I don't see why WSU can't field a football team already.

[JohnDorian]

It's been close to 40 years since the crash. The thing I think is right to do is honor the team that died by fielding a team. That and "not having enough money" aren't exactly great excuses for not having a team.

[J&J-Ryan]

Those may be lame excuses, but they're true.

[RoyalShock]

John, if you're a current student and want football, you need to convince a majority of students to accept an increase in student fees to help subsidize football. I've looked at the numbers of quite a few schools like us with football, and the money coming from student fees are quite a bit more than at WSU.

For the record, I'm not sure if I think bringing football back is a net positive for WSU athletics.

Oh, and I'm moving this to the Men's Sports board.

[WstateU]

Re: I don't see why WSU can't field a football team already.

It's been close to 40 years since the crash. The thing I think is right to do is honor the team that died by fielding a team. That and "not having enough money" aren't exactly great excuses for not having a team.

nm

[SB Shock]

Re: I don't see why WSU can't field a football team already.

"not having enough money" aren't exactly great excuses for not having a team.

LOL, I guess the university could go back to deficit spending like it had in the '80's.

WSU would still have a football team if the community had supported it (I was there when they did and I saw the community apathy).

When there is not even enough support to break ground on the Baseball practice field, how do you think there will be support for a football program?

[t7017s]

Ohhhh, here we go again with this topic...

[SpanglerFan316]

Why can't WSU field a NCAA cricket team? "Not having enough money" isn't exactly a great excuse. ;-)

[rrshock]

Ohhhh, here we go again with this topic...

It's the off-season. What else are we going to talk about in September?

I think the community has shown they will support WSU athletics. Of course, in the 80's, there was plenty of support for basketball. College football has become more popular in KS since the uprising of KSU and KU in the early 90's. There will have to be quite a bit in donations aquired for this to ever happen, so if anyone on here ever wins the $200 million powerball, then that would be a good start.

[rockemshockem]

I get the feeling people just don't realize exactly how much money would have to go into starting up a football team. It would take a major initiative just to get the renovations done to Cessna Stadium that are needed (anyone who doesn't think Cessna needs remodeled just take a tour of the underneath part). Second of all every aspect of the athletic department would need exapanded. We'd need more weight rooms, training facilities, offices, etc., not to mention personal to fill all these spots. Now we're already looking at spending more money than WSU can afford and we haven't even started talking scholarships, uniforms, travel expeceses and such.

In the Eagle several months back I saw a letter to the editor from some WSU "fans" calling Don Beggs presidency a failure because he has failed to bring back football. I sincerely hope that no one on this board was responsible for that letter because it would have been laugh out loud funny for its absurdity had it not been for the fact that people actually feel that way. It actually went so far as to state that if he had not used money on a scholarship program aimed at keeping local kids in Wichita he would have had the money by now :shock:

I know many people forget this, but it is Wichita State UNIVERSITY. I think right now as sports fans we should be happy with having the best all-around athletic department in the Valley and arguably one of the best non-football athletic departments in the country.

[WstateU]

I get the feeling people just don't realize exactly how much money would have to go into starting up a football team. It would take a major initiative just to get the renovations done to Cessna Stadium that are needed (anyone who doesn't think Cessna needs remodeled just take a tour of the underneath part). Second of all every aspect of the athletic department would need exapanded. We'd need more weight rooms, training facilities, offices, etc., not to mention personal to fill all these spots. Now we're already looking at spending more money than WSU can afford and we haven't even started talking scholarships, uniforms, travel expeceses and such.

In the Eagle several months back I saw a letter to the editor from some WSU "fans" calling Don Beggs presidency a failure because he has failed to bring back football. I sincerely hope that no one on this board was responsible for that letter because it would have been laugh out loud funny for its absurdity had it not been for the fact that people actually feel that way. It actually went so far as to state that if he had not used money on a scholarship program aimed at keeping local kids in Wichita he would have had the money by now :shock:

I know many people forget this, but it is Wichita State UNIVERSITY. I think right now as sports fans we should be happy with having the best all-around athletic department in the Valley and arguably one of the best non-football athletic departments in the country.

Now, there’s a well thought out “rockemshockem” post… I can’t argue with anything you’ve said.
:good:

[Smooth007]

I get the feeling people just don't realize exactly how much money would have to go into starting up a football team. It would take a major initiative just to get the renovations done to Cessna Stadium that are needed (anyone who doesn't think Cessna needs remodeled just take a tour of the underneath part). Second of all every aspect of the athletic department would need exapanded. We'd need more weight rooms, training facilities, offices, etc., not to mention personal to fill all these spots. Now we're already looking at spending more money than WSU can afford and we haven't even started talking scholarships, uniforms, travel expeceses and such.

In the Eagle several months back I saw a letter to the editor from some WSU "fans" calling Don Beggs presidency a failure because he has failed to bring back football. I sincerely hope that no one on this board was responsible for that letter because it would have been laugh out loud funny for its absurdity had it not been for the fact that people actually feel that way. It actually went so far as to state that if he had not used money on a scholarship program aimed at keeping local kids in Wichita he would have had the money by now :shock:

I know many people forget this, but it is Wichita State UNIVERSITY. I think right now as sports fans we should be happy with having the best all-around athletic department in the Valley and arguably one of the best non-football athletic departments in the country.

Don't forget the additional sports for women that would be required under Title IX.

[DUShock]

Personally I think the university should cancel everything that does not recover its cost, including depreciation of assets. This includes academic, athletics, and other ancillary items.

[Shockerman]

Wichita State Football is something that has always been very important to me. I can't really explain why. A true University experience cannot be had without Football, a marching band etc... Football in 1985 and Football today are completely different. The game is played the same but the national and local media attention has tripled. It is now America's most popular sport. As of right now there are donors who have started Football only scholarships with SASO. One would hope that this money will not be in vain.

Old Dominion is starting Football in 2009. They are a University much like us in a similar conference (the CAA) It will be an interesting experience to watch them go through there growing pains. If we are to start Football, I would hope that JS would be the one to do it, not future AD's. He has proven he can run the ship straight and make the right calls and can picture no better leader to bring back a full college experience to WSU. Until then, I guess I will just have to cheer for and follow Tulsa. A school that had the guts to stick it out and are now reaping the benefits of it.

[SpanglerFan316]

Personally I think the university should cancel everything that does not recover its cost, including depreciation of assets. This includes academic, athletics, and other ancillary items.

So you're saying everything but the English and Math departments have to go? :whistle:

[1972Shocker]

I agree that Football has become the #1 spectator sport in America. However, what is also very different from 20 years ago is the number of free high-level televised games available to fans on the tube. Not to mention other entertainment alternatives.

Clearly, the financial and Title IX considerations are formidable. The long-term viability of football will depend on long-term fan support. With the home schedule we are likely to be playing I just don't think the fan support will be there for D-1AA football.

Shocker fandom seems more than a little bit stretched just supporting the Men's Basketball and Baseball programs, and that includes a very tough two-decade stretch for the Basketball team.

While we have some very avid and strong Shocker supporters and fans in and around this community (Shocker.Net is a testimony to that) we just don't seem to have them in the required critical mass needed IMHO.

If any of our very-well heeled financial backers believed Shocker football could be a reasonably successful program, I believe we would already have Shocker football back. Again the fact that we do not, is evidence in itself that the critical mass needed for big dollars doesn't exist in the current time frame.

As someone mentioned earlier, look at how tough it has been to raise the funds for the much needed indoor practice facility for a very successful Baseball team coming off of a Super-Regional/Sweet 16 year. In the first 50 days of that campaign approximatley 50 persons have made donations and/or pledges.

A start-up D-1AA Football program will be an even tougher sell IMHO.