Posted on 12/03/2009 9:27:45 AM PST by SoftballMominVA
After a comprehensive review, the Board of Trustees has, at my recommendation, voted unanimously to eliminate our intercollegiate football program in order to redirect those resources toward academic initiatives and need-based scholarships.
This decision is not a budget reduction, but rather a strategically driven reallocation of resources. We have no plans for any further major changes to our Division I athletics program, which we believe is an integral part of a fully textured university experience. We will continue to host 17 intercollegiate sports and to continue to invest significantly in our athletics program. However, at the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA) level, football could not attain significant national recognition, and it has had low student, community and media interest, attendance and financial support. In addition, the football program, the largest of the athletic programs, is by far the most expensive. In the end, we could not continue to justify the expense of football compared to the benefits it brought to the University.
This was a difficult decision, undertaken after a thorough review of all aspects of the issue. After much discussion and analysis, we believe with certainty that it is the right choice for Hofstra University. This strategic decision to reallocate resources is based on our academic mission and priorities, and our vision of attaining recognition as one of our nation’s leading universities. Investment in academic initiatives and need-based scholarships is warranted for the long term benefit of our students and the University community.
Simply stated, academic excellence has been and will continue to be our highest priority. Hofstra has made significant strides in the past decade, dramatically improving the credentials of entering classes, adding new professorships and chairs, creating national centers such as the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency and the National Center for Suburban Studies, and establishing the Hofstra University School of Medicine in partnership with North Shore- LIJ Health System. Hofstra’s potential is limitless, and there are many exciting and new possibilities for the future, including enhancements to our hard science and engineering programs, including new graduate programs, as well as new programs in public health and other health related fields.
Our first priority, at this time, is to work with the 84 football student-athletes to ensure that they manage this transition in whatever manner is most comfortable for them. We hope that they will continue to make Hofstra their academic home, and will fully honor their scholarships so they can complete their degree. However, we will also understand if they decide to transfer to continue playing football while attending school. Whichever they decide to do, we will provide the necessary assistance. We are grateful to all of them, and to our coaching staff, for their dedicated efforts for our University. All of our students and alumni are valued members of the Hofstra family, and we respect and honor the contributions of our football student-athletes over the years.
If we are to continue our momentum and strive to become one of our nation’s best institutions of higher education, standing for excellence in every way, we must invest in academics and programs in which we can compete at the highest level. It is more essential than ever that we invest our resources wisely, and consider fully how we meet our mission as a university.
Sincerely,
Stuart Rabinowitz President, Hofstra University
When my husband and i went to Hofstra,in the 60’s, we had a fabulous football team. Quite a number of players went on to the pros. This announcement surprises me.
Very much the exception. Not every college football team has their own national TV contract which they don't have to share with other conference members. Nor have special sweetheart provisions in the BCS contract.
The Kamikaze Play - “Send Cosby up the middle, everybody else off the field.”
Agree, when I read about the contract renewal it pissed me off too and wondered about the schools struggling to maintain a sports program period
My guess is that the planned Medical School is more likely the reason
The Pride
Of course there are - but how many universities with football teams are starting a medical school from scratch in this economy?
“We’re going to pass out these affadavits that we want you to sign stating that you will not touch certain areas of your body....while out there on the football field.”
My daughter is a sophomore bio-chem major on the pre-med track. She loves it there, and from all accounts, she is earning an excellent science education.
Several D3 schools in New England just added football.
For the sports fanatic parent, they can send their rolly-polly fat kid who could barely play HS football to a college and play NCAA football. And they can pay $30k a year to do it.
Figure 70 kids on the team, x 30k net = 2.1 million a year.
When you dont have to pay scholarships, football is still a pretty good deal.
Hofstra plays football?
I love the “this is not a budget reduction, but cutting football will decrease our expenses.”
IIRC it's the "Flying Dutchmen".When I was at the US Merchant Marine Academy at King's Point in the late Fifties, Hofstra would annually kick our butts. They were a small college powerhouse back in the day.
Sorry SoftballMom, I can't let this go. I had to do some digging.
The net cost of the Hofstra football program for '08-09 is approximately $4.5 million, including scholarships. The entire Athletics Revenue for the same time frame is $4.703 mil and change.
Ticket Sales, Corporate Sponsorships, Endowment Income and Game Guaratees are each below 10%. NCAA & CAA Distributions, Pride Club Contributions and Facility Rentals each accounted for over 20%.
The entire Hofstra Athletics program was in jeopardy of collapsing so they plugged the largest drain, Football.
It was easier to do it this way instead of DEMANDING the AD get off his AS* and come up with ways to increase Corporate Sponsorships, Endowments, etc.
Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it
It WAS called the “Flying Dutchmen” - a superior and unique name in the eyes of many students.
But it was officially changed to “The Pride” several years ago
There is a group of students asking to change it back, or use it in addition to “The Pride” because, WTH is “THE PRIDE”??
OMG! Those are some incredible numbers!!! The cost of the football team nearly equalled the entire revenue for the whole sports program!
I wonder if the expense of the pep band (50 players that get $25 each to play at the football games) is included in that number?
I’ll pass this info on to my daughter
Unless I’m mistaken, the NCAA allows for Band and Cheer to travel with their team. That 25 bucks per pep band member would have to be included in their expense report.
Yeah, just think of how far the University of Chicago’s academic standards have fallen since leaving the Big 10.
ESPN has picked up your story. Here’s the link...
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4709412
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