For many colleges across the U.S., football is a staple program that draws students in and helps the school profit. With football being the most popular sport in America, it's no surprise that various programs can bring in hundreds of millions of dollars. California State University, Fullerton, the largest school in the Cal State system with more than 43,000 students, might seem poised for a thriving student section and packed stands, right?
The harsh reality is that social life and school spirit are low. CSUF is predominantly a commuter campus, with many students driving to class and heading straight home afterward. Even with a historic baseball program, a growing basketball program, and a successful soccer program, something is missing that could unite the student body: a football team.
CSUF had a football team from 1970 to 1992, but the program was shut down due to financial issues. It’s no secret that running a football program isn’t cheap. Schools in the Southeastern Conference, for example, spend an average of $34 million per year on their teams. So, how could CSUF afford a football program?
If CSUF were to revive its football program, it would likely join the Mountain West Conference, where teams spend an average of $11 million annually. While the university wouldn’t be making $11 million from football in the first year, it’s possible to build the program.
Many powerhouse schools, such as Alabama, Georgia, and Texas, often pay smaller programs to play them early in the season. It’s a fair trade—the smaller schools make about three times what they would from a normal home game, and the larger schools get an easy win. For example, Ohio State paid $4.05 million to play Akron, Western Michigan, and Marshall to play them at their home stadium. While Ohio State easily defeated them, the smaller school benefited financially, helping to fund their program.
This is exactly what CSUF could do. Starting the season by playing high-profile schools would bring in cash and give CSUF national exposure. If anything could boost school spirit, it’s playing a team like Alabama.
As we move forward from COVID-19, it's important for CSUF to leverage its athletics before school spirit fades entirely. If things continue as they are, social life and school pride could dwindle, but there’s still a chance to revive them.
Hey Connor, I totally agree with you that the addition of a football team would raise the school spirit from students. Seeing NIU, a small school, beat Notre Dame, a ranked team was exciting to watch.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic. Fullerton dropped the football program right when I was starting my master's program. It was very disappointing. At the time, I lived in an apartment above a student who had transferred from out of state to play.
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't realize that the SEC schools pay smaller schools to play them for easy wins. Definitely wish CSUF had the game day experiences that other schools get!
ReplyDeleteHi Connor,
ReplyDeleteGreat topic! I am definitely one of those students who comes to class and then leaves straight home, but I do agree that having an athletic program as big as a football team would increase student engagement on campus. Not even just to see the home team but potentially their opponents as well.
I've always wondered what it would be like to attend one of the powerhouse schools. The school spirit on game days looks like a lot of fun to be a part of. I had no idea that they paid the smaller teams to play them. Hopefully one day they bring back football to CSUF.
ReplyDeleteHi Connor,
ReplyDeleteYour topic was very interesting to read. I honestly was just thinking about this not too long ago and found it a shame. Cal State Fullerton would benefit in the long run by having a football team. I enjoyed seeing the football helmets and learning that there are students who would want a team too. I hope it comes back!