The students want football, the community wants football and the administration wants football. But does the State Board of Regents want football?
That question will be answered Friday when the regents meet at Utah State University and finally decide the fate of football at Utah Valley Community College."It's time for all the talk, rumors and innuendo to end one way or another," UVCC Athletic Director Michael Jacobsen said.
Jacobsen said that even though not binding, the decision the regents make Friday is the one by which UVCC will abide. The proposal before the regents is the result of a long-term project. If six years of research and preparation do not convince the regents of UVCC's desire and need to have football, he said, the school will drop the issue.
"Because it's been such a controversial and visible issue, without the support of the Board of Regents we won't take it on," Jacobsen said. "We would not start football without their sanction and approval. We've done all we can to present our side of the story."
Last month the Board of Regents listened to UVCC's proposal and several board members were cautious about proposed budget figures that showed the program using only about $35,000 a year in state funds - and that money would be used to pay coaches for teaching. The regents questioned how UVCC could get by with so little in state funds when Dixie College and Snow College cannot.
Most of the revenue for UVCC's estimated $189,000 football budget would come from student fees and private donations. Jacobsen said students voted six years ago to fund football with a student fee increase, and that money has been set aside to cover a portion of the estimated $79,000 startup costs.
UVCC can support football because its enrollment is so much higher than the other schools, he said. UVCC officials said enrollment figures and student fee projections used in the estimated budget are conservative.
"It's a numbers game," Jacobsen said. "Because of our enrollment and student base and fees, we can run this program. The last thing we want to do is take on a program that is going to be a burden for our other programs."
The regents were also concerned about how adding football would affect Title 9 regulations on equal opportunities in women's and men's athletics. Jacobsen said UVCC already has more women's athletic teams than men's and football should not cause a problem.
"We provide equal opportunity for women's programs to be successful," Jacobsen said. "There's nobody better in women's athletics than we are."
Jacobsen said recent surveys show that UVCC students want a football program. He said the main reason UVCC needs football is for the social advantages. Students need something to unite around, and football would provide that, Jacobsen said.
"Social circles spin off of football. We feel football would adhere our students and get them involved in other school activities," he said.
UVCC President Kerry Romesburg said studies show football is successful at many junior colleges and most schools benefit from having a football program.
"Football is apparently alive and well at two-year colleges, especially in the West," Romesburg said.
If the regents approve UVCC's proposal, a head coach would be hired in November, and the school would begin competition in the Western States Football League in fall 1991.
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Estimated annual football budget
Cost Source of funds
Coaching staff $47,750 Student fees
Scholarships $71,100 Private donations, student fees
and tuition waivers
Expenses $37,500 Student fees
Reserve fund $7,000 Student fees
Insurance $25,280 Student fees
Totals $188,630
Student fees $132,530
State credits $41,100
Private donations $15,000