| Drake was losing too much money on scholarship football and dropped the sport after the 1985 season. Overall, the university's financial condition was poor, and Drake's endowment was only $15 million. Fortunately, Drake made plans to restart football at the Division III (non-scholarship) level, which--at the time--the NCAA allowed any member to do. The Bulldogs progressed quickly in Division III and worked to re-establish a rivalry with Simpson. |
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| Equipment Manager Don Underwood holds the 1985 helmet, which featured a logo designed by his son Randy. Randy Underwood was a graphic design major and a student manager for the Drake football team in the early-1980s. Times-Delphic photo |
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