The fight to save McGill University’s track and field program
Derek Covington, head of Friends of McGill Track and Field, shares the important role of the university team in the Canadian athletics landscape
On Nov. 20, McGill University announced devastating budget cuts to its athletics programs and the dissolution of 25 varsity and competitive club sports, effective next year. The men’s and women’s track and field programs, which have existed on campus for more than a century, were on that list.
The decision to cut the track and field program at one of Canada’s oldest and most prestigious universities has quickly drawn the condemnation of the broader Canadian athletics community, while raising concerns about the viability of similar programs across the country. A petition to save the program has already garnered more than 11,000 signatures.
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Joining the show today is Derek Covington, head of Friends of McGill Track & Field, high performance director of Athlétisme Québec and McGill Athletics alumnus, where he was a multi-time All-Canadian on the track. Derek highlights the critical role that McGill’s track team has played as a development pathway for Canadian athletics talent, its importance to the broader track and field community in Montreal and what McGill’s decision means for the state of amateur athletics across the country.
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