AU Doesn’t Need a Football Team

A recent AUSG referendum called for the creation of an AU football team. Unfortunately, such a team would be an expensive, ineffective mistake, and AU should not pursue it.

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Question Three on the 2022 American University Student Government election ballot asked AU students if they wanted a football team on campus. About 59% of respondents returned a resounding “yes.” University officials have already rejected the idea of creating a football team in the near future. The university is correct. In the world of Eagles football teams, the AU Eagles would not be like the popular and successful Philadelphia Eagles. They would be deeply in debt, and winning games would be a rare occasion.

The most recent efforts to start a football team at AU began in February 2022, when a group of AUSG Senators introduced a bill to request that AU create a “football exploratory committee.” This nonbinding resolution passed the AUSG Senate on February 20th. The text of the resolution itself contained multiple misconceptions about college football teams that the student body must be made aware of.

The resolution cited AU’s alumni relations as a possible catalyst for the team. “Whereas; American University has a deep and rich alumni network, and should take steps to engage said network.” There is