Vermont Football?

[RedSoxVT92]

UVM has not had a football team since 1974. The only state (I beileve) besides Alaska to not have a university football team. It would cost millions of dollars to start a team, build a stadium, hire a coaching staff and recruit players. This process would take along time to do so, and we would be required to play Division I-AA. But my question is, would a football team be a smart idea for UVM? The University of Vermont has plenty of money and is a suprisingly big school. Although will it generate enough revenue and turn up a profit? So whats your opinion on all of this?

I personally want a Vermont team and bring back the good old days of Bobby Mitchell (not to be confused with the HOFer Bobby Mitchell).

[tdk1984]

I don't know. Will enough "good" players be interested in UVM to make the team good enough to make it worthwhile?

[ATLFalcons]

I don't know. Will enough "good" players be interested in UVM to make the team good enough to make it worthwhile?
I don't think it's a matter of good enough players. The first few years the team might not win a game, but maybe marginal high school players might get a chance to play there.

[brady_branch]

It's the biggest party school in the USA, so some people might want to come. :D

[redbuck]

Over the winter the "V" sign was stolen from the front of campus for a few days. Was pretty major news up there.

Bringing back football would provide somebody to defend the sign.

[OswaldTheOsprey]

UVM has not had a football team since 1974. The only state (I beileve) besides Alaska to not have a university football team. It would cost millions of dollars to start a team, build a stadium, hire a coaching staff and recruit players. This process would take along time to do so, and we would be required to play Division I-AA. But my question is, would a football team be a smart idea for UVM? The University of Vermont has plenty of money and is a suprisingly big school. Although will it generate enough revenue and turn up a profit? So whats your opinion on all of this?

I personally want a Vermont team and bring back the good old days of Bobby Mitchell (not to be confused with the HOFer Bobby Mitchell).

Birmingham-Southern College abandoned football in 1939,
the same year as the University of Chicago, Amos Alonzo
Stagg's old school. However, in 2007, BSC will resume
football on the Division III level. One question: Does
Middlebury College still have a football team?

OswaldTheOsprey

[RedSoxVT92]

One question: Does
Middlebury College still have a football team?

OswaldTheOsprey

Yes they do have a division III football team. Now personally I find it a bit pathetic that such a large university does not have a football team while such a small college like Middlebury does IMO. I really hope that UVM resumes a football program but something in my gut tells me otherwise.

[OswaldTheOsprey]

Yes they do have a division III football team. Now personally I find it a bit pathetic that such a large university does not have a football team while such a small college like Middlebury does IMO. I really hope that UVM resumes a football program but something in my gut tells me otherwise.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Norwich University in Vermont
was a military school. Their annual grid battle with the
Coast Guard Academy was known as "The Little Army-Navy
Game", just as the annual minor league baseball matchup
between the International League and American Association
champs was "The Little World Series".

OswaldTheOsprey

[tdk1984]

It's the biggest party school in the USA, so some people might want to come. :D

That's funny, until a couple of years ago, my local university (CSU Chico) held that distinction for several years in a row.

[OswaldTheOsprey]

That's funny, until a couple of years ago, my local university (CSU Chico) held that distinction for several years in a row.

Down here, Alabama and Florida are usually high up
in the party school rankings. There used to be a
joke that going to class at Florida was an extra
curricular activity!

OswaldTheOsprey:D

[OswaldTheOsprey]

UVM has not had a football team since 1974. The only state (I beileve) besides Alaska to not have a university football team. It would cost millions of dollars to start a team, build a stadium, hire a coaching staff and recruit players. This process would take along time to do so, and we would be required to play Division I-AA. But my question is, would a football team be a smart idea for UVM? The University of Vermont has plenty of money and is a suprisingly big school. Although will it generate enough revenue and turn up a profit? So whats your opinion on all of this?

I personally want a Vermont team and bring back the good old days of Bobby Mitchell (not to be confused with the HOFer Bobby Mitchell).

RedSoxVT92:

What is the level of interest for a football team at UVM, both
among the student body and the general citizenry? Presumably,
the leadership of both the University and the state would only
begin to move when it was brought to their attention.

Also, what is the attitude of the state's sports writers
and sportscasters?

OswaldTheOsprey

[RedSoxVT92]

RedSoxVT92:

What is the level of interest for a football team at UVM, both
among the student body and the general citizenry? Presumably,
the leadership of both the University and the state would only
begin to move when it was brought to their attention.

Also, what is the attitude of the state's sports writers
and sportscasters?

OswaldTheOsprey

I know many people in the UVM community and in the state of Vermont would be intrested in a football program. When they got rid of it hundreds of people got wicked angry and hundreds wrote angry letters. Now many have forgotten that their even was a football team at UVM. I beileve it has been brought to UVMs attention but have failed to start. Athletic director Bob Corran has said that the biggest hurdle is financial. But UVM could do it as they seem to keeping making more and more money every year. Im sure that business owners in burlington would also like it as UVM really powers Burlington and a football team would just add on to it.

Their may not be a profit in the first few years but in the end it would be worth it for UVM and everyone else, IMO.


(Below:Around 10,000 fans would come to see Vermont football in sellouts way back when)

[OswaldTheOsprey]

I know many people in the UVM community and in the state of Vermont would be intrested in a football program. When they got rid of it hundreds of people got wicked angry and hundreds wrote angry letters. Now many have forgotten that their even was a football team at UVM. I beileve it has been brought to UVMs attention but have failed to start. Athletic director Bob Corran has said that the biggest hurdle is financial. But UVM could do it as they seem to keeping making more and more money every year. Im sure that business owners in burlington would also like it as UVM really powers Burlington and a football team would just add on to it.

Their may not be a profit in the first few years but in the end it would be worth it for UVM and everyone else, IMO.


(Below:Around 10,000 fans would come to see Vermont football in sellouts way back when)

Thanks for the info. Good luck in your quest to get
The Catamounts back on the gridiron!

OswaldTheOsprey

[efin98]

UVM has not had a football team since 1974. The only state (I beileve) besides Alaska to not have a university football team.

Even far off Hawaii has a team:o

It would cost millions of dollars to start a team, build a stadium, hire a coaching staff and recruit players.

All in due time. What first needs to be done is to find a core of 30+ students in good academic standing to start the ball rolling. Then you need to find either a local college or high school with at least a 5,000 seat stadium to house the new team.

Coaches can be found, they may have to vollunteer for a year at next to nothing prices but I am willing to bet that you could find several folks willing to help coach the team.

The biggest expense will be equiptment- sponsors and advertising should bring down the price but it will still be expensive.

This process would take along time to do so, and we would be required to play Division I-AA.

Vermont is already a borderline 1AA team anyway, and in fact the teams in UVM's conferences in other sports are all 1AA teams. There is no shame in being 1AA- at least the team is division 1 level. The team will likely be in the Atlantic 10 conference or the Colonial Athletic Association like UVM's New England counterparts.

But my question is, would a football team be a smart idea for UVM? The University of Vermont has plenty of money and is a suprisingly big school. Although will it generate enough revenue and turn up a profit? So whats your opinion on all of this?

The team will generate money. It will take a few years but it will generate money. If they get enough land and can build a new football stadium they can also house in-house sports like soccer and lacrosse and host state championships that will bring in even more money.


The biggest issue is just simply getting interest going. The school needs a group of students willing to work hard to get the team started. It may take two or three years but it could be done.