The Saint Mary’s University Board of Trustees voted Friday against a proposal to bring varsity football back to the Winona campus. The unanimous board action was taken following discussion of a report by the university’s Football Task Force.
The board felt that “as responsible stewards of university resources,” reinstating football at this time is not in the best interests of the university and its students. They noted that the expense of starting and maintaining a competitive football program is prohibitive. The board also said that many of the reasons for reinstating football could be achieved by upgrading existing athletic programs.
Rob Figliulo, board chairman, thanked the Task Force for its “extremely thorough and thoughtful report.” He expressed his “deep appreciation for their hard work and diligence. It moves the university forward” regardless of the vote against football.
Brother Craig Franz, FSC, university president, said the board gave careful and deliberative consideration to the information and issues presented by the Task Force report. He said the process of studying and debating the issue of reinstating football “raised awareness and appreciation of the role of athletics in the overall experience of students.”
Brother Craig noted that the information collected and the issues raised by the Task Force will be useful in future discussions by the board and the university concerning improvements to existing athletic programs and facilities.
Saint Mary’s discontinued football in 1955. The idea of reinstating the sport has been proposed from time-to-time over the years, with the last extensive study done about 15 years ago.
The Football Task Force was formed in early spring 2005 to study the feasibility of adding men’s football to the lineup of Saint Mary’s varsity athletic offerings. The committee examined the impact of football on student enrollment and university visibility, as well as a wide range of issues related to finances, facilities, student life etc. The football report was presented to the board at its May, 2006 meeting; action on the proposal was deferred until today’s meeting so that the Task Force could provide further information in response to board questions.
The Task Force was headed by Chris Kendall, vice president for student development, and Tony Piscitiello, vice president for admission. The group was comprised of a cross-section of university constituents, including administration, faculty, students, student life, admission, finance, facilities, alumni, development, and the Winona community. |
