Siena College in New York state announced last week it has dropped funding for its football team, making it the fourth college team to leave the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference since 2001. After discussions among athletic administrators, senior staff, the president and the Board of Trustees, the decision was made to cut the team.
Other colleges in the MAAC that have dropped their football team include Canisius College, Fairfield University and St. John’s University, moving the conference from division I-AA to I-AAA.
All of the colleges decided to cut football as a core sport for similar reasons. For Siena, the reason was primarily about resources and funding.
“Football is a much smaller part of college life here,” Director of Athletics John D’Argenio said. “It’s a matter of a priority on resources. We’re a smaller school with limited resources.”
D’Argenio explained other colleges that dropped their football teams did so for similar reasons.
The football team received about $200,000 in funding each year, the smallest amount of all of the college’s other athletic teams. Now that this money is available, the college will reallocate it elsewhere in the athletic department to help out coaching, athletic and academic advising, sports medicine and general recreation funds.
For those student athletes who wish to continue their football career, the college has set up a process to assist them with any questions or to coordinate details about transfer processes. In addition, the advising group will provide general academic advice.
While it may be difficult for a student in a Big Ten school to fathom life without football, Siena administrators and many students do not see the move as a big deal. All football games were held off campus and according to Siena junior Kelly Phelon, the team was not very good.
“Some students are annoyed, but no one really went to the games unless you knew someone on the team. I’m a junior and I’ve only been to one football game,” she said.
Two full-time coaches and three part-time coaches are affected by the decision, and Siena will honor the terms of the coaches’ contracts.
Men’s and women’s basketball is Siena’s athletic focus, Phelon added. Last year the men’s team finished with a record of 21-11, this year they are currently 11-7. The women’s team had a 2002-2003 record of 25-8 and so far this year is 10-9.
According to the college’s website, after the NCAA Division III membership voted to exclude Division I schools from participating in Division III football in 1993, Siena became a charter member of the MAAC Football League.
As a varsity athletic program, Siena compiled a 31-101 record in 15 seasons. The program has over 700 letter winners, including 1998 graduate Reggie Green, who finished his career as the NCAA all-time leading rusher in I-AA and was named an Associated Press All-American.
Just recently, five members of the Siena 2003 football team were honored for their on-field achievements as NCAA I-AA Mid-Major All-Americans.
Siena continues to sponsor 18 other varsity athletic teams, 11 of which are women’s teams and seven men’s teams.
