Winthrop University May field a football team

[Libertine]

Apples and oranges. UNI's student body is also twice as large as Winthrop's. 43% male out of 10,500 is significantly larger than 32% male out of 5,000. More so, however, regardless of statistics, UNI began and has continued a football program since 1895. The landscape of college athletics is slightly different today.

[keydet21]

Ok then, they shouldn't do it because they are Winthrop. Winthrop football just doesn't sound right.

Coastal didn't have football until 2003 and look at them now.

[OL FU]

Ok then, they shouldn't do it because they are Winthrop. Winthrop football just doesn't sound right.

Coastal didn't have football until 2003 and look at them now.

Hey I hadn't heard of Coastal until 2003 so it sounded fine.
I have known of Winthrop my entire life, it doesn't sound right

[clenz]

What kind of impact does having a football team have on a student body?

I have no idea if it would impact enrollment figures at all - especially at a level other the the "Power 5" - but it would be interesting.

At a mimum it would boost mens enrollment the number of the team ≈100. At an enrollment of 5K it would take it to 5,100. It's a small impact but it raises the male enrollment over 1%. As a team grows I would venture the male enrollment would grow...could be wrong.

Winthrop may never get to 45% but getting to 38-40% would mean only needing to add ≈300 males.

If Winthrop was currently at 1900 males (38%) instead of 1600 males (32%) make you feel better about it? That means on top of the football team (≈100) they would need only 200 more males, with 300 getting them to 40%). At a university that small such a small change in enrollment can make a huge difference on %

UNI's enrollment is actually over 12k...fwiw.

[clenz]

Mercer just started a program...

Interesting numbers there

http://collegeapps.about.com/od/college ... ersity.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and Mercer's website

8300 enrollment
≈47-48% of the students are GRADUATE students
35% male


What's your thoughts on Mercer starting a program?

[OL FU]

Mercer just started a program...

Interesting numbers there

http://collegeapps.about.com/od/college ... ersity.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and Mercer's website

8300 enrollment
≈47-48% of the students are GRADUATE students
35% male


What's your thoughts on Mercer starting a program?

Mercer is doing it the right way, spending the money getting the coaches, etc. Winthrop could do the same but there is I think a big difference. With the larger population that Georgia has, they have now two BCS schools, two lower lever FBS schools and 2 FCS schools, if you can even count Savannah state. Mercer seems to have a built in audience whether it is alums or people from Macon or both, I don't know. But they are far enough from Atlanta to get a crowd.

Winthrop, as I mentioned before is in a state with 9 Division I schools and probably half the population of Georgia. They are just south of Charlotte where most people of course are UNC fans (Sorry 49ers). They exist in a state where if someone doesn't have a school affiliation they are either a Tiger or a Gamecock. I am not saying they can' pull it off and honestly I talk alot like I care but I don't. I am fine with them trying, but as I said, it just doesn't sound right.

Feels like Converse College playing football.

Also, Mercer like GaSouthern played football, stopped and started back.

[Libertine]

What's your thoughts on Mercer starting a program?

Mercer wanted a program and, based on the response they've gotten, they wanted it badly. Winthrop, as things stand, are fine with what they have and just don't feel like they need football.

[keydet21]

What's your thoughts on Mercer starting a program?

Mercer wanted a program and, based on the response they've gotten, they wanted it badly. Winthrop, as things stand, are fine with what they have and just don't feel like they need football.

Seven years ago Winthrop certainly would have said they didn't want a football program to focus on what was a supremely dominant basketball program, but now that their basketball team has faded off a bit from what they were (+declining attendance), it definitely seems plausible that they look at football.

[Libertine]

Seven years ago Winthrop certainly would have said they didn't want a football program to focus on what was a supremely dominant basketball program, but now that their basketball team has faded off a bit from what they were (+declining attendance), it definitely seems plausible that they look at football.

Basketball dominance or no basketball dominance, Winthrop has said again and again that they are happy with what they have. Winthrop is still, at heart, a small women's college and they are perfectly all right with that.