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Ridgewater College, a community and technical college in Minnesota, announced Tuesday it would eliminate its football program.
“While our football program has a long history with a successful track record of performance on the field and positive impact on student-athletes participating in the team, the college has been increasingly challenged in recent years to attract and retain sufficient numbers of players who are positioned for success both on the field and in the classroom,” President Craig Johnson said in a news release. “We would need to significantly increase our resources and support services to ensure a successful and competitive program, including student housing on campus, and we are not in a financial position to do so.”
College administrators will work with student leaders to explore ways they can reinvest about $70,000 in student life fees that were allocated for the football program to strengthen other activities.
This fall the football program was suspended because of safety concerns due to a decreasing roster. According to the West Central Tribune, the college started the season with 54 players but the roster decreased to 22 players by the end of September. College officials said the student athletes left the team for personal reasons, suspensions or because they withdrew from the college.
