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Love football? If you’re hoping to cheer the Wolverines on the gridiron soon, don’t hold your breath. Athletic Director Mike Jacobsen has a passion to start a varsity football program at UVU but doesn’t see it happening anytime soon.

The poor economy and fewer dollars from corporate sponsors have put the hurt on all varsity athletics, Jacobsen said. He cites money woes combined with waning political support from power-brokers both on and off campus, as the major obstacles delaying a football kick-off.

Football supporters hoped for a perfect storm last year with the combination of achieving university status while awaiting a new school president that many hoped would be pigskin-friendly. President Holland has not yet announced his intentions either for or against a football program, and so the pot sits on the back burner for now.

Not all is at a standstill though. A start-up fund that began three years ago continues to swell towards a calculated $3 million goal – a figure Jacobsen says is enough to launch a football team. The fund, labeled as a “conference affiliation fund”, receives unwitting donations each year from every student enrolled at UVU.

The brainchild of 2006-07 student body president Jared Sumsion, the fund began collecting $5 per school year from every student the year Sumsion was elected. The five-year plan increases the student contributions every school year until spring 2011, when students will be pitching in $13 per year.

Written By: Matt Beaudry

UVU Football, To Be? Or Not To Be?

The current situation on UVU establishing a football program is technically undecided since the decision is left up to President Holland whose main concern right now is establishing credibility for UVU academically instead of athletically. According to an interview with head of UVU athletics department, Mike Jacobsen, there is potential land set aside for the purpose of a football field. If President Holland would give the go ahead for football it would take UVU 3 years to come up with the money that is needed to start up a football program. The obvious question is where to get the money? Jacobsen mentioned that in the beginning a 5 year plan was established for football plans so that money could start accumulating. This was proposed to the student body in 2006. Polls were established and the student body was uanimously on board with the idea. Jared Sumsion, who was the student body president at UVU during this time was interviewed on the matter last Friday. He was asked about the football fund that students, since 06, have been putting money into every semester, what are the fees? And how much money is in the fund now? His response was that there wasn't a football fund, it was the conference affiliation fund which was established to fund athletics so that UVU could get into a legitimate conference. When talking to Mike Jacobsen about the funds though he said it started out as a football fund and was changed to the Conference Affiliation Fund that it is now. So honestly it is really unclear what the purpose is of being "taxed" for football, if there may not be a football program. When comparing the two interviews, Jacobsen and Sumsion, there were a lot of holes in the story. One said money is being set aside, the other said that football would happen only if UVU was able to find a wealthy benefactor for the program. According to SUmsion, bottom line is that UVU must get into a conference before they even think about a football program. Bottom line for Jacobsen is even if Pres. Holland said yes to a team tomorrow it would still take 3 years to raise the money.

A survey of students was taken and there was a wide variety of results and opinions. A poll is in process and so far 80% of the students would not put their money toward a football team if given a choice. However, 60% of the same students would like a football team here at UVU.

Jared Sumsion did a poll when he was student body president and the result was 80% to wanting a football team, but were these students aware of the money they were paying without consent.

We interviewed a number of students about this subject. Most originally had a positive reaction, but when they discovered that their money was already going toward this establishment many ended with the answer no, to having a football team at UVU.

Garret Swenson was one of the students who answered yes. Swenson says that having a football team would help the reputation of the school and also his education.

A few students agreed that since they are graduating soon it is not fair for the school to use their money because when a football team is established it will not be beneficial to them.

“BYU is right there”, said McCall Tycksen.

Students don’t feel it is necessary to have another football team here in Utah Valley.

The poll proves these reactions of interviews. Students see positives in having a football team, but not when their money is involved.

Also, We want to make you aware that $123 of our tuition is going toward the Athletic department each year. We spoke with the University Utah and discovered that they are paying the same amount. Why are we paying the same amount as an extremely established university who has the added expense of a football team? Football is the most expensive sport to have at a university, therefore we should not be paying the same amount as the University of Utah because UVU is not funding a football team.

Jared Sumsion Q&A UVU Football

Jared Sumsion, Executive Director of the Wolverine Club for UVU athletics.

Q: In an earlier interview with Mike Jacobsen, Athletic Director for UVU Athletics, he said UVU
had established a five year plan, which we are now in the third year of, (correct me if I'm wrong).
Was this established when you were president?
Tell me about the five year plan, what was it set up to accomplish?

A:  Yes, I was the Student Body President who established this fund. It actually does not even mention football at all. It is called "The Conference Affiliation Fund" (You can obtain a copy of the document through the student government office)
It was not set up to bring football to UVU at all. The purpose of the fund was to help UVU get into a conference (i.e.) WAC or Big Sky, etc... For example, the Big Sky requires that we have a football team whereas the WAC does not want us with a Football team...
The fund is to help us get into a legitimate NCAA conference...

Q: Mike Jacobsen, UVU Athletic Director, said it was meant for football. Did the purpose of the fund change?

A: It is more important to get into a legit conference than to have a football program. If getting into a good conference means we need a football program than we will try our best to bring one on board.

Q: When talking to other sources involved in football I was told that it is now up to Pres. Holland wether to create a football program or not. So if he decides to not go through with football, where would the accumulated funds go, and where have they been going up to this point?

A: Football is not on the radar right now (unless you know someone who would like to donate lots of money). Getting into an awesome conference is first on everyone's agenda (including the President's).


So what's up with UVU Football? Does anyone know?

Stay tuned for more later on this subject. In the meantime... Please feel free to take the poll on UVU football and let us know what you think.