CSU Doesn't Need an NCAA Football Team

Football season is upon us, but most students will spend this fall cheering on the Bulldogs and Tigers rather than the Cougars. Columbus State University doesn’t have an NCAA football team, though it’s fair to say that many students would like one. And if we really wanted to, we could get one.

But that’s not the point. The important question is not whether we can get a football team here at CSU, but if we should.

When someone mentions the University of Georgia, the first thing that comes to mind is not, “Oh they have a fabulous law school there.” The people with flags waving in their yards and decals on their trucks aren’t boasting about how stellar UGA academics are. Their lo

ve and support for the school flourishes because of the powerhouse of their football team.

What does a 45-year-old alumni have in common with an 18-year-old first-year student? Football. They may have studied different things and walked different halls at the school, and the school may have been changed or renovated since, but the traditional fight song or chant will always remain the same. College sports bring even the most unlikely people together. It even bonds those who have never taken a college class at all.

College football has the ability to unite different people from all walks of life through tradition. From the “Script Ohio” band formation at Ohio State University to the Florida Gator hand chomp, all of these traditions have been passed down from generation to generation and will continue to live on. Now, this doesn’t mean that one cannot take pride in their school and all the things their institution has to offer. Football on a college campus, however, has the ability to bring out the love in everyone, all united around one thing. It’s a great thing to have.

But there is a football team here at CSU. It is not a Division One team or even a team affiliated with the NCAA at all- it is a club team. But it is our team. The team practices regularly on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at seven on the intramural field. They accept walk-on players who would like to be a part of the organization- and they are a winning organization that deserves our support.

If CSU were to transition into a “real” football team, the cost would come out of student pockets. Valdosta State University is one of a few schools in Georgia that is about the same size as CSU. It has a football team. Full time students that live on campus with a meal plan at VSU are paying $7,105 per semester. Full time students living on campus with a meal plan at CSU are paying around $5,793 per semester. Now, not all of that difference is because of the football program, but it’s definitely a factor. Would that extra cost really be worth a stadium and a few months of excitement?

Todd Reeser, director of athletics, believes that supporting school athletics is “where you build your pride for your university.” Would an NCAA football team spark a wave of student involvement and support for CSU? Reeser believes it will, but that doesn’t mean it will. There’s no guarantee that starting a football team will pay off- just ask Kennesaw or Georgia State.

There is nothing quite like being a part of that stadium environment, yelling and screaming for the same cause. But I think we could do just as well without one. There are many sports teams to take pride in and rally behind now, including our club fotoball team, which plays our Homecoming game Oct. 20th at Fort Benning. Reeser also remarked that people are “going to come out and be a part of a winning program,” and our teams win. We all look for different things in the college experience, and those experiences can be the difference in “I went to CSU” or “Yeah, I went to CSU.” Getting out there and supporting our athletes is a huge step to getting there.