Has Marquette ever considered starting a football program again?

[CrimsonNCrean]

I think this would be very good for the school.....   anyone know if it has been considered?

[MU B2002]

Yes.  Except in an attempt to fit in with today's kids the games will be played on PS3.

[Litehouse]

The question comes up all the time.  My recollection is that the administration has said it would take some astronomical figure, like $100 Million, to start up a football program again.  Also, most people around here would not want to sacrafice resources from basketball to fund a football program that would struggle for the forseeable future.

[2TimeWarrior]

I think this would be very good for the school.....   anyone know if it has been considered?

Gosh, what a great idea.  I can't believe this hasn't been thought of yet.  I would suggest you get the process started by suggesting this to the administation.  I'm sure they'd be so amazed at this creative idea that you might even land yourself a position on the staff!

[Brewtown Andy]

The question comes up all the time.  My recollection is that the administration has said it would take some astronomical figure, like $100 Million, to start up a football program again.  Also, most people around here would not want to sacrafice resources from basketball to fund a football program that would struggle for the forseeable future.

More like $200 million.  You forgot the stadium.

[GGGG]

Gosh, what a great idea.  I can't believe this hasn't been thought of yet.  I would suggest you get the process started by suggesting this to the administation.  I'm sure they'd be so amazed at this creative idea that you might even land yourself a position on the staff!

Actually, I think hockey would be better!  I played it back in middle school, and I know about a dozen guys who would buy season tickets!!!!

[chapman]

If we raised $200M we should just throw it into basketball and get up to 7 or 8 different uniforms or just put up some more buildings on campus.  If we ever got to D1 in football we wouldn't make the two team tournament to play for anything meaningful anyway.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

A football club was started in the late 60s. The stands were drunker than Camp Randall's "Fifth Quarter"  I remember carrying guys out of the seats. Don't know what happened to that but it was thought to gauge interest in possiblly building a program again. I guess it didn't survive

[ErickJD08]

More like $200 million.  You forgot the stadium.

So if a stadium cost 100 million, how does a program cost another 100 million?  Coach, (elite) 5 million a year, all the travel costs maybe another 2-3 million... I can probably come up with another 10 million in costs.  Not sure if it costs 100 million to run a football program.

[pillardean]

Next

[Ari Gold]

So if a stadium cost 100 million, how does a program cost another 100 million?  Coach, (elite) 5 million a year, all the travel costs maybe another 2-3 million... I can probably come up with another 10 million in costs.  Not sure if it costs 100 million to run a football program.

We'll have to pay the Hostesses. which means MU will have to reconsider it's application process, and the school will have to admit more than two dozen hot chicks every year.  That'll drive costs up

[bma725]

So if a stadium cost 100 million, how does a program cost another 100 million?  Coach, (elite) 5 million a year, all the travel costs maybe another 2-3 million... I can probably come up with another 10 million in costs.  Not sure if it costs 100 million to run a football program.

Lot's of other costs to consider.  

Remember, any time you add mens sports, you have to add womens sports because of Title IX.  Any donation is going to have to cover the scholarships for all the men on the football team plus whatever women's sports they add.  That's 170 scholarships total, at approximately $40k total when you factor in room and board.  That's nearly 7mil right there for just one year.  No way MU does it for only one year, they're going to require funding that extends several years to see if the program is viable and makes enough money to eventually stay afloat on it's own.  So we're talking probably 6-7 years at that cost, which is more than $40 million total.  Then you have to factor in that there's simply no way that MU would start those new women's sports without the funding necessary for their facilities, equipment etc.  That's going to make it go up even higher.

$200 Million may be high, but it's not exactly out of the question.

[T-Bone]

Not knowing the rules of NCAA eligibility - would we be allowed to "step-down" as it were to offer a particular sport at D-III, even though everything else is at D-I?  I know there's a bunch of places that "step-up" for a particular sport (hockey is a big one), but I do not know any that step down.

If it is how I'm guessing:
Club to D-III (whom they compete against from time to time, as well as JCs), D-II, and eventually D-I. 
I think if they move to D-III anytime in the future, this will get brought up again.

Background on the ending of the football program: http://www.marquetteclubfootball.com/about.html

[MUBurrow]

Actually, I think hockey would be better!  I played it back in middle school, and I know about a dozen guys who would buy season tickets!!!!

See, I think this is just misguided. Hockey can definitely succeed in Milwaukee.  Look at the Admirals, they do very well.  Hell the Bradley was originally built FOR hockey, hence all the unsatisfactory results for basketball seating.  Hockey would not pack the Bradley, but the best programs in the country don't get that many fans for games.  I'm not saying its the right move right now, fiscally speaking, but I definitely think that hockey could succeed at MU -- especially compared to what it would take to get a football team off the ground.

[Zombie45]

The University needs financial resources to go to other places (finishing the Law School and funding the Engineering Complex as well as helping stay competitive with finacial aid scholarships to get excellent students). There is no way that the University will consider a football program for the future unless something dramatic happened (freakishly huge donation, stadium gets built for a different team and we can use it, etc)
In the mean time, the University supports a club football team and if you have interest in that the website is as follows:
http://marquetteclubfootball.shutterfly.com/
I played on the team for 3 years and had a lot of fun doing it, but it is basically 30-35 students who love football and went to Marquette becuase the loved the school rather then playing and attending a DIII school.

[GGGG]

Not knowing the rules of NCAA eligibility - would we be allowed to "step-down" as it were to offer a particular sport at D-III, even though everything else is at D-I?  I know there's a bunch of places that "step-up" for a particular sport (hockey is a big one), but I do not know any that step down.

No, football teams are no longer allowed to step down to DIII.  There is a non-scholarship D1 football conference called the Pioneer League, but they don't compete for the FCS championship and the quality of play is about the level of a mediocre DIII conference.  (I kind of wonder what the point is honestly.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_Football_League

If MU is going to do football...they are going to have to commit the resources.  Something like the Pioneer League would be a half-assed way to go about it.

[HoopsMalone]

Could this Marquette football team play at Miller Park?

I think we'd be doormats for many years.  We would probably have to go play Wisco and ND at their place in a buy-out type of game for the first few years.

It would be fun to start a team.  It would add 6 or 7 fun Saturdays each fall for the students.  We just don't have the cash for it.

[Ari Gold]

No, football teams are no longer allowed to step down to DIII.  There is a non-scholarship D1 football conference called the Pioneer League, but they don't compete for the FCS championship and the quality of play is about the level of a mediocre DIII conference.  (I kind of wonder what the point is honestly.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_Football_League

If MU is going to do football...they are going to have to commit the resources.  Something like the Pioneer League would be a half-assed way to go about it.

The fact that all of those teams except Morehead (hahaha) state are small enrollment, private schools may have extended this argument beyond it's usual ending point. In this scenario MU might be a logical fit for this league. MU could join the pioneer league, and then work up through that league while building facilities for a more competitive team and a title IX womens team. This option gives MU a cushion to build up some capital before committing to the long term future of the program by jumping to a legit FCS (and eventual FBS) conference.

I think the real problem with Football at MU isn't directly money. It's more about the logical location of football stadium that will attract students and fans and has room for expansion... isn't too far of a walk, yet doesnt cost too much...room to expand but isn't too far from major roads...

hahahaha More-Head

....boobs

[Big Papi]

If MU is going to do football...they are going to have to commit the resources.  Something like the Pioneer League would be a half-assed way to go about it.

I don't know if it is a half assed way to go about it.  Didn't UConn have lower division football team and just recently elevated its program.  Also, most of the rest of the Big East non-football division 1 schools still have a football team.  What happens when we have the major conference shake-up everyone is predicting.  Is Georgetown and Villanova at a greater advantage for having a football team/club?  Could they be the next UConn and make that leap?  Will that force us into a basketball conference of Dayton and St. Louis instead of a Xavier and Villanova?  Would that make us happy?

I don't have the answers to these questions as I haven't done any real research on this but I would think that with all of this instability, that MU would at least take a long serious long at what is the likely outcome of all of this.  I personally would love to have something similar to what Villanova has.  If they can do it, why can't we.  

[ErickJD08]

Lot's of other costs to consider.  

Remember, any time you add mens sports, you have to add womens sports because of Title IX.  Any donation is going to have to cover the scholarships for all the men on the football team plus whatever women's sports they add.  That's 170 scholarships total, at approximately $40k total when you factor in room and board.  That's nearly 7mil right there for just one year.  No way MU does it for only one year, they're going to require funding that extends several years to see if the program is viable and makes enough money to eventually stay afloat on it's own.  So we're talking probably 6-7 years at that cost, which is more than $40 million total.  Then you have to factor in that there's simply no way that MU would start those new women's sports without the funding necessary for their facilities, equipment etc.  That's going to make it go up even higher.

$200 Million may be high, but it's not exactly out of the question.

I understand that 200 million is the cost when you project 4 or 5 years down the line BUT, football would bring in tons of money too.  I am not saying we would profit right away, but it would soften the loss.  And it could be very profitable to be the only football team of significance in Milwaukee.  I highly doubt Duke puts over 9 figures into their football program.

Truthfully, I could care less if MU gets a team but I think the potiental to be very profitable is huge.  Not sure why they don't have one.  I think its more of a matter than the administration does not care to have one.  All the hurdles mean squat.  If the administration really wanted one, it would happen.

[goodgreatgrand]

You are comparing a state school (UConn) to two private schools (Nova and GTown). The state of Conn contributed something to the tune of $100 MM for their stadium. Nova and GTown? Where are they going to get that kind of money? That's their problem.

[MerrittsMustache]

I think its more of a matter than the administration does not care to have one.  All the hurdles mean squat.  If the administration really wanted one, it would happen.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

[mu-rara]

I hate the off-season.

[ErickJD08]

Ding! Ding! Ding!

I just know why they don't though.... HA, maybe it would just mean more work for them. 

[GGGG]

I understand that 200 million is the cost when you project 4 or 5 years down the line BUT, football would bring in tons of money too.  I am not saying we would profit right away, but it would soften the loss.  And it could be very profitable to be the only football team of significance in Milwaukee.  I highly doubt Duke puts over 9 figures into their football program.

Truthfully, I could care less if MU gets a team but I think the potiental to be very profitable is huge.  Not sure why they don't have one.  I think its more of a matter than the administration does not care to have one.  All the hurdles mean squat.  If the administration really wanted one, it would happen.

Only the largest state schools, in the largest of conferences make money on football.  (Yeah, I know there are exceptions like ND and USC.)  They are generally loss leaders for most athletic programs.  I am fairly certain that football at Nova is a money loser.