Erskine Looking At (FCS) Football?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

http://www.independentmail.com/news/2008/may/27/erskine-college-tries-gauge-interest-restarting-fo/


DUE WEST — Would you be interested in watching some Flying Fleet football? The folks at Erskine College want to know.

Tuesday, the Erskine College Football Feasibility Committee posted an online survey on the school’s athletics website asking alumni and fans to weigh in on the possibility of adding the gridiron game to its sports stable. It’s a 20-question survey that hopes to gauge not only the potential “school pride” impact of football, but how it might affect academics, financial giving, alumni engagement, student life, community interest, etc.

I’ll be interested to see what people think of the idea. In a football-crazy state like South Carolina, I’m guessing early buzz will be positive. But, in an area dominated by Clemson, South Carolina and Furman, can Erskine football fit in?

...

If Erskine does start football, will it play at the Division II level? If so, will it try to eventually move up to the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly known as Division 1-AA?

xeyebrowx

Good questions all. Logically, IMO, there seems to be only one possible place they could go: the Big South.

[catamount man]

I just took it for the heck of it letting them know that it could do good things for the school and the community. If you've never been to Due West, SC, there is NOTHING there except Erskine College, Dixie High School(my old man's alma mater) and a very small local community consisting of homes, a gas station and a store.

Football would help the community 10 fold, give the community some sort of face recognition and enrollment amongst males would blossom. As a native South Carolinian, adding football to any school, to me, is going to be a positive.

If they shoot for D2, they will at least play NAIA and D3 schools the first couple of years a la Brevard College in North Carolina. All the best to them! xthumbsupx

[TexasTerror]

They have no business even thinking about Division I. While they may be able to find a conference home, they'd be the smallest Division I school in the land, even less than Centenary in Louisiana, which has looked at possibly dropping down, but has a stubborn President.

[TheBisonator]

If this school ends up in the FCS, Then it'll be time for a lot of our schools to start FBS studies. If schools like Marshall, Nevada, Boise State and Connecticut are being replaced by Erksine (sp?), South Dakota and Presbyterian, then it's time to seriously think about where we are in the grand football scheme.

[catamount man]

If they wind up D2, look for the South Atlantic Conference to possibly look at them. SAC is all private, church affiliated schools and EC fits the bill. Depends if the SAC wants to expand. I think North Greenville has a hard on to get into the SAC.

Good luck EC.

[Hoseinexile07]

Competing for recruits will also be VERY difficult, as there are 2 I-A, 7 I-AA, and 3 DII football schools in South Carolina. If Winthrop University adds football, that'll increase Erskine's in-state competition to 13 football sponsoring institutions. If Erskine feels like it can do it, then I say all the best, but I think all the feasibility reports and surveys will come back decidedly negative. MAYBE if the administration starts LONG term planning to increase the student body and extra revenue, an attempt at building a DII team from the ground up could be possible in about ten years. However, the possibility of a successful I-AA football program for the Flying Fleet is a pipe dream.

[Sir William]

Erskine ain't going I-AA. Don't even worry about it.

D2, maybe...maybe. And there they will be pounded.

[Death Dealer]

Erskine ain't going I-AA. Don't even worry about it.

D2, maybe...maybe. And there they will be pounded.

SW is right. My wife is a fourth generation alum and her family is pretty plugged in to the goings on over there in Due West. If they do start a program, it will be DII at best. They are a very small, but well funded school. There are some very wealthy alumni, lots of old money that I'm sure would step up to help get a program going. Plus, you are talking about a football crazy area. I don't think they'd have much trouble getting fans to attend, even with Clemson and USC nearby. There are a ton of football fans in the area that won't pay the prices that the big FBS schools charge for tickets, but would drive over to Erskine to see a game. Greenwood, Belton, Honea Path, Aiken. Also all good recruiting grounds for DII level athletes.

I think it could work.

[gvilleapp]

One of my best friends is part of the administration at Erskine. It's a great school, very high academic standards, with roughly 600 undergraduates and 600 students in the ARP seminary. I asked my friend about this a couple months ago and he said he has a hard time seeing how it could happen anytime soon.

The school raises a lot of money, but is very generous in awarding academic scholarships both for the seminary and the undergraduates. I don't think that would change just to fund a football program.

To add football, you would have to have enough on campus housing for at least another 75 students I would think. There basically is no off campus housing in Due West and I believe the students are required to live on campus unless their parents live in the area. That is quite a expense for a school that size.

Assuming you give 35 scholarships for football, which I think is the DII level, you would have to add another 35 scholarships for women's sports. At around $30k/year for tuition and room & board you are up to $2.1 million in scholarship cost alone before you hire the first coach or buy the first helmet.

I think football would be fun for the Erskine community, but I have a hard time seeing it happen at the DII level.

[WUTNDITWAA]

If this school ends up in the FCS, Then it'll be time for a lot of our schools to start FBS studies. If schools like Marshall, Nevada, Boise State and Connecticut are being replaced by Erksine (sp?), South Dakota and Presbyterian, then it's time to seriously think about where we are in the grand football scheme.

xthumbsupx

[Death Dealer]

If this school ends up in the FCS, Then it'll be time for a lot of our schools to start FBS studies. If schools like Marshall, Nevada, Boise State and Connecticut are being replaced by Erksine (sp?), South Dakota and Presbyterian, then it's time to seriously think about where we are in the grand football scheme.

Ahhhhhh, delusions of grandeur! xlolx You might want to spend at least one or two years getting into the playoffs ahead of us poor little private schools before you "move up" to the big time chasing a spot in the local toilet bowl. xrolleyesx I don't think you'll see Erskine in the FCS anytime in the near future. DII is gonna be a serious stretch for them, as GA pointed out.

[OL FU]

If this school ends up in the FCS, Then it'll be time for a lot of our schools to start FBS studies. If schools like Marshall, Nevada, Boise State and Connecticut are being replaced by Erksine (sp?), South Dakota and Presbyterian, then it's time to seriously think about where we are in the grand football scheme.

You guys should become the new Buffalo Bulls of the FBSxnodx

[89Hen]

xconfusedx

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2414908437_60737068d0_o.jpg

[Eyes of Old Main]

I see no way Foreskin College can play FCS football. They'd be doing well to stay on the field in D-II. Best of luck if that's what they want to do, but I'm not sur ehow much "school pride" will be drummed up when they get thrashed by the likes of North Greenville, Mars Hill and Lenoir-Rhyne.

[dakotadan]

Competing for recruits will also be VERY difficult, as there are 2 I-A, 7 I-AA, and 3 DII football schools in South Carolina.

xrotatehx

I never realized there were that many.

[chantman]

Coastal Carolina
Charleston Southern
Citadel
Wofford
SC State
Furman
PC

[Lehigh Football Nation]

More info on this... looks like they're committed for now to D-II, although Wofford, Presby and Furman are prominently mentioned.

Very good read.

http://www.indexjournal.com/articles/2008/06/01/sports/sports01.txt


FINDING NECESSARY FUNDING is perhaps the most concrete issue that must be addressed before starting the Flying Fleet football program anew.

At UNC Pembroke, which started its Division II football program this past season, it took $4.5 million build a fieldhouse that is home to the football facilities, athletic director Dan Kenney said.