What a shame

[HofstraHockey]

We used to draw pretty well when we scheduled properly...attendance dwindled significantly when we played Saturday afternoons and not Friday nights. I remember playing Stony Brook on the Friday night of Labor Day weekend and we drew something like 7,000 people. We played UCONN earlier and drew more.

We should use Villanova's return to football after dropping as the template for a return. They did extensive research and smart planning for the program.

We have all the facilities so there is no real cost there.

I would like to start by engaging with a small committee of people REALLY INTERESTED AND COMMITTED TO BRINGIING IT BACK...Perhaps we should start with such high profile guys as our former NFL players; guys like Willie Coon, Lance Shulters, Wayne Chrebet, Marques Colston. I know our new AD has been working on getting them more engaged with Hofstra. Many of them attended a basketball game this winter...once we get this group together it would be prudent to meet with BOT member Randy Levine, the Yankee president to determine how we would need to get this effort off the ground.

Villanova came back after only three years away. It was also in the mid-80s. The college football landscape is quite a bit different than 35 years ago. They also had heavy pressure from alumni and students- I can guarantee the students now are more concerned about what statues are on campus than a football team.

[Polito]

I MUCH preferred HU as an independent. The ND of AA. Schedules were awesome too.

[The Shadow]

Independent, Patriot, CAA, Pioneer, SoCon, Big South, or any 1AA league, as long as there is a program! Ten Years is Long Enough! Let's focus on starting the come back! Remember please, no negativity about this on the boards considering we all want the same thing. Let's not question leagues, or anything that does not involve the restart of the program. Hofstra, First and Ten, Again!

[joeg1]

I'd enjoy seeing football back, but to be completely honest, I don't think it's in Hofstra's best interest. Medium-size private schools are really struggling. In NY, there's a ton of competition from the SUNYs for tuition dollars. (Hofstra's revenue is tuition driven despite the large increase in endowment) The football program was not self sustaining. I'm sad to say, the interest was not there- neither by students and alumni, nor the community. It was, and would still be a large money drain. I believe most Hofstra stakeholders would rather have this sum used differently.

[HofstraHockey]

Same. The enrollment has been decreasing as people are finally catching on that they don't need to go to a private school anymore, and SUNYs are offering free tuition. It was said back then that the bill for the season was around $4.5 mil a year, and I'm sure that number has only gone up in 10 years. Where is that money coming from? $20 a ticket? Meanwhile, attendance across the board in college football has dropped.

I'd much rather figure out a way to make basketball competitive at a higher level, or bring in a sport where Hofstra can genuinely compete for a national championship that people care about. St. John's and Gonzaga, and Boston U- that's what Hofstra can be.

I know you all like watching football. I really get it. But if you're looking at what is best for the university, I really can't get on board with football coming back.

[HofstraPride1]

As much as I would love to see a Hofstra football resurrection, it is probably unrealistic in current higher education landscape. In addition to financial issues HofstraHockey outlined, there would be major infrastructure challenges such as lack of practice fields since the old ones are now parking lots, lack of coaches office since lacrosse program took them over, lack of locker room space and need for training room since Margiotta one is way too small. This on top of the other annual costs for running a college football program would make this incredibly hard sell no matter who the president is post-Rabinowitz.

[HofstraPride1]

As much as I would love to see a Hofstra football resurrection, it is probably unrealistic in current higher education landscape. In addition to financial issues HofstraHockey outlined, there would be major infrastructure challenges such as lack of practice fields since the old ones are now parking lots, lack of coaches office since lacrosse program took them over, lack of locker room space and need for training room since Margiotta one is way too small. This on top of the other annual costs for running a college football program would make this incredibly hard sell no matter who the president is post-Rabinowitz. I would love to see it like I said, but people shouldn't get their hopes up

[HUSID74]

Why do most of the local schools and the schools we compete with offer football???? First off, adding a football program would add more than 100 new students to the school, also the current student body is apathic to football because THERE HAS NOT BEEN A TEAM FOR TEN YEARS! I think a lot of the malaise in supporting sports at Hofstra is due to the lack of a football team.

And let's be honest, Stu killed the program; it was his plan all along...the scheduling, (lack of night games, lack of institutional support, etc. made it easier for him to kill it off.

Let's see what happens when there is a new administration in the future...and oh by the way, many top alumni and football supporters STOPPED contributing to the University and have remained on the sidelines since the sport was dropped.

[HofstraHockey]

Most? 3 do. Unless you think Hofstra competes with Columbia. St. John's, Manhattan, NYIT, Adelphi, NYU, St. Francis, Molloy, St. Joseph's, Pace, Touro, Five Towns, Berkeley... hate to break it to you, but that's who Hofstra is competing with for students right now. But sure, I guess people are going to CW Post and Fordham because they have a football team.

[joeg1]

The apathy was there 15 years ago, 5 years prior to the cut! (I know, I was at most of the games.)

Let's have 1AA football, at the expense of nursing or engineering or computer science?

Cutting football, as much as it stung, was the right call.

[HUSID74]

Most? 3 do. Unless you think Hofstra competes with Columbia. St. John's, Manhattan, NYIT, Adelphi, NYU, St. Francis, Molloy, St. Joseph's, Pace, Touro, Five Towns, Berkeley... hate to break it to you, but that's who Hofstra is competing with for students right now. But sure, I guess people are going to CW Post and Fordham because they have a football team.

Break this...the entire CAA, Ivy League, Patriot League, Stony Brook, LIU now...most Division One schools, that's who we compete with...most want a complete college experience and without football in the fall, a real homecoming, etc. IT AIN"T the SAME!

Oh and yes Columbia DOES have football.

[joeg1]

most want a complete college experience

I think you're a little out of touch!

[HofstraHockey]

I'm sorry, Hofstra competes with the Ivy League for students?

Oh boy.

[HofstraHockey]

But even if you do. If you want to see an apathetic towards sports student body, go check out Harvard Stadium on a Saturday afternoon.

[HUSID74]

most want a complete college experience

I think you're a little out of touch!

How many college age kids do you have or know...did you know that the hottest college for kids coming out of South Side HS in Rockville Centre is South Carolina?
Why? Because they want a more traditional college experience with big time sports...including football among other reasons...

[joeg1]

most want a complete college experience

I think you're a little out of touch!

How many college age kids do you have or know...did you know that the hottest college for kids coming out of South Side HS in Rockville Centre is South Carolina?
Why? Because they want a more traditional college experience with big time sports...including football among other reasons...

Actually three...

I guess that demographic can send a Long Island kid to a SC school at a mega premium for non-residents. For most, the SUNYs are a more practical option. (BTW, a Binghamton prof just won the Nobel Prize for chemistry) Most kids care more about tech capabilities and prospects for work over stuff like football.

[HUSID74]

joeg1 That's your opinion...and how many SUNY schools play football? Albany and SBU to name a few...does football impact their academic integrity?

[HofstraHockey]

I know about 20 current Hofstra students. All male, all athletes, but not NCAA SAs.

They do not care, at all, about Hofstra having a football team.

I can name about a dozen other things that USC has, as a campus, that Hofstra doesn't that would make kids want to go there. But go and ask those kids if they'd go to Hofstra if it had a football team (hint: they won't). But please, I beg, stop comparing a day at Shuart Stadium to going to a SEC game.

[HUSID74]

I know about 20 current Hofstra students. All male, all athletes, but not NCAA SAs.

They do not care, at all, about Hofstra having a football team.

I can name about a dozen other things that USC has, as a campus, that Hofstra doesn't that would make kids want to go there. But go and ask those kids if they'd go to Hofstra if it had a football team (hint: they won't). But please, I beg, stop comparing a day at Shuart Stadium to going to a SEC game.

Nobody is comparing Hofstra to anyone...and, you proved my point. I'll bet those 20 students you spoketo ...hard to believe you actually did this...don't give a rat's ass about any sports on campus...the student makeup has changed since we dropped football...there is much less support for ALL the athletic programs.

And I might add, it takes more than students to make a village...what about alumni, the community and the hundreds ok football playing kids in the community. In addition, the program generated significant media coverage locally and nationally.

With proper scheduling and promotion, there is no reason football could not draw more than 5,000 per game...it's been done before, it can be done again.

[HofstraHockey]

You want me to take video of me asking them? I am in Pennsylvania with them now.

There is less and less support for teams on campus across the board. Student sections that used to be packed can now barely give them away. College football attendance is at its lowest point in 22 years.

From an article posted on one of Georgia's fan sites: "Of 2017’s 30 top programs in terms of attendance, 20 of them either saw no change or witnessed a drop in 2018. Two SEC schools, Florida and South Carolina [note: where apparently every student from Long Island wants to go], were among the program’s hit hardest by decrease in attendance. Even Clemson, which was crowned national champions last season, was down roughly 370 fans per game, according to the NCAA."

5,000 people a game, at what, $20 a ticket? I'll put it at about $1 mil in income. Where does the rest come from? Don't tell me alumni donations- nobody is ponying up that kind of cash. For another million, I bet they can get much better coverage both locally and nationally than a I-AA football team can. But hey, start having your meetings, and ask Chrebet and Colston for a cool mil each a year, and football will be back!