WATERLOO, Ont. - The University of Waterloo announced today the suspension of the Warrior football program from competition for the coming season (2010-11) because of the scope of the banned substance issue with the team, and that a review will be undertaken to examine the issue more closely.
Feridun Hamdullahpur. vice-president, academic and provost, ordered the suspension and review with the full support of Waterloo's senior administration.
The university also announced that the team's two full-time coaches, head coach Dennis McPhee and assistant Marshall Bingeman, are being placed on paid leave from football duties while the university conducts a full review. This in no way prejudges the coaches, rather, as a matter of process, it is important that the coaches are not active in the program while the review is conducted. That review will commence immediately.
The university requested that the entire team be tested when it became known that a police investigation was being conducted into one of the Warrior players for alleged trafficking of steroids. The university's athletics director, Bob Copeland, with full backing of senior administration, requested full testing of the team by Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES).
Copeland has initiated steps to introduce new educational measures regarding performance enhancing drugs. The involvement of the Taylor Hooton Foundation is a first step, and it is intended that one of the outcomes of this event is that the University of Waterloo will become a Canadian leader in anti-doping education and awareness.
About Waterloo
The University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's Technology Triangle, is one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities. Waterloo is home to 30,000 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students who are dedicated to making the future better and brighter. Waterloo, known for the largest post- secondary co-operative education program in the world, supports enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. For more information about Waterloo, visit www.uwaterloo.ca.
