‘No One To Play’: 28 Years and No Football

By Anthony Plazola:

Published in The Fog and The Lutrinae

October 27, 2022

Photo by Riley McCullough on Unsplash

During the fall season, millions spend Saturdays painting their faces, tailgating, singing fight songs, playing backyard games, drinking alcohol, and cheering on their college football team. In 893 universities across the United States, football is intertwined with the college experience for students, alumni, and entire fan communities.

For many incoming freshmen and international students, the college experience in the States means experiencing the rituals and culture of a Saturday during college football season. That expectation, however, is not met by Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB): it does not have a football program.

Football programs have demonstrated many positive impacts on their universities. They generate lucrative advertising and television deals, provide brand exposure, and increase enrollment. If these are positive consequences on top of the students’ spirit and engagement, why does CSUMB, a 28-year-old institution, not have a football program?

CSUMB Athletic Director Kirby Garry reveals that “there is no one to play.” Garry points to the fact that there are only three Division II football schools in the West region, the same region CSUMB is located in — two in the upper northwest (Western Oregon and Central Washington) and one in Canada (Simon Fraser).

Provided by CSUMB Athletic Director Kirby Garry

CSUMB is a Division II school with 13 varsity sports, five men’s and eight women’s, and competes in 14 intercollegiate varsity sports. Despite performing at this level, CSUMB is not one of the 169 Division II schools with a football program.

Division II football programs can hand out 36 scholarships. While Division II football programs don’t make as much money as Division I football programs, they can still bring in millions of dollars.

In 2021, CSUMB partnered with the new Monterey Bay Football Club, a professional team connected to the United Soccer League. This move to bring professional soccer to the Peninsula does not replace the experience that football fans yearn for. However, it helps to bring together the community as the team plays at the CSUMB campus venue, which opened in May 2022 and was renamed Cardinale Stadium. As this partnership continues, its success may pave the way for the next generation of sports fans at CSUMB and beyond.