CANADA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Richard McLaren and Janie Soublière, McLaren Global Sports Solutions
Despite these initiatives, many advocates are pushing for more comprehensive legislative action, including the regulation of advertising and the potential ratifica - tion of international instruments that provide global legal frameworks for the criminalisation of match-fix - ing and the co-ordination of enforcement. In sum, by 2025 Canada and its provinces had transi - tioned away from restrictive gambling laws towards a regulated sports betting market. However, the country continues to grapple with how best to legally deter and punish match-fixing in a landscape shaped by tech - nology, global betting flows and commercial growth. Other Trends and Developments Team eligibility challenges prior to the Milano Cortina Games, and other unforeseen legal changes 2026 is an Olympic year. This usually leads to some last-minute eligibility and team selection challenges being raisedwith the SDRCC by athletes. These of course will be adjudicated, often on an expedited basis by the Ordinary Tribunal of the SDRCC. The process for such appeals and challenges is gov - erned first by the regulations of the relevant National Sports Organisation (NSO). However, given that the challenges are usually quite urgent, the parties – here the athlete and the NSO – will typically agree to bypass their internal procedures and grant the SDRCC juris - diction to hear and resolve the dispute. Interested par - ties, who may lose their spots on the relevant team as a result of the matter, are also invited to participate in these adjudications, which are governed by the Cana- dian Sport Dispute Resolution Code. Various other unforeseeable legal challenges involving Canada and/or Canadian athletes may arise at or from the Cortina Games, regarding the eligibility of other “neutral” nations, doping matters, safe sport matters, etc. Whatever the legal challenges arising from Milano Cortina 2026 may be, counsel and arbitrators qualified in sports law will surely be on hand to assist. Changes to U Sports transfer rules The Canadian university sports landscape is chang - ing. Beginning in the 2026–27 season, U Sports (the
governing body for Canadian University sport) will alter its transfer rules, allowing first- and second-year student-athletes to transfer to other schools without penalty. The decision focuses on improved player empower - ment, providing young athletes with the opportunity to make decisions to benefit their future. The head of U Sports said the new rule ensures student-athletes have more flexibility earlier in their academic journeys. U Sports’ director of compliance and eligibility, Tara Hahto, stated:“ A meaningful amount of transfer activ - ity takes place during the first two academic years of a student-athlete’s journey, often when they are work - ing to find the right fit academically, athletically and personally... This policy change responds directly to that reality. ” Under the current rules, non-graduating student- athletes who transfer must sit out for exactly one year from their last date of competition. Exceptions were made for those who competed in cross-coun - try, swimming or track and field, which have existing exemptions in place. The transfer decision was met with differing opinions from some head coaches of university varsity pro - grammes and athletes alike. For some, it is a logical and smart step forward to support student-athletes; for others, the danger is that a lack of continuity and roster stability could tank a team’s aspirations. From a legal perspective, it will generate some fine tuning of student-athlete contracts and transfer clauses, and the adjudication of likely legal challenges from univer - sities or athletes. The consensus, however, is that it is up to the athletic programme to keep its student-ath - letes happy by living up to expectations, by devising sound regulations and contracts, and by respecting them (while expecting that athletes will respect “their” end of the bargain). As schools prepare for the changes to come, it is hard to predict exactly how teams will adjust and what the regulatory and legal impact will be for students, schools and U Sports along the road. For the moment, athletes are the clear winners.
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