Number of college football teams increasing with 2017 season Bobcats, Lady Bobcats holding official tryouts in Rossville later this month

The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (NFF) has announced that four new college football teams will take the field for the first time this season, increasing the number of schools among all NCAA divisions, the NAIA and independents offering football to 777, an alltime high.

Since 1978 when the NCAA changed its method for tracking attendance figures, the number of schools playing NCAA football (FBS, FCS, DII and DIII) has steadily increased by 184 schools from 484 in 1978 to a record high of 668 in 2016, or an average increase of 4.8 schools per year.

With the addition of the NAIA and independent schools playing football and the schools across all levels of play who have announced the addition of programs in the coming years, the number of colleges and universities now offering football has been increased to the all-time high 777.

In the past six seasons alone (20112016), 40 football programs have been added at NCAA, NAIA or independent institutions. Only 13 football programs have been dropped in that same span, including four at schools that closed and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, which will return to the gridiron in 2017. All 777 schools that offer football will be represented on the three-sory helmet wall at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

The planning and preparation of four programs will come to fruition as they begin intercollegiate play this fall: Dean College in Franklin, Mass.; St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, N.C.; Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas; and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Universities and colleges are adding football at all levels, and administrators have developed sound plans, ensuring the new programs address the unique financial, academic and longterm objectives of their respective schools.

“No other sport contributes more to the vibrancy of a college campus than football, and we are very pleased to highlight those schools that have added our great game,” said NFF President and CEO Steve Hatchell. “University and college presidents clearly see the value of having programs on their campuses, and we applaud them for understanding the role football can play in the educational experience of all their students.”

The rationale for adding football varies at each institution, and all of the decision makers who helped develop a plan for launching a program explain that an in-depth study played a critical role in finding the right level of play and the proper financial balance. Small colleges may cite increasing enrollment and addressing gender imbalances while larger universities might highlight the role of football in raising the institution’s profile and its ability to attract research grants. All mention creating a more vibrant oncampus community and connecting with alumni.

According to a 2015 study of five small universities published in College Planning & Management by Virginia Wesleyan College President Dr. Scott Miller and former Carlow University (Pa.) President Dr. Marylouise Fennell, adding sports teams and facilities, especially football and marching bands, can fuel an enrollment boost. According to the study, each of the institutions observed saw a six-year increase of at least 26 percent, with one school doubling its enrollment during that period.

The schools have added programs at all levels of play in every region of the country, experiencing successes that run the gamut. In all, the 59 programs that have added football from 2008-2016 have combined for two national championships, 29 conference championships and 37 postseason appearances.

In 2016, Old Dominion (launched in 2009) and Texas-San Antonio (launched in 2011) went to their first FBS bowl games with Old Dominion winning the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. At the NAIA level, Reinhardt (Ga.), which launched in 2013, won a conference title and finished 13-1 after making it to the NAIA semifinals.

One of the new schools taking the field this fall has actually been playing football for some time as a member of the junior college ranks. It was announced last year that the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) had accepted Dean College as a member beginning with the 2017 season as the college transitions into a four-year institution. Dean began its exploratory year during the 2016-17 season and will play a full ECFC schedule this fall as a provisional member of NCAA Division III.

The other three new football programs are all returning to the gridiron after absences of various length. The highest-profile of the three is the UAB, which reinstated football in 2015 just six months after the program had been shut down. The Blazers will return to Conference USA in great shape, raising more than $38 million for football and moving into a new football operations center.

UAB is also aided by head coach Bill Clark, who stuck with the program through the shutdown and has had success in recruiting players to the reinstated team. Clark has also purchased 100 season tickets for the inaugural season and donated them to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham.

NAIA program St. Andrews (N.C.) returns to the field this fall for the first time since the 1950s. The Knights have a football field in place and head coach David Harper looks forward to leading the new program.

“I’m extremely excited about the opportunity of starting a football program from its infancy,” Harper said upon his hiring last year. “I have always wanted to take a program from the very beginning to a championship program.”

Fellow NAIA school Texas Wesleyan will return to the field for the first time in 75 years after last competing before World War II. The Rams will play their first season at Fort Worth’s historic Farrington Field, the stadium where they played their last home game in 1941.

Athletics Director Steve Trachier said he hopes the football program will create all-day social events, and the team will compete for conference championships, adding in a 2016 USA Today interview, “If we do none of that, if our kids graduate, we’ve won the national championship.”

The Georgia Northwestern Lady Bobcats’ basketball team will hold official tryouts on Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Rossville Athletic Center (301 Williams Street), while the Bobcats men’s team will hold tryouts on Aug. 28 and Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. at the R.A.C.

Prospective athletes must be a fulltime student (12 hours), be in good standing with the school and bring a completed and updated physical form in order to participate.

For questions concerning basketball and all other intercollegiate athletics at Georgia Northwestern, contact Athletic Director David Stephenson at (706) 764-3814 or by e-mail at dstephenson@gntc.edu.

For more information, contact Gordon Lee head coach Dana Mull at 706-618-0584 or dana.mull@glschools. org.

North Georgia Healthcare Golf Tournament

The 2017 North Georgia Healthcare Center Golf Tournament will be held Tuesday, Sept. 19 at Windstone Golf Club.

Registration will begin at 11 a.m., followed by lunch from 11:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. The tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 1.

The event will be a four-person scramble. Different levels of sponsorship are available from $150$5,000.

For more information, call (706) 935-6442 or email dhunter@nghcc. com.

Cleveland State baseball tournaments

Cleveland State Community College will host three fall baseball tournaments at the college for 18-U high school and select teams.

The Early Bird tournament for 18-U and select teams will be held on Aug. 26-27. Teams must enter by Aug. 19 and the tournament is limited to eight teams. Each team will play four pool games and the entry fee is $475 plus a dozen new baseballs.

A tournament for 18-U high school and select teams will be held on Sept. 23-24. Teams must enter by Sept. 16 and the tournament is limited to eight teams. Each team will play four pool games and the entry fee is $475 plus a dozen new baseballs.

Another tournament for 18-U high school and select teams will be held on Oct. 14-15. Teams must enter by Oct. 7 and the tournament is limited to eight teams. Each team will play four pool games and the entry fee is $475 plus a dozen new baseballs.

For more information, contact Aaron Bryant at (423) 473-2445 or by email at abryant@clevelandstatecc. edu.

Rossville softball sign-ups

Rossville Recreation will holf fall softball sign-ups every Saturday and Sunday through the month of August from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at 159 Ellis Road.

For more information, contact Carthell Rogers at 423-488-1999 or Jody Branum at 423-762-6095.

Ringgold fall baseball camp

The 2017 Ringgold Fall Baseball Camp, for kids ages kindergarten through eighth grade, will be held each Tuesday and Wednesday throughout the month of September, starting on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

Hitting will be taught on Tuesdays and pitching and defense will be the focuses on Wednesdays. The camp will be held each night from 6-8 p.m.

The cost will be $80, which covers all eight days of camp. Pre-registration is not necessary. Campers are asked to arrive at 5:30 on Sept. 5.

For questions or more information, e-mail Coach Brent Tucker at btucker.rhs@catoosa.k12. ga.us.

Battle at the Battlefield golf tournament

The 10th Annual Battle at the Battlefield Golf Tournament, pitting LFO and Ringgold, will be held Sept. 26 at the Battlefield Golf Club.

Lunch and registration will begin at 12 noon and the select shot tournament will begin with a 1 p.m. shotgun start for each four-player team.

Entry fee is $100 per player, which includes food, soft drinks, door prizes and range balls.

Mulligans will be available for $10 each (limit two per player) and purchase of mulligans will enter players in the drawing for door prizes. Sponsorships are also available. For more information, contact Chris Evans at (423) 413-2499.

Lakeview splits with Dade County

Lakeview’s Lady Warriors began their season on Thursday, but dropped a threeset varsity match to the Lady Wolverines. Dade won the first set, 25-13, but Lakeview rallied for a 25-10 win in the second set. Dade capped the match with a 25-18 victory in the third

and deciding set.

In the JV match, Lakeview swept by scores of 26-24 and 2519.

Individual statistics were not available as of press time.

On Tuesday, Heritage will play at Lakeview. On Thursday, Heritage will host Dade County and Lakeview will travel to Ringgold.