As part of its continued campaign to increase the size of its student body, specifically by adding more male students, Stevenson University said Friday that it will field a varsity football team next fall and begin to play games in the fall of 2010.
Stevenson, which changed its name from Villa Julie College in 2008, was founded in 1947 as an all-women's school and didn't admit its first male student until 1972. In recent years, it has attempted to attract more male students in various ways and found success by adding sports such as lacrosse to its stable of Division III athletic programs. But women still outnumber men by more than 2-1 on campus, which has approximately 2,800 students.
According to Mustangs athletic director Brett Adams, the idea of adding a football program has been something the school has considered ever since it acquired the old Ravens practice facility in 2006 when the team moved to its current Owings Mills location. But it took a few years of discussions between the athletic department and the administration until the school was ready to go forward financially.
"Obviously it's going to be expensive, but the benefits for the university through tuition dollars outweigh the expenses," Adams said. "Football is such a popular sport, and we really believe it's something that will add vitality to our campus."
Adams said the school will begin its search for a head coach by advertising the position next week. The current plan is to recruit between 40 and 50 students now and have them begin weight training and practicing this fall. Another 40 students will be recruited for the following year, and the Mustangs will play games against other Division III schools in 2010. Because Division III schools don't offer athletic scholarships, the primary costs would be coaches' salaries, equipment, travel and insurance.
"Stevenson has been carefully reviewing the prospect of adding football for some time," said Tim Campbell, the school's vice president for financial affairs and one of the biggest advocates for adding football. "We believe it is a great fit for this institution. Our geographic location is perfect. Numerous regional high school students want to continue to play at the college level, and there aren't enough Division III opportunities. This will add a great deal to our campus life."
Adams said the university is in a "growth mode" and that its goal is to increase the student body to around 4,000 students. In addition to football, the Mustangs are adding women's golf and a handful of other women's sports, although the school isn't ready to announce what they'll be just yet.
The school plans to conduct a national search to find a football coach, Adams said.
"I expect the search will draw a lot of interest from excellent candidates because the salary will be intriguing to consider," Adams said.
