LIONS, T-BIRDS & CLAN ANNOUNCE JOINT VENTURE

VANCOUVER - With the 31st Shrum Bowl on Thursday, October 9th at Thunderbird Stadium rapidly approaching, the UBC Thunderbirds, SFU Clan, and BC Lions have announced a joint venture that will support the legacy of BC football legend and former Lions president Bob Ackles.

The two universities, with the support of the BC Lions, announced today that in perpetuity, ten percent of all ticket sales from the Shrum Bowl will be donated to the BC Football Hall of Fame.

A brainchild of Bob Ackles and a project he was developing at the time of his death, the BC Football Hall of Fame will serve to enshrine the history of the sport in the province and will be just one of many lasting imprints Ackles has made on football landscape in British Columbia.

A long-time supporter of university football, Ackles established an endowment in 1995 that helps support both the UBC Thunderbirds and SFU Clan through the availability of scholarships for student-athletes at both institutions.

Heading into this year's Shrum Bowl, the Thunderbirds hold a slight 15-14-1 advantage in the all-time record but have won the last four contests.

This season's game should be a pivotal match between two resurgent programs in CIS football.

After joining the CIS in 2002, the Clan have struggled in recent years coming into the season with three straight winless campaigns.

This year has been a complete transformation, however, as SFU now sits atop the league standings with a 3-1 record and are in search of their first playoff berth since 2003.

Although the T-Birds have made the playoffs four of the last five seasons, they haven't been able to match the recent dominance of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Sitting at 2-2 this season, the Thunderbirds are in a three-way tie for third in the conference and are in the thick of the playoff battle.

The Shrum Bowl will take place on October 9th at 7:00 at Thunderbird Stadium.  The game will mark the second meeting of the season between the two rivals, with the Clan taking the season opener on August 23rd by a score of 24-10.  It was SFU's first victory over the 'Birds since October 14, 2003.