Students and faculty interested in learning more about the proposed reinstatement of a football gathered to ask questions and voice opinions on Tuesday’s football forum.
On April 10 and 11, ETSU students will be given the opportunity to vote online on a topic that has created a lot of hype around campus.
Should football, once again, be a part of our athletic program? In a recent survey, 82 percent of students supported a return of football. However, only 61 percent of those students said they would be willing to pay an additional fee that would accompany the reinstatement of a football program. Our current athletic fee is $75, but if football is brought back, this fee will be raised by $50 next year and an additional $50 two years later, to a total athletic fee of $175.
Season passes will be given to students for the same number of years they paid the football fee. Graduate students will also be subject to paying the extra $175 added tuition as well.
In order to create a more collegiate experience, SGA President Josh Shearin believes we should build a stadium on campus if football is approved. This stadium would most likely be situated behind the CPA or by Buc Ridge in a natural bowl area. The proposed stadium plan would cost up to $15 million, all of which would be raised through fundraisers and private donations.
Football was initially cancelled in 2003 due to a lack of funds and interest from the students. The new stadium would be outdoors which a lot of students find more appealing. Tailgating could become a part of campus life at ETSU, similar to that of UT. With football games on Saturday, ETSU could possibly become less of a “suitcase college” because students might stay on campus during the weekends in order to attend football games.
Some students attending the forum voiced concerns over whether or not enough interest exists to bring back the football program. One student asked whether apathetic students, many of whom don’t take the time to vote on the Internet, would attend football games?
Lisa Gallagher, a former ETSU soccer player from 1998-2001, came to the forum to get information. She was highly involved with the football team before it was canceled in 2003, and after attending the  forum she feels confident the program might work.
Bryant Bales, a member of the SGA senate, believes that a football team would help bring students together, even on the weekends, and create a more enriching campus life experience.
Dave Mullins, director of ETSU intercollegiate athletics, believes that “we can fund a program we’d be proud of.”
The question lies in the final outcome. Can a new football program actually remain successful for many years after its birth? Or will the exciting novelty quickly fade like it has in the past?
In last semester’s non-binding survey, 80 percent of the students participating in the vote stated that they would attend the games if football were brought back.
If approved, Buc football will depend on $1 million in annual private donations in addition to the $2.7 million generated from student fees.
Other sources of potential income include ticket and merchandise sales.
The faculty senate will be hosting a student/faculty football forum Monday, April 9 at 5 p.m. in the Culp auditorium to give an opportunity for faculty members and students to discuss football.

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