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A&M-Corpus Christi Reviewing Football Feasibility Report
University administrators to evaluate its options.

Jan. 22, 2007

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The decision on whether football has a future at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi now rests with University leaders who have additional study ahead of them.

The anticipated report on the feasibility of adding football to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's intercollegiate athletics program was delivered recently to campus officials by Indianapolis-based NACDA Consulting. The report outlines the physical and financial requirements and expectations for having an intercollegiate football program.

"This report does not make a final recommendation on adding football to our sports program, but provides us the data and research to help evaluate the requirements if football is to be feasible for A&M-Corpus Christi in time," University President Flavius Killebrew said. "We have many factors to consider over the coming months regarding whether football is the best fit in coming years for the university, the students and the community.

"This university is growing, and we must take careful steps in planning how to utilize land, funds and people in becoming the premier university in South Texas," he added. "Our greater community grows hand-in-hand with us, and what we do must be in concert with the community."

NACDA Consulting, which focuses exclusively on the collegiate marketplace, was asked in May 2006 to undertake a study of whether it is feasible to add football to A&M-Corpus Christi's intercollegiate athletic program. The Islanders athletic program is a member of the Southland Conference.

NACDA interviewed numerous athletic stakeholders, including university faculty and staff, students, intercollegiate athletics staff, alumni, community representatives, and members of the Southland Conference. It also analyzed the financial and infrastructure expectations of other athletic conference members that have football programs.

The report outlines factors that impact the athletics department, such as the need for additional staffing, facilities and student-athlete scholarships. Other issues, such as maintaining gender equity within the overall athletic program as prescribed by federal Title IX legislation, were also presented.

"Adding any new athletic program is a big step in the long-term development of intercollegiate athletics at a university," said Director of Athletics Brian Teter. "Football, as a newly added sport, comes with financial and facility expectations much larger than most other programs. Although the future rewards are many, we must consider all factors that would allow for a successful launch and sustainable growth."

The current intercollegiate athletics program at A&M-Corpus Christi has 14 sports - eight for women and six for men. The University is currently in its first full season as a new member of the Southland Conference after spending seven years building the program from an independent status.

Campus administrators plan to review the report further with campus and community representatives. No date for a final decision on football has been discussed

yeah, i knew they were looking at this last summer, but i don't know where they'll house the program. the campus is nice, but not that big (it is on an island after all). maybe they'll use an existing facility in the community, like they do for basketball.

plus, three-a-days would be miserable down there! not that that would stop a program form developing, but...i only thought we had humidity in AR, but april in corpus felt like august in conway.

Exactly. Where would they put the stadium. Not on their tiny campus that is for sure. They would have to build, or use, one off campus and that hurts student involevement to some degree.

good read about TAMCC and UTSA, Lamar, and UTA. Still a long way from happening, but interesting to see how it may or may not shape up.

http://www.corpusbeat.org/ViewPost.ASPX?PostObjectID=7024

What Others Have done
Realities of Reviving Islander Football

By MICHAEL SELF
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi officials are considering adding a football team by 2010, when enrollment is proje­­cted to reach 10,000 students.

A feasibility report released January 22, 2007, by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), suggested that a Division I-AA football program would add an element that may be missing from the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi experience, and thus raise enrollment...