<p>The latest news on football is that it is valuable to schools in other ways. Schools that have been struggling in the admissions department have found that adding a football team is one of the most cost effective and successful ways of bringing up the admissions numbers. Crazy, isn't it?</p>
<p>The smaller schools, in particular, are hurting in male admissions everywhere. Such schools, by adding a football program, even a non scholarship one, start drawing young men who want to play college ball. They loved the game as highschoolers, but are having trouble find a school where they can play. And where the football players come, the girls follow as well. </p>
<p>In many of the non flagship state Unis, football can make a big difference between the school being a suitcase/commuter school and a true university community. I remember my friend (who could not care less about football), noting that a school with the program was just more "alive" than those that do not.</p>
<p>Schools like Emory, Swarthmore.. a number of others have done just fine getting rid of the sport. Their academic pull and other factors have kept them in the running as desireable schools. But there are thousands of schools in the US that are hurting for students, and an active university community that is well demonstrated by attendence at a football game will draw kids better than nearly anything else.</p>
<p>My little ones, by the way, are Ben Rothelsberger (sp?) fans and are excited to his alma mater play at my son's uni. THough it's snowing in Buffalo, I understand they are gearing up for this game on Family Weekend.</p>