Are you ready for some football?

USM faces some challenges if it plans to add a football team. The pigskin gained some attention recently when a state legislator introduced a bill requiring USM to conduct a feasibility study exploring the idea. The bill was defeated, essentially leaving football a flat issue for now. Students will likely need to express their desire for football at USM to President Richard Pattenaude for the issue to go forward.

Last month, State Legislator John L. Tuttle from Sanford introduced a bill that would have required Pattenaude to conduct a $30,000 feasibility study on the idea. Pattenaude, along with senior members of the USM Athletic Department and a representative from USM’s Media Relations office went to Augusta for a work session on the football topic, and the implementation of a feasibility study.

The bill died largely because the legislature concluded it was not their place to force the university to conduct such a study.

“If a study is to occur, it’s back on the President’s timetable,” said Al Bean, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at USM. “I think the President has an interest, but maybe it’s not at the top of his agenda.”

Pattenaude stated he has “heard little or no interest from the students.”

A study would take about a year to complete. At the moment the President’s office is spending its energy on a capital campaign, which Pattenaude says “could be a distraction since we are not actively pursuing this [football].”

USM officials have thrown around the idea of a football team before. Three to four years ago an outside group calling themselves “Friends of Football” tried, but failed to bring the sport to the university. The group aimed to raise private money and USM agreed to start a team if the group’s target was reached.

However, the $2.1 million dollar goal for a start-up facility proved major yardage that Friends of Football could not gain. The issue was shelved-until recently.

If USM did acquire a team it would be a division three, non-scholarship team, according to NCAA guidelines. Games would be played against in-state schools such as Colby, Bates, Bowdoin, and Maine Maritime Academy. The team’s travels would be largely confined to New England and perhaps some of New York, with annual operating expenses around $150,000-$200,000.

A facility remains the largest obstacle for funding.

“If we were going to go down this road,” says Bean, “we would want to put together a facility on campus that would first of all be a place that we could practice, because we don’t have that space currently. We would also like it to be a place we could play as well. We could play some games on campus and some at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.”

A possible compromise is making improvements to Paula D. Hodgdon field behind Bailey Hall in Gorham, which would allow practices, with home games perhaps played at Fitzpatrick Stadium. This might prove a more realistic option for USM’s plans. Bean also notes the improvements to Hodgdon field would also enhance current USM sports such as field hockey and lacrosse as well.

Football would also be an incentive for potential male students to choose USM. According to Bean USM and schools across the rest of the country are comprised of a student body that is increasingly female. USM’s ratio is currently 60% female.

“There is no great option for the typical division three boy here in southern Maine,” said Bean.

Currently, the other football schools (Colby, Bates, Bowdion, and Maine Maritime) have strict admission standards and high tuition costs.

A”[USM team] would meet the need of Maine high school students who are looking to go to college and play football,” said Bean. He also noted football would serve as a rallying point for the student body on campus.