I guess I have to get into this issue.  Why the big move to eliminate
football?  Why not cheerleading?  Why not basketball?  Why not tennis?
I think we need to back up and ask the question on what does it mean to
the University to have an athletic program.  Football is a part of that
program.  Just because we have not had a winning program is not a reason
for eliminating it.  We have a new coach who is working hard at 1)
making a winning program and 2) making our student athletes attend class
and achieve their academic goals.  We need to give him a chance if our
sole objection to the program is that they are not winning.

I wonder if all of our academic programs were put under the same
scrutiny would they continue.  If they weren't winning (graduating few
students every year), loosing (enrollment dropping) etc. should we
eliminate them and save that money also?  I think we need to think about
what we are doing and not just jump at the first opportunity to save
money based on some bias against football.

I have never had a problem with a football player that the coach did not
get the student's attention and address the situation.  That is not true
for all sports.  On the other hand, I have had coaches tell students to
come to practice and miss class.  Let's not single out one sport.  Let's
look at all the sports if we have to do this.  Let's not examine their
win-lose record rather their dedication to the education of the
students.  I would much rather have a loosing football team and have
coaches requiring their students to come to class than a winning program
telling the students to skip class for practice.

-----Original Message-----
From: UTC Staff E-Mail List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Dr. Joe Dumas
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 9:23 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [UTCSTAFF] UTC Students Thumbs Down on Athletic Fee

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_49669.asp

Can we, finally, move as a university to eliminate the main cause of
Athletics deficits and the main problem with Title IX compliance?  The
students have emphatically said "no new taxes" for sports.  It is time
for football at UTC to go the way of the dinosaurs before the entire
Athletics Department goes bankrupt.

If anyone else out there thinks it is time to follow ETSU's lead in
retiring intercollegiate football in order to concentrate on sports in
which we can be competitive on a leaner budget, now is the time to let
Chancellor Stacy and Athletic Director Sloan know how you feel.

For my part, "Dear University administrators: please give serious
consideration to the message just sent by an overwhelming majority of
students and, I believe, echoed by a majority of faculty and staff.  The
status quo in Athletics cannot be sustained, and I urge you to re-focus
on the University's academic mission.  Please make the painful but
necessary changes to make the intercollegiate athletics program solvent
without state money or new student fees."

Joe Dumas