Adding football

[Homelander]

I see discussion about 2A schools who should make the switch to sixman cause of numbers. Yet, what about schools like Hartley, Texline, Adrian and so on that just play basketball. What keeps them from adding football? Is it because of funding or is there more to it?

 

[Tom Duncan]

I see discussion about 2A schools who should make the switch to sixman cause of numbers. Yet, what about schools like Hartley, Texline, Adrian and so on that just play basketball. What keeps them from adding football? Is it because of funding or is there more to it?

There are a number of 1A basketball schools in central, east and south Texas as well that do not play football. Utopia just started playing again this year after dropping football many years ago after a student died while playing. Priddy just started football a couple of years ago as did Lingleville a few years earlier.

Many of the schools just have not had the tradition of fielding teams. Unfortunately, some administrators along with the basketball coach at these schools tend to block movements in their communities for football by saying that it will cost too much or that it will hurt the basketball program. Jayton is evidence that having a football team does not impact basketball.

What is ironic is that many of those basketball only schools have the girls playing volleyball while the boys are left to only having cross country as a fall sport.