Getting the Cal State Fullerton Football Team back on the field in any capacity will be a long and bumpy road. One of the main obstacles to fielding a team again is obviously funding. Many might argue that we should focus our limited resources on our existing basketball program instead of trying to resurrect a dormant football team. Although I would agree our basketball team could use more support, research shows that fielding a football team increases alumni donations and student applications. If this is true, could bringing back Titan Football increase alumni donations and increase revenue across all sections of the University?
Back in November, the online petition encouraging support for the reinstatement of the Titan Football Program was started. The petition received over 1,200 signatures prior to the intended cut off date. More signatures trickle in to this day. Many of those that signed the petition offered comments of encouragement. In looking back at the petition, here are a few choice comments that stood out…
- Kevin Clune – “BRING IT BACK! I won’t give money to the university until you do.”
- Whitfield Haydon – “Will donate to football program.”
- Jeremy Burke – “Not donating any money until we bring this back!”
- Greg White – “Probably the only way I’d give to CSUF.”
- Channing Franco – “If I could, I would give all the money in my bank account to fund this team.”
Pretty strong words from just a few that electronically signed the petition. With that said, it is safe to assume that there are probably many others out there that feel the same way. The point here is that when alumni feel a sense of pride, community, and connection to their alma mater, they tend to donate. This is known as the “Flutie Factor” or the “Flutie Effect.” This term is named after the former quarterback from Boston College, Doug Flutie. Flutie’s successful Hail Mary pass in the 1984 game against the University of Miami clinched the win. Many argue that win played a large role in the increase in applications and alumni donations to Boston College the following year.
Some might argue that having a successful men’s college basketball program would have the same “Flutie Effect” on student applications and alumni donations. With that logic, why wouldn’t we just focus on improving the existing Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team rather than resurrecting the defunct Titan Football program? Can the same argument of the “Flutie Factor” be applied to George Mason University? You may recall George Mason’s basketball team advanced to the Final Four of the 2006 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament as an 11th seed. Didn’t George Mason receive a flood of new student applications and alumni donations? Irvin B. Tucker would argue the answer is no.
Irvin B. Tucker, a professor in the Department of Economics, Belk College of Business Administration at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, examined the effects of football and basketball success on graduation rates and alumni giving rates. In his thesis, he determined that:
Using a sample of big-time sports universities and models comparable to other research, the evidence presented in this article indicates that having a highly successful football team has a positive impact on both the overall graduation rate and the alumni giving rate. In contrast, a successful basketball team has no significant effect on either of these key measures of academic success.
In addition to Tucker’s research, two other professors found that a winning football team will produce increased enrollment applications. Robert G. Murphy of the Department of Economics at Boston College and Gregory A. Trandel of the Department of Economics at the University of Georgia found that…
the winning record of a university’s football team is positively (and statistically significantly) related to the number of applications for admittance received by that university. Our parameter estimates indicate that an increase in winning percentage by 0.250 (from 0.500 to 0.750, for example) tends to produce a 1.3% increase in applicants in the following year.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that increased student applications translates into more revenue for the university across the board. It would stand to reason these applicants would be more actively involved in campus life if athletic success is a motivating factor to apply. More than likely these students would be active in other aspects of student life as well. An active and engaged student body would help shed that image of Cal State Fullerton being “just a commuter school.”
When factoring all the pros and cons of bringing back Titan Football, the potential for increased alumni donations and a spike in student applications should be considered and taken into account.
This is a great article! Our administration should read this, heck even put it in the daily titan for students to read!
It is not a question of Football or basketball, It is not even a question of football versus equal funding of other sports, the only question is does the university and the public want a football team.The out pouring of communications that was sent in prior to this web site (which should also be listed here) certainly indicate there is more than adaquate support. It would take very little promotion to make Titan Football successful because there is no real competition. Even if Orange county had a proffessional team the cost of attending these events is very prohibitive and after you get there it is near impossible to find any players or roll models that you or your sons and daughters can look up to. There will never be a better time to bring back Titan football than right now.
I believe that Cal State Fullerton can support a football team.
The university is finally expanding student housing ($142 million project approved Nov of this year. Info avail. at Cal State Trustees resolutions http://www.calstate.edu) and a residential population is quite different than a commuter population. Additionally, the Jefferson commons is being constructed on the corner of commonwealth and chapman ($150 million project). The Fullerton Mayor said this development is the beginning of the establsihment of a university district. Formal districts with the RIGHT AMMENITIES draw people to stay awhile.
The community of Fullerton would greatly benefit from and enjoy a football team. Local athletes would have a chance to play football without shipping out to West Texas Plains State U. (or where ever they have to go just to play college ball). Athletes can play local so their friends and family can come and see them play. Not to mention Orange County is a choice destination for students and athletes so this is just another reason for the players and students to come to CSUF. On the flip side many families would have a local sports entertainment option. Tax dollars also come into the city when alumni and fans come back to the school for a game or to buy a sweatshirt. Fullerton could be engaged into this goal. With a 35,000+ student population there is no reason to not field a football team. This is a shame and embarassment.
My recommendation: Establish a FOOTBALL ALUMNI CHAPTER through the association. Any alumni who are interested in the reestablishment of football could join the chapter and start moving towards this goal. With combined synergistic efforts between alumni, student government, the City of Fullerton, and CSUF, there is no reason football could not happen. Creativity and commitment to a cause go a long way. Where can I donate?
My friend Norm and I have been attending Titan Baseball Games for over 15 years now. To walk past the football field on the way to a baseball game is eerie, if not mind numbingly sad. For the past 5 years I have resided in San Diego, yet I still attend Titan games. The beauty of San Diego is we have two (count em’ 2) collegiate football teams. USD Toreros and the SDSU Aztecs. Also let’s not forget the San Diego Chargers. It’s fair to say that football is relatively abundant here.
Orange County really deserves equal time. I’d love nothing more than to see a healthy rivalry between San Diego, L.A. and Orange Counties. This includes all teams either in California or not. The loss of Titan football in 92′ and the unthinkable “move” of the Rams equals insult to injury to me. Orange County has been robbed. As far as football being a revenue raiser for Fullerton??? How could it not be? The fastest growing University in California and NO football team??? I gotta wonder what kind of logic that is. That’s my opinion and I’m sticking with it.
“Orange County has been robbed”!
Steven Armeson
I agree you can’t have a homecoming for a basketball game. Football brings out alumni support I attended Cal State Northridge and it’s a shame what happen to the sports program. No football no alumni $upport. Northridge, Fullerton, Long Beach could all field I-AA teams and together they could hold down cost by being in the same conference. All of the kids in So Cal have been robbed.
Doesn’t Chapman have a Div III program? I know they have a very nice football stadium with a parking garage underneath. Could CSUF (with what, five times as many students?) do a modest program like that?
Wesley, you are correct in that Chapman does field a Division III football program but it would not be feasible for CSUF to field a D-3 football program without making all the other sports drop down to D-3 as well. The NCAA states that an institution must have its sports compete on the same level. It is doubtful that Fullerton would be willing to drop the baseball program from D-1 to D-3 just in order to bring on football.