Patriots football not likely, officials say

Football may be king in Texas, but it’s not likely the University be buying pads and helmets any time soon.
Athletic Budget Director King Campbell said student enrollment would have to double.

Poll of students supporting student fees to begin Patriot football team. Graphic by Linda Nava

Athletic Director James Vilade, expressed an emphatic “no, we are not looking into it.” But their boss Dr. Howard Patterson, vice president of student affairs, said “it is possible with student involvement.” They agree the student population is not high enough yet to support such a venture — in other words, money.

“With current enrollment, there are not enough [funds] generated to take on a football team,” Campbell said. Final enrollment figures for the fall semester are not official yet, but the University enrolls slightly more than 6,000 students. Each student pays a $12 per credit hour for an intercollegiate athletic fee. A student taking 12 hours of classes (considered full time) would pay $144 per semester. During the spring semester the athletic fee generated about $1.4 million.

That income funds all of University’s NCAA Div. III intercollegiate athletic teams including men’s and women’s teams for soccer, cross country, basketball, golf, tennis, track and field; women’s softball and volleyball and men’s baseball. Athletic scholarships are not given to Div. III student athletes.

Patterson said if the University wanted to add another sport, such as football, the student body would have to approve a fee increase to cover the cost.
Officials suggested it would take a 50-75 percent fee increase to pay for a football team, but only for the essentials. Under that plan students would have to pay up to $21 per semester credit hour.

“There would be a Patriots football team, but no stadium, no field house, no helmets, only coaches and players,” Patterson said.

Money may be the biggest hurdle, but finding a place to play is another. Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium is already home to Robert E. Lee and John Tyler High Schools as well as Tyler Junior College. “That takes away Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. There’s no way we could use it,” Patterson said.

Neighboring Grace Community School — located just down University Drive — christened Clyde-Perkins Field earlier this month is an option.

Grace Headmaster Jay Ferguson said that the University and Grace have never spoken about the Patriots using Clyde-Perkins Field for football. UT-Tyler currently uses Grace’s track at the field for track and field practice. In return, Grace is allowed to use the tennis courts on campus. “Grace Community did build a stadium recently, but we would prefer to have our own stadium,” Patterson said.

The University does own 26 acres of undeveloped land located near Cambridge apartments, but as of yet there are no plans for its use, officials said.
Associate Editor Clay Ihlo contributed to this report.