Calling for an NCAA Football Team

By Broadside Correspondent Shannon Dodson

With an accomplished basketball team, George Mason University students, faculty and staff all share a raucous spirit that livens the campus. However, some Mason fans feel as though that spirit is weakened during basketball’s off-season. One way these spectators think that this issue could be addressed is by the university gaining an NCAA football team.

“I believe it is something every school should have just for the simple fact of tradition,” said junior communication major Michael Jennings. “Throughout our middle school and high school years, football has always been the big attraction when basketball is out of season.”

“Basketball does have a higher priority for me,” said freshman history major Erika Wagner, “but I would definitely support a football team because it would help unite both commuters and on-campus students during the basketball’s offseason.

The Athletic Department, who makes the recommendation to the administration on whether or not the Club Football Team should be expanded into an NCAA team, has many factors to consider when making its decision.

“Within our [the Athletic Department’s] five-year strategic plan of evaluating the whole sports program, which takes in consideration all the sports at Mason, there are financial considerations, Title IX considerations, conference affiliation considerations and also the missions and goals of how a football team would fit in with the missions and goals of George Mason University,” said Charles McDade, senior associate athletic director.

According to the “Fields of Green and Gold” three-part series published in the Nov. 12, 2007 issue of Broadside, costs of running an NCAA football program here at Mason have been estimated at $4.2 million a year.

That is not including what the publication estimated the construction of a stadium would be, which was $4.3 to $7.1 million. These high costs could lead to increased tuition and fees for Mason students. When asked if they would be okay with an increase in costs, many Mason students had mixed reactions.

“It depends how much the fees would increase,” said Wagner.

“At this point in time, with the recession and all, no,” said Jennings. “Aside from that, I’m sure we could get some great sponsors who would like to have their name in Mason’s history.”

As of now, while the outlook of Mason gaining an NCAA football team in the near future looks grim, fans can look for this hotly debated topic to be brought up once again when the Athletic Department evaluates the five-year program in 2013.