Once the crisp, cool autumn air begins to hit the ground, colleges nationwide gear up for football season. Students gather in the stands sporting team colors, the crowd cheers as a player takes the opening kick and the familiar Friday night lights gleam from the stadium.
At George Mason University, things are a little different. There is no NCAA football team affiliated with the university, which is what most of the student body longs for. However, many students are unaware of the football talent that flies just under the radar. That talent is found with the George Mason club football team.
“[We make] a pretty small impact in regards to general knowledge. We’re trying to put our name out there,” said George Mason club football head coach Matt Dyson.
The club team began in 1993 with Joe Pascale as head coach and quickly began to make a name for themselves, winning five Seaboard Conference Championships from 2001 to 2005.
“Most people think club football is just people getting together to play football,” said Dyson. “The level we play at is much higher than club. We play Division II and III teams and junior colleges.”
Despite their success and efforts, the team is not widely recognized on campus. Some might not take the team seriously because of their club label and lack of an NCAA branding.
“Their exposure is not right in your face,” said freshman Pat Carroll, a communication major and avid sports fan. “There’s definitely negativity to being a club team. They [need] more exposure, online media, especially for incoming freshmen. They need to get Mason students more interested in it. That’s a step in the right direction.
Dyson and his team have already begun plans to expand their presence with the help of media enterprises and resources on and around campus.
“We’re looking at utilizing media on campus, updating websites, recruiting in area high schools, and hopefully getting sponsorships from people in the area,” said Dyson, who is also the head coach of Falls Church High School‘s track & field team.
Even if the club team expands their presence at the university, some students are still looking at the option of a NCAA team for the future.
The decision ultimately rests with the Board of Visitors, who is next scheduled to vote on the possibility of a team in 2013. Even with a positive vote, an NCAA team would face challenges such as funding, tuition raises, Title IX implications and construction woes.
“There’s a possibility in the next 10 years [for a football team],” Carroll said. “How proactive the next university president is will matter, too. If they want it, they will bring it here.”
Although the challenges of an NCAA team might be daunting, the upsides to having a team are a higher morale, more prospective students, increased school spirit and an addition to the university culture.
“I think it would definitely boost our athletic program, it would put it on the map for the nation,” Carroll said. “It will help out the athletic program as a whole.”
Currently, there are no official plans for a NCAA football team or stadium. However, according to the 2002 Athletics Facilities Master Plan on the 2014 Projected Campus Plan Map, there is a stadium option available located next to West Campus parking lot.
“George Mason University has so much to it and to add a football team would make this university even bigger,” said Jake McLernon, a junior communication major. “Sure, you can say there’s Mason Madness, but when it really comes down to it, you need something big during the fall.”
If students are so eager to have a NCAA football team, they need to show their willingness to attend club football games. If the support is there, the administration will have a better chance of creating a Division I team.
“We’d like for people on campus to know we’re here,” Dyson said. “We want them to come out to campus on Saturdays for the games. It’s a great opportunity to see your fellow Mason students giving their best effort.”
The club football team will begin preparing for their first game of the 2011-2012 season in the coming months. Regardless of the type of team, football at Mason is important.
“To have a student body that knows nothing of them is inexcusable,” McLernon said.
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