Any time you hear someone talking about bringing back Titan Football, the main excuse you will hear back is, “Football is too expensive of a sport and it costs the school too much“. A recently released NCAA annual report on revenue and expenses contradicts that notion and proves it to be false.
Within that report, it discloses that 22 Football Bowl Subdivision schools (formerly Div. 1-A) made money in 2009-10, eight more than the previous year. The report goes on to say that schools not in the top tier football division, those competing at the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Div. 1-AA), were able to decrease their overall athletic budget spending by 8 percent. This is compared to non-football playing schools that had an increase in athletic department spending by over 9 percent.
When comparing FCS schools and non-football playing schools, there is almost a 20% difference in the amount of money the athletic departments needs to spend to sustain the entire athletic program. Bottom line? Football schools make money for their athletic programs and thus can help fund other underfunded sports.
When you have someone discount your claim of bringing back Titan Football is too expensive, make sure to refer them back to this report.
Shannon Illingworth was an offensive lineman for the Cal State Fullerton Titan Football team in the 1990′s. Now he is a successful entrepreneur and business owner in the growing field of vending machines.
An on-campus and online campaign to gather petition signatures is currently underway to place a referendum on the Spring 2011 Associated Students ballot.The petition being circulated on Cal State Fullerton’s main campus will be available to sign on Wednesday, March 23, 2011, between the hours of noon to 4 pm. A table has been reserved on Titan Walk that day and the table will be Table No. 1. Students currently enrolled at Cal State Fullerton only need to provide their name and campus ID number to sign the petition. Signees will have their signatures validated once the minimum number is achieved. By signing the petition, students are requesting a student activity fee be added to help fund the return of Titan Football along with three other women’s sports.
Reinstating the football program would require a student activity fee of $86 per semester phased in over five years (year 1 $25, year 2 $25 + $17 ($42), year 3+ $25 ($67), year 4 +$13 (80), year 5 + $6 (86) ) . This activity fee would not only finance NCAA men’s football, but NCAA women’s crew, lacrosse and field hockey. Scholarships as well as the necessary athletic trainers, coaches and associate directors that would need to be hired would also be covered in this fee.
Since this petition is calling for a ballot measure, only currently enrolled students may sign the petition for the signatures to be counted as valid. Faculty, alumni nor community supporters can sign the petition because in order for a signature to be counted, that person must provide a valid student ID.
Students who will not be on campus on Wednesday, March 23rd can sign the petition online. The same exact petition students will be signing in person on campus is also available on the web. The same rules apply for those signing the online version of the petition. The signees must be a currently enrolled student and must provide their campus ID number.
Ever since starting this campaign to Bring Back Titan Football, one of the largest hurdles standing in the way of resurrecting this dormant program has been money. Many have said that bringing back Titan Football is a noble idea but in today’s economic climate it is not the right time. Finding the capital to fully fund a football program and also the other sports that would be required to start to stay in compliance with Title IX is an uphill task.
Recently two ideas have surfaced that could potentially fully fund not only the Titan Football program but also pay for additional women’s sports and infrastructure improvements to locker rooms, training rooms, coaches office space and stadiums and arenas. Both options would require an increase in student activity fees paid to the Cal State Fullerton Associated Students, Inc. and would require a vote by the student body to levy the increased fees. Both plans would increase athletic department funding to achieve three objectives and goals.
Objective 1 – Fully fund all athletic programs, scholarships, staff and administrative staff. Currently Cal State Fullerton is LAST in the Big West Conference in terms of athletic funding. This proposal would bring CSUF to the TOP of the Big West Conference in funding. Although CSUF is successful in many varsity sports, can you imagine what Titan life on campus would be like if the athletic programs were fully funded?
Objective 2 – Capital improvements on ALL facilities, including the creation of a Multi-Purpose Events Center. This would be similar to the Honda Center in Anaheim where events can be held on campus. The Multi-Purpose Events Center could hold debates, concerts, sporting events, performances, etc. The possibilities are limitless!
Objective 3 – Reinstate Titan Football at the NCAA FCS level (Formerly known as Division 1-AA)
The first option is a small fee increase that would be built on a long term schedule over the course of 10 years. The second option is a larger increase in student fees but would only apply to new students. Students currently enrolled would be exempt. Here are the details of the two potential student fee increases:
Vision 2020 (Long Term Plan):
This proposal, dubbed the “Graduated Student Fee Investment Referendum” would take place over eight to 10 years. Individual student investment would be $10.00 per semester or $20.00 per year. Each year after, the student fee would increase by $10.00 per semester / $20.00 per year. By the tenth year, the cost would be $100.00 per semester / $200.00 per year. With and estimated 35,000 current students, the proposal would bring in the following estimates. Please note that with the increase of students on campus, the estimates would change.
Year 1: $750,000
Year 2: $1.5 million
Year 3: $2.25 million
Year 4: $3 million
Year 5: $3.75 million
Year 6: $4.5 million
Year 7: $5.25 million
Year 8: $6 million
Year 9 $6.75 million
Year 10: $7.5 million
Five Year Plan (Short Term Plan):
This proposal is to institute a higher fee only on incoming students. Students currently enrolled at Cal State Fullerton would be “grandfathered in” and would be exempt from any of the increased fees. Based on average graduation rates, 95% of the students would be paying the higher fees within five years.
Based on a student population of 35,000 students, all incoming freshmen and transfer students matriculating to Cal State Fullerton in Fall 2011 would be subject to a $85 per semester student athletics fee. Figuring that roughly 20% of the Fall 2011 student population are incoming freshmen and transfers, 20% of 35,000 students is 7,000. 7,000 x $85 = $595,000 per semester and would total $1,190,000 for the year. Here is the year by year breakdown of potential revenue.
Year 1: $1,190,000
Year 2: $2,380,000
Year 3: $3,570,000
Year 4: $4,760,000
Year 5: $5,950,000
The rationale behind using the $85 per semester figure came from the Georgia State University model who just recently started their own football program from scratch. The students there voted themselves an $85 per semester fee increase in order to start a football program.
Current students may be frightened off by the large dollar figure proposed, however these fees would only apply to new freshmen and transfer students. Current students would be voting on a referendum to raise fees on future students while not increasing their own.
This rationale is based on previous voting patterns in the general populace. Many times voters will pass propositions that raise taxes on a certain income bracket while lower incomes are left alone. These “millionaire” taxes will tax those individuals making $1,000,000 or more. Not everyone in the voting population makes over $1 million a year yet 100% of the registered voters are able to vote how a small percentage of people will be taxed.
The argument could be made that those incoming transfers and freshmen may not be happy about the newly imposed fees but if they are unhappy they were not able to vote on the fees, they do have the option of choosing to not attend Cal State Fullerton. The total increase in fees would be $170 per year for each student. At $85 per semester and on average each semester consisting of 16 weeks, that averages to under $6 a week.
So what do you think? We have included a poll to gauge your opinion on these two potential revenue generating proposals. After you are done voting in the poll, feel free to leave a comment below and let your opinion on this subject be heard.
Despite laying dormant since 1992, the impact of the Titan Football program continues to influence professional and college football into 2011.
Last year we reported that former Titan Football coaches Tom Cable and Hue Jackson have been Reunited in Oakland. At that time Cable was the head coach of the historic NFL franchise and Jackson was brought in to be the offensive coordinator. Unfortunately for Cable his contract extension was not picked up and Raiders owner Al Davis let Cable go. With Cable’s departure, Davis hired Jackson as the new head man in Oakland. With Jackson’s hire, that raises the number to three former Titan Football coaches who have held the top job for an NFL franchise.
The first former Titan Football coach to get a head coaching gig in the NFL was Steve Mariucci. Affectionately known as “Mooch”, Mariucci coached the San Francisco 49ers from 1997 to 2002 and then was the head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2003 to 2005. Mariucci was an assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton under Gene Murphy from 1980 to 1982. He is now an on-air talent and analyst for NFL Network.
Cable was the second former Titan Football coach to become a head coach in the NFL. Cable lasted three years as Oakland’s top coach from 2008 to 2010. After being released by the Raiders he was not out of work for very long. He was quickly snatched up by former USC head coach Pete Carroll who is now the head man for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. Cable is currently the Offensive line coach, the same position he coached while at Fullerton in 1990, but also doubles as the Assistant head Coach to Carroll.
Jackson, currently the head man in Oakland, was promoted after serving as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2010. He had been an offensive coordinator for other NFL teams including the Atlanta Falcons and the Washington Redskins. As a young coach at Cal State Fullerton, Jackson coached the running backs. Under Jackson’s tutelage, tailback Reggie Yarbrough gained over 1,000 yards rushing in the 1990 season.
Back in January, the eyes of the college and professional football world were on Jim Harbaugh, the then Stanford Head Coach. Many fans and media were trying to guess where he would end up coaching. Being a former quarterback from Michigan and Rich Rodriguez’s firing coming this year, many thought Harbaugh would return to his Alma Mater to coach. Harbaugh had his sights on the NFL and took the head job with the San Francisco 49ers. Harbaugh has two assistant coaches with Cal State Fullerton coaching roots including Ed Donatell and Tim Drevno.
Donatell coached at Fullerton in 1989 and is currently the 49ers secondary coach. Drevno was not only a player at Cal State Fullerton but was given his first coaching gig as a graduate assistant under Gene Murphy after he had exhausted his playing eligibility. Drenvo was the offensive line coach at the University of Idaho under then coach Tom Cable and then was hired on Harbaugh’s staff while at the University of San Diego. Drevno followed Harbaugh to Stanford and has since been brought to the 49ers.
The college and pro football landscape is littered with former Titan Football coaches who gained invaluable coaching experience while at Fullerton. Rich Ellerson coached at CSUF in 1980 and is currently the West Point Head Coach. Greg Newhouse is currently an Oregon State Assistant Coach and was at Fullerton from 1980 to 1982.
Mike Heimerdinger coached at Fullerton in 1988 and is currently the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. Wayne Nunnely coached at Fullerton in 1979 and is currently the defensive line coach of the Denver Broncos. Nunnely was a head coach in college football, coaching UNLV from 1986 to 1989. Another defensive line coach in the NFL is Don Johnson who coaches the big men up front for the San Diego Chargers. Johnson was an assistant coach for the Titans in 1992.
In addition to the coaches mentioned here, there are numerous former Titan Football coaches who are assistant coaches in the college and high school ranks as well.
The spirit and influence of Cal State Fullerton Titan Football is alive and well in today’s game of football. Many of these coaches can owe their success in part to the time they spent coaching Titan Football players.
Any time you hear someone talking about bringing back Titan Football, the main excuse you will hear back is, “Football is too expensive of a sport and it costs the school too much“. A recently released NCAA annual report on revenue and expenses contradicts that notion and proves it to be false.
