Chronicle of higher education article
http://chronicle.com/blogPost/The-Allure..._medium=en

May 13, 2010, 02:45 PM ET

The Allure of the Gridiron
By Libby Sander

We've been hearing scattered accounts over the past couple of years about colleges adding, or planning to add, football programs, despite the tough economy. The National Football Foundation has now provided an official count.

A quick scan of the list of programs—starting with teams that debuted in the 2009 season and continuing through those slated to begin in 2013—shows them to be evenly spread among college sports' largest and smallest institutions. Several are small, religious institutions.

Here's the breakdown:

Five colleges rolled out football programs in 2009: Old Dominion (Division I); U. of the Incarnate Word, in Texas, and the U. of New Haven (Division II); and Anna Maria College, in Massachusetts, and Castleton State College, in Vermont (Division III).

Six new teams are suiting up this fall: South Alabama, Georgia State, and Lamar (all in Division I); Pacific U., in Oregon (Division III); and Lindsey Wilson College, in Kentucky, and Notre Dame College, in Ohio (NAIA).

Eleven more institutions plan to add football from 2011 to 2013.

In 2011: Texas-San Antonio (Division I); LeMoyne-Owen College, in Tennessee (Division II); and Presentation College, in South Dakota, and Stevenson U., in Maryland (both in Division III). Also starting that year are programs at Florida's Ave Maria U. and, in Michigan, at Concordia U. and Siena Heights U. (both NAIA).

In 2012, programs are slated to begin at Finlandia U., in Michigan (Division III), and Wayland Baptist U., in Texas (NAIA). Finally, in 2013, look for football at North Carolina-Charlotte (Division I) and George Fox U., in Oregon (Division III).

I haven't studied the schedules for each of the six teams taking the field for the first time this fall. But I did notice that on November 20, Georgia State plays the defending national champion, Alabama. In Tuscaloosa. Apparently the Crimson Tide had an unexpected opening in their schedule, and Georgia State was more than happy to fill it. Good thing it's their last game of the season.

Florida Tech just got approved, The team is expected to begin competition in 2013-2014 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
article here

Lindsey Wilson College



Hell, they already have a better mascot than we do.

(05-13-2010 08:18 PM)KAjunRaider Wrote:  Lindsey Wilson College



Hell, they already have a better mascot than we do.

Well when South Alabama plays them and wins they can claim a win over the Blue Raiders.

Troy would have re-worked its entire schedule to get into that 'Bama opening. the Tide does not have the stones to put us in it.

(05-13-2010 07:44 PM)NCowl Wrote:  Florida Tech just got approved, The team is expected to begin competition in 2013-2014 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
article here

Ave Maria is putting together a football team? Well, I guess FIT, Edward Waters and JU can now put together a conferece. Won't be long, I'm sure, before Fla Gulf Coast starts looking for funding.

"Chronicle of higher education"? They didn't do much research. They state that South Alabama will begin this fall but it should have read 2009.

(05-14-2010 09:09 AM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(05-13-2010 07:44 PM)NCowl Wrote:  Florida Tech just got approved, The team is expected to begin competition in 2013-2014 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
article here

Ave Maria is putting together a football team? Well, I guess FIT, Edward Waters and JU can now put together a conferece. Won't be long, I'm sure, before Fla Gulf Coast starts looking for funding.

I heard Nova wanted to start too, not sure what ever happened with that though.

Isn't there a North Florida with pretty good football at a lower level ?

(05-14-2010 09:29 AM)KAjunRaider Wrote:  Isn't there a North Florida with pretty good football at a lower level ?

UNF is D-II (they don't play football from what I remember) and they have strong men's hoops and baseball. The Fighting Ospreys, I believe.

UNF is D-I and in the A-Sun. No Football. They suck at basketball and yes they are the Ospreys

JU won't be in a NAIA conf. for football if they even got enough members in SE area NAIA to start one.

Presentation just had football, dropped and is re starting. New Haven played in the D-II title game in 1997 or 98. Dropped because they couldn't get in a conf. then restarted when they joined the NE10.

I'm not sure LeMoyne-Owen is going to go though with it. I hope they do.