12 west coast schools have dropped football

[Wildcat Khan]

Not football, but some good GNAC news. Alaska-Anchorage is re-instating hockey after dropping it for a year. Seattle Kraken donors stepped up to help raise money and are also attempting to save the Seawolves Rugby team. Maybe some of these football schools should take a que from Alaska Anchorage. I'm looking at you WWU, APU, and HSU.

[tsull]

TSULL,

Good stuff, when I was the writer for independent football at this website many years ago I covered North Greenville. I liked the people there and could tell they had a vision for what they wanted to accomplish in the sport and at the university.

Montana State-Billings has been a strong member of our conference and I hope they add football because I think it would take off there. For example, in their own state Montana State University Bozeman has equaled or surpassed the University of Montana in athletics, and is building a new football operations building. Enrollment-wise, Montana State University Bozeman is the biggest school in the state.

?????? Football would be a boon for Billings.

* In another lifetime, I lived in Forest Grove, Oregon, where division 3 Pacific University resides. It's a beautiful, old, historic campus. But athletically it's an afterthought. They had homecoming one year around men's soccer. I decided to go over there and see what was going on. I counted 10 spectators and two guys playing bongo drums. It was embarrassing.

They brought back football several years later and were shocked at the huge crowds they got their first year and how it invigorated the campus.

[FormerCrusader#84]

What a great article by 406 Sports. I know the writer, he used to be the Corvallis, Oregon sports editor and he is one sharp dude. He knows sports and college athletics very well.

I'll always agree that college football is a bonus for most universities. At smaller colleges it takes a lot of work from administration, alums, and coaches. There's not that never-ending money flow like there is at Ohio State. It's much easier to cut sports than add them. I'm still under the contention that for most administrators, they don't want to do the work because they'll receive their six-figure paycheck whether there's football or not. It's a pride thing and most of these athletic directors don't have pride in football.

Dumping football is like dumping your business major because it's not as good as major as an Ivy League Business School. One could do the comparison game all day.

It is crucial that the GNAC starts expanding its football playing members. I would hope the College of Idaho with 24 football scholarships, would consider moving up to division 2. They've done all they can do in NAIA, and as noted in this thread, that would prompt Southern and Eastern Oregon to also contemplate moving up to NCAA division 2.

I've never been to the MSU Billings campus. In my journeys around the West I have done short walks on many schools and the ones who have dropped football, like Chico State, Sonoma State, Hayward, are just like the writer said, full of older, commuter students. If these colleges want to become that, I would suggest moving down to the junior college ranks, eliminating dorms and student life and save money if all you want to offer are night classes to older working students.

* Western Oregon just announced the adding of men's soccer. I don't know what that means for football, but with a three-game home schedule this year and the addition of soccer next year, I'm wondering if they are de-emphasizing the sport. The often-silent WOU administration isn't always really good about communicating their goals and priorities. They recently dumped a major fundraising arm of athletics, Wolves club, for no reason. The message sent is their scaling back not ramping up.

TSULL,

[FormerCrusader#84]

They looked at it a few years ago, and then nothing happened. Financially, it takes quite a lot of money, even for D2, so I think that's the biggest hangup.

https://www.msubillings.edu/urelatio...Feasiblity.htm

[tsull]

What a great article by 406 Sports. I know the writer, he used to be the Corvallis, Oregon sports editor and he is one sharp dude. He knows sports and college athletics very well.

I'll always agree that college football is a bonus for most universities. At smaller colleges it takes a lot of work from administration, alums, and coaches. There's not that never-ending money flow like there is at Ohio State. It's much easier to cut sports than add them. I'm still under the contention that for most administrators, they don't want to do the work because they'll receive their six-figure paycheck whether there's football or not. It's a pride thing and most of these athletic directors don't have pride in football.

Dumping football is like dumping your business major because it's not as good as major as an Ivy League Business School. One could do the comparison game all day.

It is crucial that the GNAC starts expanding its football playing members. I would hope the College of Idaho with 24 football scholarships, would consider moving up to division 2. They've done all they can do in NAIA, and as noted in this thread, that would prompt Southern and Eastern Oregon to also contemplate moving up to NCAA division 2.

I've never been to the MSU Billings campus. In my journeys around the West I have done short walks on many schools and the ones who have dropped football, like Chico State, Sonoma State, Hayward, are just like the writer said, full of older, commuter students. If these colleges want to become that, I would suggest moving down to the junior college ranks, eliminating dorms and student life and save money if all you want to offer are night classes to older working students.

* Western Oregon just announced the adding of men's soccer. I don't know what that means for football, but with a three-game home schedule this year and the addition of soccer next year, I'm wondering if they are de-emphasizing the sport. The often-silent WOU administration isn't always really good about communicating their goals and priorities. They recently dumped a major fundraising arm of athletics, Wolves club, for no reason. The message sent is their scaling back not ramping up.

[IronOre]

Billings has big money. They have had significant support for reinstating football including $. I know a few alums and they are ready with checkbooks in hand.

Gotta get over there and rattle some cages, RC!

[Runnin' Cat]

They looked at it a few years ago, and then nothing happened. Financially, it takes quite a lot of money, even for D2, so I think that's the biggest hangup.

Billings has big money. They have had significant support for reinstating football including $. I know a few alums and they are ready with checkbooks in hand.

[IronOre]

I stumbled across the article in the link below a couple of days ago. It pertains to GNAC member MSU-Billings and is, essentially, imploring the university to reinstate football. I am sure some have already read the article or heard of it.

I wonder if MSU-Billings reinstating football in the future could be a shot in the arm for football in the GNAC. I know, on a lot of levels, it is wishful thinking. Nonetheless, it may be enough to get the other Montana schools, or a few of them along with of College of Idaho, to make the move to the GNAC (and it may force SOU and EOU to make the move as well). A few of the schools do not have the financial ability to make the move (we all know this). I am just happy to see people - outside of this board - fighting for small college football.


https://406mtsports.com/college/gnac...8d9b7acb5.html

They looked at it a few years ago, and then nothing happened. Financially, it takes quite a lot of money, even for D2, so I think that's the biggest hangup.

[FormerCrusader#84]

I stumbled across the article in the link below a couple of days ago. It pertains to GNAC member MSU-Billings and is, essentially, imploring the university to reinstate football. I am sure some have already read the article or heard of it.

I wonder if MSU-Billings reinstating football in the future could be a shot in the arm for football in the GNAC. I know, on a lot of levels, it is wishful thinking. Nonetheless, it may be enough to get the other Montana schools, or a few of them along with of College of Idaho, to make the move to the GNAC (and it may force SOU and EOU to make the move as well). A few of the schools do not have the financial ability to make the move (we all know this). I am just happy to see people - outside of this board - fighting for small college football.


https://406mtsports.com/college/gnac...8d9b7acb5.html

[Wildcat Khan]

The Frontier conference hasn't played round robin football in a long time. Currently, each team only has 2 home/home situations every year. The GNAC has been in round robin hell decades now, and adding a few more teams won't solve that.
If I remember correctly, COI is more inclined to go DIII, not DII. And you are right looking for CA to help is laughable, CA seems to like being self contained. You have all system conferences, and even the JUCO has its own system. I don't see it happening. If GNAC football is to survive, it will need current members to add the sport. Or petition the NCAA to allow dual membership for GNAC football and join the Frontier.

When the GNAC was 7 teams you would only play 3 teams I think it was twice a year. Then Dixie State and South Dakota Mines moved to the RMAC followed by HSU and APU dropping football. In 2014 CWU only played SFU, Dixie State, and Western Oregon 2 times. Tim should like that year as WOU split with CWU.

Strange how much has changed for GNAC football in the last 7 years. It is good to see the scheduling alliance though with the LSC as that is 8 games for the GNAC schools with 4 GNAC (other two teams twice) and 4 LSC schools in 2 home and 2 away for CWU this fall.

[stealth]

You're right, some play 3 times. But hardly a round robin like the GNAC. I went back an look about COI and DIII, and I guess that was way back in 2007 that they considered joining DIII, while still Albertson College. Man, I'm really dating myself.

[tsull]

The Frontier conference hasn't played round robin football in a long time. Currently, each team only has 2 home/home situations every year. The GNAC has been in round robin hell decades now, and adding a few more teams won't solve that.
If I remember correctly, COI is more inclined to go DIII, not DII. And you are right looking for CA to help is laughable, CA seems to like being self contained. You have all system conferences, and even the JUCO has its own system. I don't see it happening. If GNAC football is to survive, it will need current members to add the sport. Or petition the NCAA to allow dual membership for GNAC football and join the Frontier.

This year Eastern Oregon has three opponents they play twice.

I live in the Boise area, and that's not quite correct on the College of Idaho. They have 24 football scholarships and are fully funded in men's and women's basketball and love getting that talent into Caldwell. They do not want to play non-scholarship athletics, which is division 3 and many of their boosters would fight that till the end of time.

[stealth]

The Frontier conference hasn't played round robin football in a long time. Currently, each team only has 2 home/home situations every year. The GNAC has been in round robin hell decades now, and adding a few more teams won't solve that.
If I remember correctly, COI is more inclined to go DIII, not DII. And you are right looking for CA to help is laughable, CA seems to like being self contained. You have all system conferences, and even the JUCO has its own system. I don't see it happening. If GNAC football is to survive, it will need current members to add the sport. Or petition the NCAA to allow dual membership for GNAC football and join the Frontier.

[tsull]

Fourteen California schools have dropped football in the last 30 years, with the CSU system alone supplying eight of those. Only one CA school (Chapman) has added football in that timespan.

Elsewhere on the West Coast, Western Washington and Oregon Tech have dropped football in the last 30 years, while George Fox has added it; Pacific (OR) dropped it after the 1991 season and re-added it in 2010. Mountain Time has fared better, with five programs added or reinstated in that span and only one dropped.

Depending on California to lift up the Great Northwest Athletic Conference is asking a lot. Most CSU schools are perfectly happy being commuter colleges and drawing about 200 people a game for basketball.

The most ideal candidate would be the College of Idaho, though I think they like their NAIA life. They have 24 football scholarships, are also fully funded in men's and women's basketball and have some great facilities. Their regional rival, Northwest Nazarene, who is division 2, is 7 miles away. In a perfect world the College of Idaho, Southern Oregon, and Eastern Oregon join the GNAC. Those schools are content to play round robin football with 14-hour trips to the state of Montana and playing tiny bible colleges in basketball. To each their own.

[Inkblot]

Fourteen California schools have dropped football in the last 30 years, with the CSU system alone supplying eight of those. Only one CA school (Chapman) has added football in that timespan.

Elsewhere on the West Coast, Western Washington and Oregon Tech have dropped football in the last 30 years, while George Fox has added it; Pacific (OR) dropped it after the 1991 season and re-added it in 2010. Mountain Time has fared better, with five programs added or reinstated in that span and only one dropped.