The following are answers to the most frequently asked questions concerning the football program.

Why is there such a crisis?
 

 Over the past several years, it has become clear that the institution’s expenses have been increasing and our enrollment has been remaining steady or slightly dropping year to year. No major difficult strategic decisions have been made to allay the oncoming shortfall. The situation has become reality in the 2007/2008 budget year. Many institutions are facing this challenge. Small institutions face especially difficult challenges. All institutions have to ask themselves whether they can afford to continue to do everything they have done, and the way it was done in the past.

How much money does football cost?
 

            It costs approximately $500,000 a year to support football, including state money, student fees and scholarships. That is what it costs to support the team now, without adding any of the support we need to make the team competitive in Division II. It is clear to everyone that we need to provide more funding above the $500,000 we are spending now to have a competitive team. We need a better field, Astroturf, a new field house, new stands, a new press box, better paid coaches, overtime for coaches and much more scholarship money. That would cost approximately another $500,000 a year. As a small state institution, that is not in our range.

Why doesn’t the university value the history of football at Mansfield?
 

            This is the most difficult question we receive. This decision to eliminate football is wrenching for everyone involved. Everyone respects our long history, and the value of football to the development of the student. There is no more difficult decision any of us has ever had to make. There are times in the span of an institution when very difficult and painful decisions have to be made in order to ensure the financial health of the institution.

What will happen to the money saved by cutting football?
 

            We will be able to do three things: help provide some of the systemic cuts we need to make; provide better support for and build the sports programs we have; provide more support for academics.

Will the football players we have retain their scholarships for the years they would have been eligible to play?
 

            Yes.

How come other institutions can afford football and we can’t?
 

            Larger schools in the System, located in or near cities, have an enrollment that will support a program; some others have endowment that provides many more scholarships than we can give. State money and tuition cannot be used for scholarships. All small institutions in the System are now struggling with this issue.

Why doesn’t Mansfield prioritize football like other institutions do?
 

            We have prioritized football over all other sports. Football receives far more funding than any other sport. However, we do not prioritize football over academics. We are now in a position that we would have to diminish academic support to fund football. We will not do that.

Is this being done to address Title IX?
 

            This is being done for budgetary reasons.

Will we be compliant with Title IV if the program is eliminated?
 

            We will be closer in compliance; it is difficult to know if we will be totally compliant.

What will happen with Homecoming?
 

            Many schools hold their Homecoming on the first day of basketball season.

How would this affect the marching band?

            Dr. Brennan, Chair of the Music Department and Director of the marching band, says that the band can play at Homecoming, other sports and campus events. The band is invited to many state and national competitions, many of which they cannot attend because of football games. This decision will allow our band to gain more national recognition for our music program.

How would this affect the cheerleaders?
 

            Dr. Maris, of the cheerleaders, says that there are some advantages for the cheerleaders. They would only need one squad and they would be able to cheer for our other sports which they have not often done in the past.

What will happen to enrollment?

            It is possible that enrollment will drop next year. Sadly, many of our eighty young men will leave to play elsewhere. None of us wants any of them to leave, but the reality is that many will. Our intention is to make up the difference by providing more recruiting and program support for our other teams and to build track and field which is an area we feel certain we can expand quickly.   

Won’t dropping the football program affect diversity?
 

            Sadly, yes. We will have to seriously address our diversity issues in other ways.