COLLEGE:When money isn't there, faith has to be

BY JOHN O'CONNOR

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Football at Virginia and Virginia Tech makes money, with record ticket sales, television revenue and bowl payouts.

At lower levels, football is a religion. You've got to have faith.

Colleges that play the sport in Division I-AA and below rely heavily on student fees and private contributions to offset costs. But there is no discussion about droppingfootball at I-AA William and Mary, Division II Virginia State or Division III Hampden-Sydney, etc., despite the fact that football is not a money-maker.

"In I-AA, football has a value on campus that can't be measured in dollars," said Dave Clawson, the University of Richmond's coach.

Amen, they say at Division II Saint Paul's, which restarted varsity football this season. The 627-student college in Lawrenceville shut down its football program after the'87 season because of financial considerations. Money remains a significant issue at Saint Paul's, but football was rejudged to be a worthwhile component.

Willard Bailey, the veteran coach hired to guide the Tigers, says: "Football adds so much to the aroma of a college campus."

School spirit. Quality of student life. Loyalty. Excitement. Exposure. Alumni involvement. Community interest. These all are part of that unquantifiable "aroma" about which Bailey spoke.

Villanova had bowl teams in 1961 (the Sun Bowl) and 1962 (the Liberty Bowl). Comparable programs built bigger stadiums or expanded existing facilities. Villanova was land-locked, stayed in its 12,000-seat stadium, played most of its notable opponents on the road and suffered competitively. Interest waned. The Wildcats droppedfootball after the 1980 season.

"When the decision was made, it was done very quietly. When it hit the fan, it upset everybody. Alumni immediately went into war mode," said Andy Talley, who assumed leadership of Villanova's restarted program in 1985 and remains the coach. "[Eliminatingfootball] basically stopped alumni giving, and there was all sorts of unrest. Those four years were a very rough time at Villanova."

Villanova still doesn't make money playing football, but, said Talley, "There are so many things a university uses to make that beautiful quilt. Football is part of that. The bottom line is that you have to be willing to make a financial commitment."

© 2005, Media General, Inc.