Xavier FCS Football???

[xubrew]

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.

They currently do not, but they do have an auto bid to the FCS playoffs, and there is talk of implementing a championship game. There are currently 11 schools. "Multiple" schools have reached out to the PFL that are either looking to start up football, or cut scholarship football, and want to join the league. I don't know what "multiple" means other than that it is more than one. I don't know if it's two or twenty. But, if it goes to 12 or 14, there is discussion of having two divisions and setting up some sort of crossover game at the end of the year. 1st place vs 1st place, 2nd place vs 2nd place, etc. The game between the first place teams would be the defacto championship game and the winner would go to the FCS Playoffs. Or, maybe no one joins and it stays the way it is now.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Would Xavier be guaranteed a spot in the Pioneer League? If not, what other leagues cold they join? Would Dayton (as payback) not want us in the Pioneer League?

[JTG]

Would Xavier be guaranteed a spot in the Pioneer League? If not, what other leagues cold they join? Would Dayton (as payback) not want us in the Pioneer League?

I'm guessing they have a tentative go ahead from the Pioneer League before pursuing this much further. Or maybe Dayton decides to play nice in hope we someday ok them to the Big East. Really, due to the geography, aside from San Diego, the Pioneer is the perfect league to go with. As I understand all the other FCS leagues allow some if not full athletic scholarships.

[nickgyp]

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.

True that it wasn’t ND or OSU level football but I recall the 1973 28-28 tie with Dayton at Xavier stadium. Moeller grad, Greg Schwarber, kicked a 55-yard field goal to tie the game. Impressive even in South Bend or Columbus.

[GoMuskies]

Impressive is kicking a FG to get the score to 28. That's pretty rare.

[JTG]

True that it wasn’t ND or OSU level football but I recall the 1973 28-28 tie with Dayton at Xavier stadium. Moeller grad, Greg Schwarber, kicked a 55-yard field goal to tie the game. Impressive even in South Bend or Columbus.

I was there, I still have the ticket. I was so bummed when they dropped the program a few weeks later.

[MHettel]

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.

I've never heard of Marion University. just sayin....

[MHettel]

Does anyone happen to know the demographics of the XU student body by state?

I know that there are alot of local kids from OH, KY and Indiana but I'm wondering about other states as well. Have we seen a change in the mix of students over the years.

I'm asking because in my opinion playing football at the lowest level possible would certainly not increase awareness at all outside of the immediate Cincy area.

I've heard this is being considered to increase enrollment. If it is literally just to get 100 more males to play on the team, then I admit it would probably work to achieve that objective, but I still dont see WHY you would do it for that reason given the resource commitment necessary.

But if this is being done to drive overall enrollment, then it's DOA outside of the tri-state area....

[xubrew]

Does anyone happen to know the demographics of the XU student body by state?

I know that there are alot of local kids from OH, KY and Indiana but I'm wondering about other states as well. Have we seen a change in the mix of students over the years.

I'm asking because in my opinion playing football at the lowest level possible would certainly not increase awareness at all outside of the immediate Cincy area.

I've heard this is being considered to increase enrollment. If it is literally just to get 100 more males to play on the team, then I admit it would probably work to achieve that objective, but I still dont see WHY you would do it for that reason given the resource commitment necessary.

But if this is being done to drive overall enrollment, then it's DOA outside of the tri-state area....

Because as it has been explained, many times by multiple people, the resource commitment would be minimal. I know that doesn't seem to be getting through to you, but it won’t nearly as taxing as what you’re projecting. Even Marian, the school that is so small you've never heard of it, is able to sustain it without any problems.

Look, if Xavier does this, then you of all people are going to love it!! As I recall you hated the idea of a cost of living stipend. You hated the NIL legislation, and you hated the Supreme Court's ruling in the Alston Case, and sided with the NCAA when they fought against the anti-trust lawsuits. You thought all of this would ruin college athletics. Well, these players won't even have scholarships!! They'll be paying tuition like everyone else!! It will be all about the love of the game, which is what college sports is really all about!!

[xudash]

Because as it has been explained, many times by multiple people, the resource commitment would be minimal. I know that doesn't seem to be getting through to you, but it won’t nearly as taxing as what you’re projecting. Even Marian, the school that is so small you've never heard of it, is able to sustain it without any problems.

Look, if Xavier does this, then you of all people are going to love it!! As I recall you hated the idea of a cost of living stipend. You hated the NIL legislation, and you hated the Supreme Court's ruling in the Alston Case, and sided with the NCAA when they fought against the anti-trust lawsuits. You thought all of this would ruin college athletics. Well, these players won't even have scholarships!! They'll be paying tuition like everyone else!! It will be all about the love of the game, which is what college sports is really all about!!

Please allow me to amplify your good post.

One easy way to look at this is that this idea would have never made it this far with Xavier's leadership if it didn't have merit and hold potential. We have some very sharp people running Victory Parkway, and they are backed up by a very strong BoT. You can argue that no one bats a thousand and things could go wrong. Frankly, I'll respond with bullshit on that, because this has been vetted and because the execution of it is in very good hands.

One other thing for those who are a little mangled up with the accounting issues: 501(c)(3) - X is a non-profit (chuckle, chuckle). If you end up seeing an accounting treatment that reflects revenues equalling expenses for the football program specifically, I wouldn't become overly concerned about it.