1996: Committee’s call: Go for it or punt?
When Dan Foley was asked to chair the committee charged with recommending whether to bring a football program back to Wichita State, he began to reminisce.
“I thought back to that day a decade ago when the WSU football program was abruptly terminated,” Foley said. “It was a sad day for the students, the alumni and the community as a whole.”
Sounds as if Foley wants to bring football back. But he promised to keep an open mind as his 23-person committee investigates the feasibility of reviving football.
“I always thought it was a mistake to drop it in the first place, but I have to admit that I’m going to try to have the most open mind possible,” said Foley, president and CEO of Foley Ventures Inc.
In announcing the Athletics Program Enhancement Committee, WSU president Gene Hughes set the ground rules. He hopes to have the committee’s recommendations in three to six months.
“If it takes longer than that, it’s because they’re out raising money, I guess,” Hughes said.
The questions are simple, the answers complex:
1. Should WSU bring back football and equivalent women’s sports, such as swimming, soccer or field hockey?
Hughes reiterated that football could not come back alone. WSU’s gender-equity agreement with the Office of Civil Rights dictates similar scholarship opportunities. WSU would certainly have to also add two, maybe three sports.
2. So you want football. What level?
Under NCAA rules, WSU would have to compete at Division I. So the choice would be I-A (like Kansas State and Kansas), I-AA (like Illinois State and Southwest Missouri State) or low-cost, non-scholarship football, as it’s played at Drake.
3. How does all this get funded?
“Fund raising is the key,” Hughes said.
4. How quickly should it all happen?
Once the first four questions are answered, and if Hughes says yes to football, the committee would lead the charge in fund raising.
The committee has to answer those questions with Title IX implications in mind, as well as Hughes’ mandate that the athletic department could not operate with a deficit. Hughes said Friday that he will not ask for a student-fee increase, nor does he expect increased state funding.
“It (student fees) is something I don’t want to do since I’ve already increased student fees more than any president in the history of the university,” Hughes said. “Our student fees totally, not just for athletics, are higher than they are at the other regent universities now, and I don’t think it’s fair to put an additional burden on our students to add any other programs to the university.”
WSU athletics program enhancement committee
Dan Foley (chair), president and CEO of Foley Ventures Inc.
Buck Alley, land developer
Don Anderson, consultant to the city
Susie Anderson, SASO president
Linda Black, director of health services organization and policy program, WSU College of Health Professions
Bernie Calkins, former football player
George Fahnestock, owner, Fahnestock Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.
Kathleen Farney, office specialist, WSU Counseling and Testing Center
Joe Hand, student
Dorothy Harmon, retired director, WSU Marcus Center
Steve Hatchett, president, Schofield Auto Plaza
Donna Hawley, director, WSU graduate nursing program
Jack Hayes, senior VP, Kansas City Life
John Hurst, owner, Hurst Liquor
Herb Krumsick, senior VP, J.P. Weigand & Sons
Fred Marrs, attorney
Bill Moore, KGE president, former football player
Susan Mostrous, senior VP, Emprise Bank
Dale Richmond, consultant, Right Associates
Diane Roberts, dean, WSU College of Health Professions
Hank Schichtle, former WSU football player
Linwood Sexton, former WSU football player
Don Stephan, president, Stephan Advertising
Ex officio members
Jed Hurley, 1996 President’s Medal co-honoree
Bob Geist, owner/ceo, Rage Inc.
Bill Belknap, WSU athletic director
Elizabeth King, WSU vice president for university advancement
Roger Lowe, WSU vice president for administration and finance
Fred Sudermann, WSU vice president for research and govt. relations
This story was originally published December 10, 2015 at 12:49 PM with the headline "1996: Committee’s call: Go for it or punt?."