SDU had a rich athletic tradition, and by the 1950s, a variety of intramural, recreational, and varsity sporting options were available for students. During the 1954 to 1964 period, the tempo of athletic activity at SDU remained high, and there were several notable developments, including the transition from Rugby — which had roots going back to the late 1800s at SDU — to Canadian Football, and the increased participation of female students in university sport. Perhaps the greatest highlight of the era for hockey-mad SDU, however, was a new rink, with an artificial ice surface, opened in January of 1959: it would serve SDU, then UPEI — as well as the larger Charlottetown hockey community — for more then 40 years.