, both have their advantages.
Former Team Canada 4×100 relay gold medalist and Canadian track and field legend, Bruny Surin, was asked about the changes and responded in uproar with the school’s decision. He believes that the athletes and the school deserve so much better, regardless of money issues.
“It’s a heritage [McGill]. Even though there’s financial struggles, I believe that there’s a solution […] I had a chance to train a lot at McGill, I know the program. It’s not only the athletics, it’s all the sports, it’s the community.”
Since the federal government cut down on the number of foreign student visas allowed in the country, the province of Ontario has seen numerous schools face some of the consequences. This domino effect will eliminate jobs in McGill’s athletic department, removing hundreds from their work.
This decision is not only a hit to McGill student-athletes, but also a sign of what could come for other Canadian universities. Club and intramural funding have slowly declined over the past year, forcing programs to increase their entry price to play.