Written by Theressa Jabbour

Header and Thumbnail photo by SMU Huskies/ Mona Ghiz

Huskies Stadium has been quiet for more than a few weeks now. With the wind rustling in the trees and the sun melting all the snow, the football whistle is just a distant memory. The sounds of squeaking shoes and dribbling balls linger in the basketball court, and the Zamboni hums sleepily inside the walls of the hockey rink. Still, the echoes of cheers can still be heard if you listen closely.

This season of sports at Saint Mary’s University wrapped up in March, with the Huskies earning two Atlantic University Sports championships! There is no better time than the present to reflect on the meaning of school spirit at SMU. While showing school spirit is not limited to varsity sports, attending games and cheering for your school is one clear way to do so. Through athletes’ thoughts, student engagement, and SMUSA practices, can we tackle the question of school spirit at SMU? Read on to find out.

SMU boasts numerous sports throughout every season, from football’s home opener in August to the hockey playoffs in March. There is an endless supply of games that students can attend, at absolutely no cost. From football and rugby outdoors, to hockey and basketball indoors, there’s a sport for every fan. With AUStv, varsity sports’ exclusive streaming service, moving to a subscription-based model at the beginning of this season, one would expect students to be more encouraged to be present at games. Is that the case?

The Numbers:

Students seem to show up to the big games, but what about all the others? Football’s homecoming game drew an audience of over 1700 people, yet attendance at regular games in the season barely passed the 1000 number mark, despite the fact that the football team had their best season since 2018, even reaching the AUS finals. The Dalhousie vs SMU rivalry hockey games draw a higher attendance on average, but other games are just as deserving of support. Regardless of winning or losing, having school spirit means showing up to support the team no matter the outcome, and believing in the student-athletes. At SMU, this doesn’t seem to be the case.

Gender also cannot be ignored; men's basketball draws an average almost 50% higher than women’s basketball, despite the women’s championship-winning streak. The numbers demonstrate what many, including myself, have observed: the stands fill up between the end of the women’s game and the beginning of the men’s game, indicating a strong preference for men’s sports. As Noah, a football athlete I’ve interviewed, recalls, “we [the football players] probably made up half the crowd at the women’s games compared to 15-20% at the men’s,” highlighting the disparity in attendance levels. This is despite the fact that SMU sells basketball tickets as doubleheaders, giving attendees two games for the price of one ticket. While this does not necessarily reflect badly on the student population, it does prompt a deeper question of the unequal support male and female athletes receive in general.

Photo from a women’s basketball game by SMU Huskies/ Mona Ghiz

Where do students fit into all this?

According to the Athletics and Recreation department, “During the 2024-2025 year [they] "sold" [reserved] approximately 5300 student tickets to Huskies games.” However, Mikayla Nassey-Wong, Marketing and Revenue Generation Coordinator, is quick to point out that “these numbers do not reflect the students who attended after ticket sales had ended nor the students who were not able to use the ticketing system (due to error) and had to show their student cards.” So while an average of 80 students per game is nothing to be proud of, the Athletics department is confident that in practice the number for student engagement is much higher.

SMUSA’s Role:

SMUSA’s Liv Brennan paints a favourable picture of students' involvement with sports, which she does not believe is lacking at SMU. Husky Nights, biweekly events at the Gorsebrook Lounge that feature live-streamed varsity games and other sports, bring in a diverse crowd, “with students looking for a fun, casual space to enjoy different games,” according to Brennan. From the comfort of a warm booth, students can watch sports without even needing to expose themselves to the elements. However, why were Husky Nights scheduled on Thursdays, the day of the week with the least amount of varsity games (a grand total of TWO during this season)? Brennan explains that it’s due to seeing higher attendance on Thursdays, but it seems like Fridays or Saturdays would be better choices if SMUSA were focused on student engagement with varsity games.

Photo from football’s homecoming game by SMU Huskies/ Mona Ghiz

Football’s second home game of this season featured the Husky Kickoff, led by both the SMU and SMUSA Presidents, with external vendors, a sign-making station, and the post-game Maroon & White Night at the Gorsebrook contributing to the engagement. However, SMUSA’s involvement with football’s homecoming game, the biggest sporting event on campus, was notably lacking. Brennan comments that “SMUSA collaborated with SMU Alumni to host various events at the Gorsebrook” this year, yet there were no student-focused events planned for before the game. In 2022 and 2023, the SMU Alumni department hosted game day barbeques prior to the homecoming game, and a pre-game party with activities and snacks at this season’s game, so a similar initiative by SMUSA could have helped promote student engagement and attendance. After the game, the Gorsebrook’s 50th anniversary celebration party took place, but it was still mostly targeted at alumni. The student union clearly has the means to engage with varsity sports, if it so desires. So why was SMUSA focused on engaging Alumni, rather than current SMU students, the people SMUSA is supposed to provide services to? While we cannot answer this question at the moment, one would hope that SMUSA rethinks its approach to football’s homecoming game next year, set to be played on Friday, the 3rd of October, at 7 pm.

A trend Brennan has noticed is that the Gorsebrook gets busier after home games, especially when the Huskies win. Doubly so during the autumn term, with games taking place at the nearby Huskies stadium. With our football team on the rise, you can expect more celebrations next year. The Gorsebrook is also receptive to streaming any game at the request of students, as long as they do not interfere with previously scheduled programming. “Timing also plays a role,” she explains, yet the Gorsebrook could consider opening an hour earlier on football away game days, for example, which all happen to take place at 2 pm on Saturdays next season. This would give students the chance to catch the game at its start and cheer on our team. It’s not likely to interfere with anything else on the schedule.

But what do our student-athletes think?

Hockey:

Keyara Nelson, a fourth-year forward on the women’s hockey team, has noticed the lack of attendance at games. “I think SMU shows school spirit for big events, but for the smaller events, I feel like we are lacking.” Fortunately, a small crowd has never impacted her performance: “I don’t really care who’s watching, all I care about is what I’m doing.” Her confidence in herself and her team is unwavering, regardless of who is in the crowd: “I compete because I love the sport and I love the girls next to me who all share the same passion.” Nevertheless, she’d like to see an increase in game attendance, although this season has shown considerable advancement in that regard, with new faces in the crowd and support from other varsity teams. One aspect Keyara thinks could be improved is the support for women’s games in comparison to men’s. Women’s hockey receives, on average, 57% less game attendance than the men’s team. She’d “love to see a day where women’s sports get the same attention as men’s sports,” and does not doubt that it will happen soon enough. “Hearing the fans get excited from a good play or a goal helps to boost morale and confidence,” so hopefully more SMU students will consider women’s hockey when looking for a fun game to watch next season.

Football:

Noah Glover offers a different perspective. A fourth-year visiting student from Dalhousie University, he joined the Huskies football team as a quarterback this season and has been quite impressed with the school spirit shown at SMU compared to his experience with Dalhousie’s football team, a club sport. One of the first things he noticed was “how much people embraced sports here.” Attending volleyball games with his teammates and seeing the level of support on campus was one of his favourite experiences this semester. As for his own games, Noah recalls the crowd being pretty active and involved. He says that “it’s nice running out before a game and seeing all those people in the stands,” but adds that fan attendance does not cross his mind during a game. That being said, seeing consistent numbers at home games is certainly encouraging.

Nevertheless, he echoes a common sentiment between student-athletes: there is always room for improvement. One change Noah would like to see is in the promotion of sports around campus, especially for major games like basketball and volleyball’s championship runs. “I didn’t feel that was being promoted around campus like it could have been,” he says. On the positive side, “game day operations do a great job,” providing concessions and SMU gear, which is always a bonus for fans.

Varsity Solidarity:

Varsity games never lack support from student-athletes at SMU. Notably, the Huskies women’s volleyball finals, hosted at the Homburg Centre, saw both the men’s football team and the women’s hockey team show up with ample amounts of support. Sporting drums, noisemakers, and pots and pans on the sidelines, it is clear that at least the student-athletes understand the importance of demonstrating school spirit.

For example, the Huskies football team takes part in the PRIDE programme, an initiative that sees athletes collect points based on their involvement in Academics, Athletics, and Community. One way the players do so is by cheering on their fellow varsity athletes throughout the year. While the points system is certainly a plus, the players actively enjoy watching the other teams and encourage each other to show up. “They support us when we’re out on the field, so it’s super important to be there for them,” Noah emphasises.

What can SMU do to improve school spirit?

One way to boost engagement would be to have additional entertainment at games. While SMU’s Athletics department does have a mascot, the Husky, he is often absent from games. A consistent rotation of gigs from SMU’s many assets, which also includes the SMU Cheerleading team, the SMU Dance team, and perhaps the creation of a musical society, could aid in bringing amusement to the crowd. SMUSA could also step up and host events concurrently with the varsity schedule, helping attract students to games.

Photo of the SMU Cheer sideline team by SMU Huskies/ Mona Ghiz

The SMU Cheerleading team does fill this gap on occasion. They brought their energy to six games this season: a pair of football games, soccer games, and basketball games. “The crowd responded to us very well,” a spokesperson says, and they are brainstorming more ideas for crowd engagement for next season. The team believes that SMU’s school spirit can always be improved. One way they suggested is a more “coordinated effort between the team, the dance team, student services, and varsity athletes.” They recognise that game attendance has not been at its highest in the past few years, so spreading awareness about game timings and encouraging students, especially those living on campus, to attend could help raise the numbers. While the sideline team only cheers at some varsity home games, their goal for next year is to return to the AUS Championships at the Scotiabank Centre, and hopefully cheer on our women’s team for their fourth championship in a row!

Another way is to focus on and promote healthy rivalries. Speaking to one varsity athlete, he drew my attention to the fact that the closest university to SMU, which is our rival in almost every other sport, does not have a U SPORTS football team. Dalhousie University’s football team currently operates as a club sport in the Atlantic Football League. SMU vs. Dal games already attract the biggest crowds in varsity sports like basketball and hockey, so hypothetically, why not football too? SMU has faced Dalhousie on the football field in the past, and if Dalhousie’s football club were to be promoted to the AUS league in the future, SMU could be one school that would benefit. While football is already the sport with the biggest draw at SMU, this change could bring about more attendance from students, who might be more inclined to show up and show off their school spirit if the other team’s students are there too.

Do you think our athletes deserve more support? Or do you think the level of student engagement already reflects the level of interest around campus?

While there are differing opinions on the nature of school spirit at SMU, one thing that is evident is the capacity for improvement. Better promotion, more activities, and an overall shift in student attitude could help fill up the stands at Huskies games and show the opposing teams just what it means to be a Husky. Our Huskies athletes are dedicated enough to their game that it overpowers the need for outside support, but nevertheless they still deserve it. A free game with friends with concessions for purchase might not be the worst way to spend your night, especially if SMU comes away with a win at the end. Next season, be on the lookout for football avenging their Loney Bowl loss, women’s basketball hunting for their fourth title, and volleyball defending their place at the top.

With this being my final article for the Journal before graduation, I hope that our readers can reflect on the true meaning of school spirit, and perhaps take it upon themselves to engage with one aspect: varsity sports. After all, what better way is there to be proud of SMU? There is a whole world of sports you can access at absolutely no cost, so take advantage of it!

School Spirit at SMU: Does it Exist?