Xavier FCS Football???

[XUGRAD80]

According to an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer today (sorry subscribers only) football is only ONE of the many suggestions that were made as a way to increase enrollment. It is something that they are “looking” at, nothing more at this time. They also would possibly be looking at adding another women’s team if they added football. The problem is that most of the enrollment increase that they have seen in the recent years has happened because of the opening of the nurses program. Evidently there hasn’t been much growth across the rest of the university programs/departments and they are exploring ways to create more growth.

Just for consideration……UC has a record number of freshman in this years class. You’d be hard pressed to not convince me that has nothing to do with the recent success of the football team. Maybe X just needs the Men’s BB team to become successful again?

[xukeith]

Put the women on the football team.

[MHettel]

I'm not interested in mumbo jumbo accounting. Paying for equipment, facilities, travel, and amenities for a team of up to 100 guys is not cheap. Direct coaching costs and administrative additions to existing athletic staff will be 500K plus.

I cannot pencil out even the BASIC economics here. How much will people pay to watch a high school all-star football game? Maybe $25? And how many people will go....maybe 3000. Thats $75K per game times what, 6 home games. Plus parking and concessions. They wont be TV or partnership money. I'm seeing maybe $750K in total revenue and 1.25M in annual operating costs. Plus the startup costs of building a suitable game field.

Look, I actually think it would be REALLY COOL if we had a football program. Thats me, thinking as a fan. But when I look at it from a business perspective, it doesn't make sense from a P&L point of view. And further, basic business principles will reveal that when you have a very specific "all in" strategy with one product (mens BB), that it makes no sense to divert resources (including TIME as a resource) to something that is not aligned to benefit that singular product.

Unless there is money donated and earmarked just for the startup costs for this, I dont see how it could work.

[xu82]

I think the concept is that it will help attract and retain males, thereby boosting tuition revenue at $50k/kid or whatever. I’d like to see where that has actually worked, because apparently I don’t know enough to have a firm opinion.

[JTG]

I think the concept is that it will help attract and retain males, thereby boosting tuition revenue at $50k/kid or whatever. I’d like to see where that has actually worked, because apparently I don’t know enough to have a firm opinion.

Marian University in Indy. 20 years ago it was practically a girls school. They have won 1 National Championship and played in another. Lots of guys, lots of success, and the school started a Med School a few years ago.
Mt St Joe actually was a girls school until they started football. Not familiar with details as I don't live in Cincy, but am told it's successful.

[Caveat]

According to an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer today (sorry subscribers only) football is only ONE of the many suggestions that were made as a way to increase enrollment. It is something that they are “looking” at, nothing more at this time. They also would possibly be looking at adding another women’s team if they added football. The problem is that most of the enrollment increase that they have seen in the recent years has happened because of the opening of the nurses program. Evidently there hasn’t been much growth across the rest of the university programs/departments and they are exploring ways to create more growth.

Just for consideration……UC has a record number of freshman in this years class. You’d be hard pressed to not convince me that has nothing to do with the recent success of the football team. Maybe X just needs the Men’s BB team to become successful again?

It’s more than just “under consideration,” they’re actively fundraising for facilities that would house a new football team.

[drudy23]

According to an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer today (sorry subscribers only) football is only ONE of the many suggestions that were made as a way to increase enrollment. It is something that they are “looking” at, nothing more at this time. They also would possibly be looking at adding another women’s team if they added football. The problem is that most of the enrollment increase that they have seen in the recent years has happened because of the opening of the nurses program. Evidently there hasn’t been much growth across the rest of the university programs/departments and they are exploring ways to create more growth.

Just for consideration……UC has a record number of freshman in this years class. You’d be hard pressed to not convince me that has nothing to do with the recent success of the football team. Maybe X just needs the Men’s BB team to become successful again?

UC competes at the highest level of football. That's why there is interest. The draw to tailgate and go to parties on Saturdays in the fall is a much bigger draw than continuing your football career for 99% of potential college students, especially when the team is good and entertaining to watch.

Do you know how long it would take a program like Xavier to get to that point in football, if ever? No one cares about lower level football.

I'd venture to guess that Mount Saint Joe football isn't creating this tremendous ROI when you balance the cost of having a program vs. the enrollment bump to bring kids in to play.

I have a better solution - make college affordable. This just seems like a D3 move from a high level D1 basketball school.

[xubrew]

I'm not interested in mumbo jumbo accounting. Paying for equipment, facilities, travel, and amenities for a team of up to 100 guys is not cheap. Direct coaching costs and administrative additions to existing athletic staff will be 500K plus.

I cannot pencil out even the BASIC economics here. How much will people pay to watch a high school all-star football game? Maybe $25? And how many people will go....maybe 3000. Thats $75K per game times what, 6 home games. Plus parking and concessions. They wont be TV or partnership money. I'm seeing maybe $750K in total revenue and 1.25M in annual operating costs. Plus the startup costs of building a suitable game field.

Look, I actually think it would be REALLY COOL if we had a football program. Thats me, thinking as a fan. But when I look at it from a business perspective, it doesn't make sense from a P&L point of view. And further, basic business principles will reveal that when you have a very specific "all in" strategy with one product (mens BB), that it makes no sense to divert resources (including TIME as a resource) to something that is not aligned to benefit that singular product.

Unless there is money donated and earmarked just for the startup costs for this, I dont see how it could work.

Your speculations aren't TOO far off, but it's still more than what most PFL schools spend. Most don't spend $500k on salaries. The PFL is closer to D3, and for that matter even closer to high school, than it is to big time FBS football. And at some of the schools I'm pretty sure their current apparel deals cover SOME of the costs. It's nothing like basketball where they get shoes, jerseys, jackets, and are paid to wear it, but they're not necessarily paying full price for it either.

As far as attendance and ticket prices, I think you're actually overshooting it. Tickets pretty much range from free to $15 at most. Crowds are 1k-3k typically. For several PFL schools, it's a virtual Olympic Sport. You can park for nothing and come in for less than ten bucks (and maybe not even that).

If they can't do it the way Davidson, Butler, Valpo, and San Diego do it where the cost to the athletic department is literally zero, then I'm not sure I'd be for it. I think xudash did a good job of laying out what the successful vision of it would be and the expectations what it would look like. Most of the people who are against it are coming up with all these problems and issues that just aren't going to happen. No basketball centric schools that play football in the PFL deal with any of those issues. In reality most of the Xavier basketball diehard fans won't ever think about it or even notice that it's there. It will enter their consciousness about as frequently as the soccer teams do. Hell, Xavier would probably still do homecoming in conjunction with a basketball game instead of a PFL football game. Some will like it, most won't notice it, and it won't take anything away from basketball. If the plan that they role out is not consistent with other PFL programs, then I'm with you in not wanting it. But if it can be done the way other schools do it, then I'm for it and actually excited about it. Given the chance, I'll be one of the 1000-3000 people that pays $10 to come see at least one game.

[xu9697]

If it can be done right, I'm all for it. Parent's Weekend could include a football game, homecoming should stick with basketball as XUBrew mentions.

[JTG]

Let's say X joins the Pioneer League and the league decides to have a championship game every year. Honestly, I don't know if they do or don't. That should generate some interest. Some on here think there will be no interest because it's non-scholarship football. My question would be then why do probably a hundred small schools have it? They just like to blow money, I doubt it. Is it ND or OSU ? No, but when X played D1 football when I was a student 68-72 it wasn't that level of football either. People still went to the games and enjoyed the experience. It's NOT going to mess up Basketball. It hasn't messed up Bball at Nova, or Butler or Dayton. All 3 Bball programs and many others are flourishing. It's not 1973, it's 50 years later, and the school is on much better financial footing.