Jacksonville drops football program

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University is discontinuing football after 22 years.

Jacksonville went 3-9 and 2-8 in its final two seasons under coach Ian Shields. The Dolphins achieved most of their success in a high-power passing game run by Kerwin Bell before he left the program with a 66-35 record after nine seasons in 2015.

The school is offering scholarships to every underclass player who elects to stay until graduation. JU will honor the employment contracts for Shields and his staff and offer “enhanced resources” to assist in their job search.

In a statement, the university said it made the decision “with input from experienced, independent consultants ... after a data-driven evaluation of Division I intercollegiate athletics.”

For more than a year, the university explored a variety of options designed to strengthen the entire athletics department and position the program for long-term growth and success.

“As a University, we are investing and innovating to match our offerings to the 21st-century marketplace and to support the diverse demands and interests of our students,” Jacksonville University President Tim Cost said in a statement. “This investment profile requires careful analysis, realistic planning and – occasionally – difficult decisions to help drive us forward to excellence.”

“This was a difficult decision,” AD Alex Ricker-Gilbert said. “Our studentathletes and coaches in the football program are talented, tenacious and hardworking. We respect them immensely. Reinvesting these resources into our other Division I programs better positions us to enhance the experience for all 450 student-athletes.

“Our commitment to each football player and coach will continue beyond today. We understand some of these student-athletes will look for opportunities to play football at other schools, and we respect that decision. If our students choose to stay here – and we hope many of them do – they will receive full tuition scholarships.”