LACOMBE, AB – In the 2016-2017 academic year, the Athletics Department of Burman University once again submitted an application for membership to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) on behalf of the men’s and women’s basketball teams.
“Students, faculty, staff, and community members enjoy watching our athletic teams play and compete against teams of the same caliber,” says Stacy Hunter, Vice President for Student Services. “With no other college athletic conferences in Alberta, we were determined to get our 5-time Alberta Colleges Athletic League (ACAL) champion men’s team, as well as our women’s team, into ACAC.”
On May 17, the ACAC Conference Council rejected Burman University’s application for a second time based on “scheduling limitations insisted by Burman University” (ACAC Conference Council Letter of Decision). The scheduling limitations are a result of the Seventh-day Adventist University’s belief to keep Friday sundown to Saturday sundown as the Sabbath.
“We were aware of the possible conflict between our religious beliefs and the current schedule of ACAC games,” says Ron Schafer, Athletics Director. “We proposed an alternate schedule that we believed was a reasonable compromise for everyone, but the members of ACAC did not agree.”
The administration of Burman University, in collaboration with the Athletics Department, will now consider possible next steps for the University’s athletics program in light of this recent development.
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Burman University, located in Central Alberta, is the only Seventh-day Adventist university in Canada. The university offers more than 20 accredited undergraduate degree programs for post-secondary education.
Inquiries:
pr@burmanu.ca