Football is America's favorite college spectator sport. So why don't a quarter of Division I universities sponsor teams?
The short answer is that football is expensive. Soon after World War II, athletic scholarships became universally accepted at the major college level. Costs went up faster than attendance and revenue. In just one year (1951), 38 schools dropped football, and private colleges were hardest hit.
Today, gender equity requirements in federal law (Title IX) can inflate the cost of a new football team by requiring additional expenditures on women's sports. And I-A is the only brand of football that has been marketed as "Division I," making I-AA unprofitable and relatively unattractive.
This site is nonetheless dedicated to advocating new Division I-AA football teams.
Football Isn't A Relic
Hundreds of Division I schools with football teams are apparently in compliance with Title IX. Some have started programs recently. These schools consider Title IX to be a challenge, not an excuse.
In 2003, Coastal Carolina and Southeastern Louisiana started football teams. Outside Division I, an additional 16 colleges have new programs in 2003.
Division I-AA football has teams competing at a variety of scholarship levels.
At private schools with high tuition, nonscholarship programs have been affordable. La Salle and Jacksonville are examples of private schools that brought football to their campuses on shoestring budgets. Some Division I state universities also have nonscholarship teams.
I-AA programs aren't glamorous, but they provide a college experience that is missing at many schools. Who wants soccer homecomings? Students and alumni who don't have football at their schools become fans of other schools.
Slow And Steady Wins The Race
Football is a lot of trouble for your athletic director. He or she has a standard explanation why football is out of reach.
Don't let others tell you what is possible. If you want football, be persistent. Organize other fans and make your interest in football clear. Find solutions to fundraising and facilities problems.
I look forward to putting another success story on this site. It could be your school.
