"We want to make sure we're not just average.". The school played 797 games. Wide receiver Dirk Dallas thought it was a practical joke when he first learned Western Washington University was dropping its football program. "Once the decision was made, we wanted to make this announcement as soon as possible to allow our players with eligibility remaining to look for new schools, our coaches to look for new job opportunities, and for prospects we were recruiting to reassess the choices available to them.". I liked the program and could still get a good education. We're going to lose a lot of friendships we've built up.". Western, a member of the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference, began playing football in 1903 and finished with a 383-380-34 record in 98 seasons. Word of the program's demise traveled quickly. The team was named after the Boston Braves baseball team, with whom they shared Braves Field. "We've got some good football players here, and some of them will get very good opportunities to continue their football careers. "We have a very strong administration. But those types of things always seemed to be met with resistance. He had a 30-9 record while directing the offense and finished as the school’s career leader in yards passing with 7,854 and touchdown passes with 67. Western's football history is rich. BELLINGHAM - Western Washington University officials announced today that its football program is ending, following a careful evaluation to determine how best to ensure the excellence of all University intercollegiate sports. "It's one of the most disappointing days I can imagine," Gebers said. Found inside – Page 86His older brother was a gifted athlete in both football and baseball. ... Garry won a college scholarship to Western Washington University as a varsity ... ', "Now I'm a football coach. Teammates Silas DeWyse, 14, Raul Medina, 21 and Trillium DeWyse, 2, look on. The school played 797 games. "Trying to tell your parents and not getting (emotional) about it was hard.". Bassett, a 2006 Peninsula graduate, was the starting left tackle for WWU. Goodrich called the confluence of economic disasters that forced the university to make this decision “the perfect storm.”, She said endowment cuts were so severe they were “underwater.”. "There were opportunities when I was there to make stadium enhancements and to do other things that would bring more fans, more attention and help lure more recruits. And if I'm told it's fourth-and-1, I say go for it. Found insideTo save money, Western Washington scrapped its football program. At the UW thefinancial situation becameso direthatthe school shut its doorsto new students ... Western Washington University extends educational opportunities and resident tuition to all students who meet the criteria of Washington House Bill 1079, established by the State legislature in 2004. "I'm all right; just fighting through it," Murphy said. Cutting a program that is the cornerstone of the athletic department cannot be an option. "I'm furious," Stiles said. I feel like the university didn't give football a chance.". Western made five national playoff appearances, all during the 1990s. Some people are thinking about protesting, but I don't know what good that's going to do. I feel really bad for the kids and the coaching staff. "It'd be a pretty short trip," said Keel, whose team went to Western last summer for its annual offseason camp. Ross had recruits coming to campus this weekend and wanted to know what the president thought the administration's role should be in these visits. "It was a surprise, but you know, you can't do much about it. Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and Student Services. "I feel strongly that we need to offer a high-quality program of intercollegiate athletics that is commensurate with our status as a premier university. The crashing economy and statewide budget cuts are forcing college presidents and athletic directors to make difficult decisions. Western closing the door on football also had an immediate impact locally. Central Washington University Athletics. In surprising news, the Bellingham school announced Thursday that it was dropping football from its sports program. Found inside – Page 46Western Maryland won the game 32-12 . ... Maryland played Washington and Lee on Thanksgiving Day at the stadium in 1936 , 1937 , and 1938 , winning all ... Found inside – Page 80... actual colleges and schools, the UW–pronounced “U-Dub”—was also the home of the Huskies, western Washington's beloved favorite college football team. Unfortunately, the University finds itself in a position of needing to eliminate football in order to maintain the health of all other intercollegiate sports. Eileen Coughlin, vice president for Student Affairs and Academic Support Services, said that Western's 15 other intercollegiate sports will not be adversely affected and, in fact, will be better protected as the University faces significant budget cuts. Neumeister and Nick Bassett and Gig Harbor High School graduate Dincer Kayhan each had football careers with the Vikings, but the university announced last Thursday it is dropping its football program because of budget constraints. WWU made the announcement Thursday morning. There's a lot of grieving that is still going on," Ross said in a phone interview shortly after meeting with his players. "Once the decision was made, we wanted to make this announcement as soon as possible to allow our players with eligibility remaining to look for new schools, our coaches to look for new job opportunities, and for prospects we were recruiting to reassess the choices available to them.". Western was one of five Division II schools that sponsor football in the western United States, including the states of Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada.Â, The Vikings played a home-and-home schedule with the other four schools in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. ", Ross, who has two years left on his contract, said he will focus on "making sure our coaches and players are taken care of.". Another key consideration was the prohibitive cost of running a NCAA Division II football program with the lack of geographically close opponents. Found inside – Page 3295Western Washington Area Health Education Center , Western Slope State League ... Western Springs Junior Football Association , Lagrange Western Technology ... Many tried to contact other college coaches around the state to inquire about possible roster openings next season. Need-based and academic scholarships are available for student-athletes. I know there's a lot of unhappy people.". He had a "money" game scheduled with Eastern Washington. To not give the alumni and family a chance to respond is beyond me.”. The decision by Western leaves only four Division II football programs west of Colorado -- Central Washington, Western Oregon, Humboldt State (Calif.) and Dixie State in Utah -- all members of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. "That is who I feel the worst for," he said. The team had just set all the weightlifting times and running schedules for offseason conditioning during the winter season. It's going to be a challenge," said CWU athletic director Jack Bishop, whose program has faced financial struggles as well. People like Jason Stiles, a quarterback at Western in the 1990s. It makes the expansion issue much more critical from a time standpoint.". The Vikings played 797 games during their 98 seasons of competition, having a 50.2 winning percentage with a record of 383-380-34. By dropping football, she could keep Western’s athletic programs afloat in Division II. As bad as we feel right now, this news is just getting out there. But obviously this was the decision that was made and now we have to deal with everything else that goes with it. Shortly after noon Thursday, J.D. She was braced for the anger from alumni and people in the community. Found insideWestern Washington Emporia ... Abilene ... Emporia Saratoga Spgs . Gloversville Englewood ... Lindblom ..Chicago Scott ..Bronxville ..Massee .. Findlay . "We've invested so much into this program. The meeting had been scheduled for several weeks. Something had to give at Western. "It's a big decision," Neumeister said. The Vikings' move is expected to save the university around $450,000 a year. We want to improve our total situation.". Smith spent 17 years as head coach of the Vikings before taking over at Humboldt State University in California and was as stunned as anyone when he heard the news on Thursday. "TAKING FLIGHT: The INCREDIBLE story of Eastern Washington University football and its rise as a national power" is a book by former Cheney Free Press reporter Paul Delaney that chronicles Eastern Washington University's impressive climb to ... He was told by Shepard and athletic director Lynda Goodrich that Western Washington was dropping football. Western football coach Robin Ross was informed during a Thursday morning meeting with school president Bruce Shepard. Programs are getting re-evaluated. "You might not know anybody in here right now, but the guys in this room are going to become some of your best friends and the friendships you make in this room will be with you for the rest of your life.". WWU alum and former football player Wade Gebers thought someone had to be pulling his leg, too, when he heard the news that after more than 100 years the school was shelving its helmets and shoulder pads. Found insideHe had a friend from Western Washington University who had been studying film and agreed to try capturing the games on Friday night fields under less than ... Current members of the team will be allowed to retain their scholarship monies if they choose to stay at WWU, Coughlin said. "It was not something we had discussed. "I thought somebody was playing a joke on me. Roster. But to say it is not a concern is naive, especially today. “It was not something I foresaw,” he said. Not academically, but spiritually and culturally it will be different not having the sport.". Still, major travel expenditures, combined with the economic downturn, were too much for WWU. "But to anyone with an eye on college athletics in general and at Western specifically, it comes as no surprise how much it costs to run a football program and how those costs impact the entire athletic department. "We've lost a great, great rival. "That's the level where they get some or all of their school paid for. Draft History. They have to decide if they're going to transfer or stay and finish up school at Western.". "And by making it one less choice, Central (Washington) is the only D-II school. After officials announced on Thursday, Jan. 8, that WWU would no longer field a football team due to budget constraints, it didn't take long for the news to travel far and wide. “It’s been a brutal, brutal day of news. "It brought tears to my eyes immediately. It said to leave what he was doing immediately, and meet for an emergency meeting at the Viking Union Building. “And I hate the fact that they made a permanent decision based on temporary economic conditions that ultimately are going to get better. That was the toughest part of everything that happened today. Box 641602 Pullman, WA 99164-1602 PHONE: (509) 335-0320 Like many alumni of the Western Washington University football program, Marshall, a wide receiver for the Vikings from 1997 to 2001, spent his Thursday absorbing the news that the school had dropped its football program to help balance its budget. She understood the domino effect this would have on the coaches, the players and recruits. I was looking forward to next year. Former Viking Michael Koenen is the punter in Atlanta. "Since I've been here, we've had annual fundraisers," he said. Stiles still remembers his first day at school, the first meeting of the football team. "It was a difficult decision," Coughlin said. “We’ve lost a great, great rival. "Everyone is really in shock and scrambling around.". "That's where it got real emotional," he said. To balance the athletics budget through cuts across all programs simply would not be consistent with that principle.". Chad Tester woke up this morning a member of Western Washington University's football team. "In my 22 years as director of athletics at Western, this is by far the toughest decision that I have been a part of," WWU Director of Athletics Lynda Goodrich said. "But there's always been a resistance to blowing out the football program," he added. "My phone was blowing up all day." Western Washington Premier League Links* WWPL Website Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Federal Way FC Website* Facebook* Twitter Instagram YouTube* Gala FC Website* Facebook* Twitter* Instagram YouTube Grays Harbor FC Website Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Harbor Force / HF 2 Website Facebook Twitter* Instagram* YouTube ISC Gunners Website* Facebook* Twitter* … Shock, disappointment and frustration were just a few of the emotions players, coaches, alumni and fans felt as they learned the fate of the football program on Thursday. During that span the Vikings put together a 383-380-34 record and competed at the NAIA and NCAA Division II level. "This was the most difficult decision I've had to make in my 22 years here," Goodrich said. 503-838-8312. 360 likes. "I'm not sure, but I think I'm done with football," Bassett said. Pac-12 Standings. Instead of talking about the future, Ross learned that his program had no future. "It causes us all to reflect what this state of the economy holds for higher education and athletics in the future.". A comprehensive reference provides historical overviews of all 335 Division 1 teams, season-by-season summaries, ESPN/Sagarin rankings of top-selected college basketball programs, and more. To not give the alumni and family a chance to respond is beyond me.". In other words, when Ross walked into his 8:30 meeting Thursday morning, he was thinking about the future. Of course, there’s always budget constraints, and this is kind of a sign of the times. The school played 797 games. "It's unfortunate for all the current athletes and all the former players in the history over the university," he said. The university is cutting the football program effective immediately in an attempt to balance an athletic department budget that has been operating at a deficit for the last five years. The Vikings played in the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference. 1/8/2009 12:00:00 AM. This past season was the third time in five seasons the Vikings played GNAC opponents twice.Â. Even head coach Robin Ross appeared to be in the dark about the program folding. Recent budget cuts at the University compounded the program's financial problems. WWU's athletic department is currently running a deficit and its endowments are also struggling in the weak economy. A lot of them will be looking to transfer and get into other programs by spring practice, and we want to be available to help them with that," he said. On Friday, August 13th , the Washington Football Charitable Foundation hosted their 7th Annual Back to School Fair where approximately 1,000 elementary-aged children with identified need from the D.C. Metro Area visited FedExField for a central place to receive information and items to prepare them for the upcoming school year. Trips east of Nebraska would be too expensive, he said. Found inside – Page xviiiHis research focuses on sport marketing, strategic planning, football club ... Prior to joining USD, he taught at the Western Washington University and was ... "As painful as this decision is, I do hope you see its connection to the principles you have critically reviewed and that, as a community, we are committed to in going through what continues to be a very difficult budget process," Shepard said. via Western Carolina University. Director of Sports Performance/Senior Woman's Administrator. To celebrate the NFL's 100th season, Roger Gordon describes the evolution of pro football in trivia questions, answers, and anecdotes. Western was one of just five Division II schools that sponsor football in the western United States, including the states of Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana and Nevada. I thought I was going to get some playing time. Found inside – Page 2069Chutes [Perris 1900 [Southern Indian Park/Washington School California] (Sherman ... 1959 Point [Cal Loma Western High School (U.S. International)] Field, ... From the beautiful natural environment to the welcoming community, Maybe they feel that football takes away from academics?". My Impossible Dream is a testament to the impact one person has on the lives of many, to the tremendous good one can bring about whatever the chosen path, to the responsibility each of us carries to make a positive difference in this world. The official Football page for the. Basset hinted the university could have been more proactive. "I'm done with football, and it's time I come to realize that," said Kayhan, a 5-foot-8, 315-pound academic senior who still had a year of eligibility. I think it is ludicrous for (Western) to close this door.". Found inside – Page 262A History of American Football in France Russ Crawford ... 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