Carleton’s athletics director recently indicated the university might be $750,000 away from reviving the Ravens football program for the 2011 season. Apparently, this plan involves covering the bill without touching the university’s athletics budget.
So, is there a catch? Last year the prospect of reviving the football team, which Carleton cut 11 years ago, became a serious topic of discussion for the first time in eight years under the new leadership of president Roseann Runte. Considering that Runte has previous experience reviving football programs — she helped bring back Old Dominion University’s team in Virginia after it had been inactive for 53 years — it’s probably safe to say Carleton could successfully revive the Ravens team. Especially since the community’s support for bringing back the team also seems to be strong; last year, the Charlatan heard from alumni expressing a desire to revive Ravens football. A survey Carleton put out last year also revealed students are quite receptive to the idea. A football team would certainly be great for creating school spirit and firing up the old Ravens-Gee-Gees rivalry. But keeping in mind that the university cut eight varsity teams just two years ago (although two were reinstated after much disapproval) solid reassurance is needed that pushing for a football program won’t take support away from other areas of athletics. Carleton needs to continue to go to bat for other sports and not get too tied up building up a football program.
Some sports at Carleton already struggle to get fans out to home games. And our women’s rugby team is still fighting to gain varsity status despite its success on the field. A football team would be a fantastic addition to the Ravens community, but other sports deserve equal backing.
Carleton needs to continue to be a champion for other sports.