A good try, but UALR can’t afford football

When the University of Arkansas at Little Rock students presented Andrew Rogerson with a petition asking to add football, the chancellor did the perfect thing.

He listened and said he would get a feasibility study done.

He did, and basically it isn’t feasible for UALR to have football unless someone very rich writes a huge check — about $32 million to get through the first two years — or someone dies and leaves the athletic department a ton of money.

The increase in the athletic budget would be more than $12 million in the first year to compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision. UALR’s current athletic budget is $11 million, which is not really enough. A couple of years ago the men’s basketball team was going to bus to Appalachian State in North Carolina for a Thursday night game.

That’s 690 miles in perfect conditions, which would take about 11 hours.

Then the Trojans were going to bus home the next day and play a home game Saturday. That would have meant traveling a total of 1,380 miles in less than 72 hours.

At the last minute, some local businessmen donated private planes for the trip and back. Those businessmen can’t be expected to do that very often because it is expensive.

That’s just one example. Granted, there are some optimists who say, “OK, now that we know the number, let’s see if we can raise $12 million in one year and get this thing going.”

UALR might get pledges for close to that amount, but what about the years after when more millions are needed?

UALR students already pay a $21 per credit hour student fee, the highest in the state, so it is not likely they can go that route to raise funding for football.

Every major city has a large university — it is part of the fabric — and UALR is that for the capital city. The city needs UALR and vice versa. Little Rock should be involved with UALR, but not to foot the bill for any part of a start-up football team.

The state is out. The federal government is out unless someone can convince President Trump that UALR is being hurt by his tariffs — apparently he’s got $12 billion for that — even though Congressman Tom Cotton last week wrote a guest editorial in this paper saying Social Security is going to be broke in 18 years. Go figure.

Sticking to sports, UALR also would have to build an athletic facility for offices and the like, although there’s a chance the state would be happy to give War Memorial Stadium to UALR lock, stock and update barrel.

The study touched on many aspects of starting football, but it all came back to money that UALR doesn’t have.

Perhaps people should pay more attention to what UALR does have. The Windgate Center of Art and Design on campus is an amazing addition to the university.

Joe Foley and the women’s basketball team have had unparalleled success, and the men’s program is starting an exciting new era with head Coach Darrell Walker.

The late, great Jack Stephens spent $25 million to build the school a basketball arena. He didn’t give a penny, or perhaps a thought, to football.

UALR isn’t Gonzaga, but in time it could be.

UALR has things to be proud of. Things to build on. Every fall, the school’s SpectacUALR is bigger and better.

It has a forward-thinking student body, but someone needs to ask for a show of hands from the 1,000 signees on the football petition to indicate who regularly supports basketball.

UALR is a good school in a good city with a chancellor who listens. In this case, the students and chancellor gave it a good old college try, but the numbers don’t add up.