The highs, and mostly lows, of attempts to revive Wichita State football

Wichita State’s last football game was played on Nov. 15, 1986, in Tempe, Ariz. The 52-6 loss to Arizona State was followed 17 days later by university president Warren Armstrong announcing the end of the program. The reasons were simple – there wasn’t enough winning, the financial losses were great, and apathy had set in with a declining fan base.

In the 29 years since, there have been calls for the return of football to campus. Some calls have been loud, some have been soft. But mostly, there’s been resignation to the fact that Shocker football’s return would be a large mountain to climb.

But president John Bardo opened the door on Dec. 9 to studying a return. He said it would be part of a comprehensive review of the athletic department and its place in college sports.

With more than a generation of Shocker fans unfamiliar with the story of WSU football’s demise, The Eagle and Kansas.com have put together a collection of the most relevant stories and columns of the past three decades. Click on the links below to see the stories. It should give readers a sense for what has happened and the hurdles football’s return would have.

This story was originally published December 10, 2015 at 1:00 PM with the headline "The highs, and mostly lows, of attempts to revive Wichita State football."