NSU athletics has grown exponentially in recent years. With the addition of a swimming and diving program and a new athletics building that opened last year, NSU athletics is heading in the right direction. NSU athletics has begun to establish itself at the national level, becoming national champions in women’s golf and in women’s rowing. NSU athletics boasts some of the best facilities in Division II athletics. NSU athletics is so good that it doesn’t need a football team.
The debate of whether or not NSU would be adopting a football team has been met with a definitive response from administration – no, not for the foreseeable future.
The lure of football is obvious — the large crowds, the tailgating and the body paint — college football is an American institution. However, its role in collegiate tradition is not essential to the development of NSU athletics.
In comparison to most other schools in the Sunshine State Conference, NSU is still in its infant stage as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
In less than a decade, NSU has grown remarkably as an NCAA member. As NSU continues to expand with every season, the possible introduction of a football team would halt that progression. At this stage in the school’s athletic development, a football team would be a financial hindrance as opposed to a lucrative cash cow. The cost of establishing a competitive college football team is astronomical.
NSU athletics is under construction. It is a program not steeped in historical tradition, but in the process of forging one. It is not a collegiate powerhouse – but it aims to be. NSU needs to become a big fish in a small pond before it is able to tackle the treacherous waters of college football. Like a celebrity with a big ego, college football comes with an entourage – complete with baggage – that could ultimately be detrimental to NSU athletics.
Sure, the notion of an NSU football team is sexy. The glitz and the glamour of college football is appealing. But the fact is that NSU isn’t ready. The Sharks are just starting to establish themselves at the national level. If NSU were to adopt football, then it would have to change conferences, probably change divisions and would, ultimately, struggle to compete at the regional level.
Instead of wondering what NSU could have, focus on what NSU has. Instead of craving a historical tradition, be a part of making one. Embrace NSU athletics and be a part of a large crowd. Create your own tailgating experience with other NSU sports. Paint your body in NSU blue and white. Support your Sharks even without football.
