Canadian Soccer League de-sanctioning leaves student-athletes questioning options

By David Rowaan

The Canadian Soccer League (CSL) is planning to kick off their 2013 season in April, in spite of a recent storm of bad press that has culminated in the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) informing the league that they would not be sanctioned this year.

Without the sanctioning of the CSA, the league would not be able to operate as a recognized competition and would have to operate on a rogue basis, which could result in sanctions for clubs and officials who continue to associate themselves with the CSL.

The league has been brash in its response to the CSA’s letter informing them that they would no longer be sanctioned, stating that they will take whatever action is necessary to overturn the decision to de-sanction.

For those not familiar with the situation surrounding the CSL, the league has been caught in the middle of a match-fixing scandal in recent months, but has denied the existence of any issue in the face of in-depth reports by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.  The league has acknowledged one instance of match fixing, but calls the CBC’s reports erroneous and insists that they only know of one game that has been fixed.

The league has also faced issues with clubs failing to reach the standards set for a division three league by the CSA, as the majority of clubs involved have refused to open their financials to the governing body to prove that they are paying players and staff the required amounts.

There is also the recent Easton Report that was commissioned by the CSA and concluded that a regionally based Under-23 league would be the best option for Canada to focus on going forward.  The CSL was interested in being part of such a project, but with all of the league’s issues it seems the CSA would rather start from scratch than build upon the existing league structure of the CSL.

In spite of all of that, the league plans to go ahead with their season as scheduled — based on a technicality with the actions of the CSA. The CSA made the decision to remove the league’s sanctioning at a Board of Directors meeting, but sources inside the league claim that according to the CSA’s own bylaws, such a decision can only be made with a 75 percent majority vote and the annual general meeting.

The league continues to play on and the CSA has no intentions of sanctioning. But the ones caught in the middle are the players who are now unsure about their options for the upcoming season. A lot of the league’s players also play in colleges and universities and should be concerned that playing in an unsanctioned league could harm their future eligibility.

SoccerWire.com reached out to representatives of both the Ontario College Athletic Association (OCAA) and Ontario University Athletics (OUA) for comment regarding student-athletes competing in the CSL, should the league go ahead without sanctioning.

The response from an OCAA official was that they were aware of the events surrounding the league and would monitor them but would not make an official comment on the matter until the final fate of the CSL is known.

The stance from an OUA official was slightly more clear as they indicated there are presently no eligibility issues with participating in the CSL. As it stands the OUA only prevents athletes from taking part in leagues that are considered to be professional. Within North America that is limited to Major League Soccer, the second-tier North American Soccer League, and the United Soccer Leagues’ PRO (third division).  Their rules also deem any league outside of Canada or the United States to be professional when it comes to eligibility.

Based on the current OUA and CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) rules, participation in the CSL should continue to be allowed in the coming year unless they feel that the situation merits a change to the association rules. Pat Nearing, CIS Men’s Soccer Coaches Association President, does not anticipate that happening.

With both governing bodies watching the situation closely to see how it unfolds, it seems like players who want to ensure they maintain their college or university eligibility start looking for other playing options for the upcoming season.  As it stands, no one should have issues should they chose to participate in the CSL for the coming season, but neither association was willing to shut the door completely on that changing, depending on how the situation continues to unfold.

There are other options in the province for players that are concerned about the future of the CSL. The main options would be joining one of the Ontario-based PDL teams or playing in the top division of the Ontario Soccer League. Both options would allow players to maintain their amateur status while still playing in a competitive environment.

Neither governing body is at the point of saying student-athletes should not take part in the CSL this season but both leave the door open for that to change in the coming weeks. With the outdoor season quickly approaching and clubs starting to fill their rosters, players who are concerned about the fate of the CSL and protecting their own eligibility should be looking into their other options rather than waiting for a ruling from the OUA or OCAA.

The situation may yet resolve itself for the governing bodies as the CSL has already begun to lose teams following word that it would not be sanctioned in 2013. Both Toronto FC and the Montreal Impact have now pulled their academy sides out of the league and it is likely that others will follow.

Many of the CSL clubs are connected to youth soccer clubs, meaning that playing in the CSL this season should it fail to regain sanctioning would mean risking their club’s good standing with both the CSA and the Ontario Soccer Association.

With things still being up in the air, it leaves many students who were planning to play in the CSL this year with more questions than answers.  As the situation continues to play itself out, SoccerWire.com will continue to follow it and update on any changes that occur in regards to possible eligibility issues.