Saint Mary's College Discontinues Intercollegiate Football Program
3/3/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 3, 2004
MORAGA, CA - Brother Craig Franz, F.S.C., president of Saint Mary's College of California, today announced a reallocation of College resources to strengthen the College's diverse intercollegiate, club and recreational sports programs. As a result, Saint Mary's is discontinuing its participation in intercollegiate football, effective immediately.
"This difficult decision is the result of thoughtful and lengthy discussions over recent years about the competitive and financial realities confronting all higher educational institutions of our size," said Brother Craig. "Based on recommendations made to our Board of Trustees by an Athletics Review Task Force on the best way to optimize our athletic resources, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously earlier today to discontinue the Saint Mary's football program, and to reallocate those resources to our 14 other intercollegiate sports programs."
The 18-member Athletics Review Task Force included former and current Gael student-athletes, coaches, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees and regents. They were charged with reviewing and evaluating all aspects of Saint Mary's student athletic programs.
"Given the significant financial and support requirements for fielding a football team capable of competing against our Division I-AA peers, as well as the impact on funding for our other intercollegiate teams, the board agreed that the best way to serve the athletic needs of our entire student population is to discontinue this one program," said Nicholas Moore, chairman of the Saint Mary's Board of Trustees.
Saint Mary's will honor all existing football personnel contracts and grants-in-aid commitments to affected coaches and student-athletes. The College is offering career, academic and personal counseling services during the transition period, and has been in contact with the NCAA to support those student-athletes who choose to pursue athletic opportunities at other colleges and universities.
"We are proud of the remarkable contributions our football program has made to Saint Mary's over some 75 years and deeply grateful to our coaches, our players, the families and fans whose invaluable support is so intrinsic to the spirit of our College," said Brother Craig. "We are all saddened by this painful decision, but it is our obligation to care for the academic and athletic experiences of all of our students."
With today's decision, Saint Mary's joins a growing list of some 30 colleges and universities across the United States whose resource requirements have resulted in the discontinuation of intercollegiate football programs in order to serve a broader range of student athletic and recreational programs. ###
Saint Mary's College of California is one of the most distinguished colleges in the West. The College's reputation for excellence, innovation and responsiveness comes from its heritage as a Catholic, Lasallian, and liberal arts institution. This heritage creates a personalized, student-centered learning community. Saint Mary's offers undergraduate and graduate programs in liberal arts and professional education. The College is located in Moraga, 20 miles east of San Francisco.
BSB | Saint Mary's at Nevada Highlights, 4-21-26
Tuesday, April 21
SB | Odhi Vasquez Highlights vs. Oregon State, 4-17-26
Monday, April 20
BSB | Saint Mary's vs. Gonzaga Highlights, 4-19-26
Sunday, April 19
SB | Saint Mary's vs. Oregon State Highlights, 4-19-26
Sunday, April 19
