The Simon Fraser Clan football team has represented Simon Fraser University since the athletic department's inception in 1965. The Clan played by American rules while they competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics from 1965 to 2001 against other American teams. Along with other SFU teams, the football program transferred to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport and thereby switched to playing Canadian football against Canadian University teams in 2002. While playing in the CIS, SFU won their first and only Hardy Trophy conference championship in 2003 while qualifying for the playoffs twice. After playing eight seasons in the Canada West Conference of the CIS, the Clan football team began competing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference of NCAA Division II in 2010.