Football is the No. 1 watched sport in the United States, according to newsdial.com.
With such popularity, would California Baptist University benefit from creating a football team of their own?
Creating a football team could benefit the potential players and perhaps the campus as a whole.
With the development of a college football team comes financial benefit, prestige and an atmosphere that brings more life and school spirit around campus.
While many stand in favor of a CBU football team, some have concerns as to what effect it could potentially have on tuition. The school would have to factor in building a stadium, paying a coaching staff and supplying the necessary equipment.
“In theory it’s a great idea, but in reality it could raise tuition, so it wouldn’t even be worth it. You can support any sport the same way. Just go to a basketball or soccer game,” Sammy Cockrell, freshman, said.
According to “USA Today,” Division I football programs spend more than $100,000 on outfitting their teams. Rosebowlstadium.com also depicts the costs of football facilities as the University of California, Los Angeles goes about their $152 million plan to renovate their stadium.
Although this may be true, Livestrong.com assures almost every American college football program generates a large amount of revenue for their school, regardless of the size and success of the program.
Football games are often one of a university’s athletic programs to generate any kind of profit and in many cases have been known for single-handedly funding entire athletic departments.
The potential need for such a team can also be seen in the number of enrollment applications other U.S. colleges receive annually.
“Enrollment applications increase significantly following successful football seasons, and schools with a tradition of success always have a surplus of applicants,” Jake Landry, Livestrong.com contributor, said.
A school environment passionate and full of energy is also a deciding factor for some. Football is commonly associated with these feelings.
“I feel as if CBU needs a football team to bring more school spirit to our campus” Danielle Roberston, freshmen, said. “Football is such a big sport around our country.
Many colleges have a team. I feel like I’m going to miss out on a huge part of my college experience by not having one.”
Some may fear that a football team may overshadow and take support away from existing teams, as much more attention and energy would be directed towards starting a program.
Although this is possible, adding football to CBU’s athletic department has the potential to capture the attention and interest of students who would otherwise not attend sporting events or involve themselves in on-campus activities.
“It’s an event that I would go to,” says Evan Specht, junior, said. “It builds school moral and creates a great atmosphere.”
With football’s popularity growing, it may be time for CBU to consider forming a football team.
Someday, that might be CBU students standing out in the stadium, proudly wearing blue and gold as they cheer for Lancer football.
