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I heard they were planning on starting a football team, anyone heard anything about it?

Every year we hear the same thing, and people get on here and say the same things about it.

I only ask because Shawnee State U. was also thinking about a football team. The two schools play each other for all other sports, if Rio was to get a football team...Shawnee would soon follow.

I know that Shawnee isn't starting the football program this year, but the thought has always been there.

Both schools would have a lot of talent. With Gallia Academy, River Valley, South Gallia, Oak Hill, many others feeding into Rio Grande and Trojans, South Webster, the other schools in/near Portsmouth that I can't remember the names of at the moment. It would be a good way to increase money in the areas.

Yep, been hearing this for at least 30 years now.

sghsrebel09 wrote:I only ask because Shawnee State U. was also thinking about a football team. The two schools play each other for all other sports, if Rio was to get a football team...Shawnee would soon follow.

I know that Shawnee isn't starting the football program this year, but the thought has always been there.

Both schools would have a lot of talent. With Gallia Academy, River Valley, South Gallia, Oak Hill, many others feeding into Rio Grande and Trojans, South Webster, the other schools in/near Portsmouth that I can't remember the names of at the moment. It would be a good way to increase money in the areas.

That logic does not follow. Not even close.

I remember seeing a PDF file of a plan for Rio's proposed team (to play club games at Oak Hill's stadium) but never, EVER, heard anything from a reliable source.

As for Shawnee State. It's not likely for the near future, if ever. Simply put football is too expensive. Yes, Spartan Stadium is an option but that's just a place to play. SSU would need to acquire land to build a practice facility, build it, supply it with the necessary equipment, etc. And then you have to of course hire coaches, buy football equipment, etc. The cost is extraordinary. Football is the main reason the majority of athletic departments are not profitable (even the ones without football aren't). There are, a rough guess - semi-accurate, only about 20 athletic departments that are in the black.

Is that all? Noooo... then you have issues with Title IX. Football requires A LOT of scholarships which does not balance out between male and female athletics. So then you have to cut and/or add programs. And you can see by looking at the current slate of SSU athletic programs that there isn't any to cut. So now you are obligated to make a conscious effort to offer more female athletics. That in itself is not an issue, but the cost of starting more programs and the upkeep is.

What will it take? This is only my opinion, but it's going to take boosters to get involved and to raise the appropriate amount of funds to satisfy Shawnee State. The alumni base is relatively new (only became a four year university in 88) and starting to grow. So the alumni base isn't quite big enough to really come forward at this time either. Boosters will be key and they simply are not there for the university at this time, maybe a long ways down the road they will be. But building a football program for both SSU and Rio are serious financial commitments that have problems aside from that as well.

I've held the belief that if SSU decided to field a team and hired a good coach they could compete nationally within the NAIA within four years (allowing recruits to mature and have a full depth chart) due to the location of the university. Metro areas of Cincinnati and Columbus, the SE Ohio gluttony of HS programs that kids don't typically receive too much of an eye from. So I would love to see it, it's just not in the cards until Uncle Pennybags strolls along.

How exactly is there no logic then? You basically called me stupid and then agreed that they should have a team.

If nothing else then just have some type of club teams that play each other. The students, both Shawnee and Rio, want football teams. They want to watch the games, play in the game, continue what they did in high school - sports wise. With tuition, at both colleges, I am sure they can swing a football team at the very least some kind of team that just gets together and plays against Rio/Shawnee (which ever your from).

As for the money part, I was mainly talking about the community producing more money, I could really careless about how much the Universities make. Make a deal with the local shops, from tshirts to food, eveyone coming out for games. Don't even try to tell me that the community wouldn't benefit from it.

I am very aware that Shawnee isn't starting one in the VERY near future, but I am also very aware of the enormous amount of people who are already willing to play.

Boy that's a darn shame....Considering the quality of the honcho who is or was going to head up up this thing....a guru....Would have had the Red Storm in the National Championship picture within a year or two I imagine...especially if he could have persuaded his right hand man to assist him...Efficient?......Hell they used to do such a fine job of assessing,evaluating,critiquing,and especially criticizing certain coaches and players from GAHS on here and anywhere they could, you got to know what they would bring to Rio with this knowledge.......I mean...I believe that some local High Schools,like River Valley,who are stuggling,would be wise to search this person out and get him on board. At least until the Rio gig happens.

sghsrebel09 wrote:How exactly is there no logic then? You basically called me stupid and then agreed that they should have a team.

There is no logic to the statement I bolded.

if Rio was to get a football team...Shawnee would soon follow.

Just because one would do something doesn't mean the other would. That's just completely baseless, that's all I was alluding to - hence why it was bolded.

If nothing else then just have some type of club teams that play each other. The students, both Shawnee and Rio, want football teams. They want to watch the games, play in the game, continue what they did in high school - sports wise. With tuition, at both colleges, I am sure they can swing a football team at the very least some kind of team that just gets together and plays against Rio/Shawnee (which ever your from).

This is what intramurals are for.

As for the money part, I was mainly talking about the community producing more money, I could really careless about how much the Universities make. Make a deal with the local shops, from tshirts to food, eveyone coming out for games. Don't even try to tell me that the community wouldn't benefit from it.

I wasn't talking about anything the University would make, because they wouldn't make anything. I'm saying they cannot afford to just start a football team unless a booster comes along and foots the bill.

I am very aware that Shawnee isn't starting one in the VERY near future, but I am also very aware of the enormous amount of people who are already willing to play.

If SSU or Rio started a handball team there would be sign-ups. Sure people would be willing to get into a jersey and play, but that has no barring on starting a program from scratch because it takes more than interest to start it. And like I stated in my previous post it's simply not in the cards.

Why thank you, ACCBiggz. I had no idea the flaws with any of my opinions.

I only wanted a simple yes or no answer to if they had went any further with the plans. I don't GO to Rio Grande, this was my way of finding out.

You bolding doesn't show up on a phone, you might want to try something different in the future when correcting my "unlogical" opinions.

sghsrebel09 wrote:I only ask because Shawnee State U. was also thinking about a football team. The two schools play each other for all other sports, if Rio was to get a football team...Shawnee would soon follow.

I know that Shawnee isn't starting the football program this year, but the thought has always been there.

Both schools would have a lot of talent. With Gallia Academy, River Valley, South Gallia, Oak Hill, many others feeding into Rio Grande and Trojans, South Webster, the other schools in/near Portsmouth that I can't remember the names of at the moment. It would be a good way to increase money in the areas.

i dont see the next level talent from these schools. friday nights are hard enough to get thru let alone saturday. rio has been talking football but not the school. soccer is king and basketball heck free admittance until this year go figure that one out.

Been told by a person that was involved with the program at Kentucky Christian that you would need at least an additional 100 students paying tuition that would not have been to make it even come close to breaking even.

91blue14 wrote:i dont see the next level talent from these schools.

Eh, disagree with this statement very much. Recruitment in this region would be an instant hotbed for either Rio Grande or Shawnee State (hypothetically that either had or would get a team). The reason being is talent level at the NAIA level in order to be competitive. That's not a knock, but there are reasons with each lower division the talent drops off: NCAA D-1AA, D-1A, DII, DIII, and on down to NAIA. Every year in SEO players end up at division one schools, a lot of the times MAC schools. But others end up at places like Heidelberg for instance. However, those schools academically pose problems for others.

With Shawnee and Rio having open enrollment, not that the academics are any easier as both offer quality educations, and being in the NAIA with less restrictions it opens the doors for many of those student athletes who otherwise would never get the chance to play past high school. Think of the extraordinary programs (for most years) that we have in the area: Ironton, Portsmouth, Portsmouth West, Wheelersburg, Jackson, Gallia, Logan, Chillicothe, etc. and we could go on and on. And let's not forget the athletes that are outshined by highly touted prep stars in the areas of Cincinnati and Columbus. many of these athletes in this area get overlooked because of no exposure, past by because they are just this much slower than needed or don't jump that extra inch higher for big programs, or perhaps it's a financial or academic issue that keeps them out -- A Shawnee or Rio in this area would benefit from this and also give the student athletes that would not normally receive a higher education the opportunity for one.

These schools wouldn't be recruiting at a NCAA level. The talent pool in this area is very deep, in my opinion, for (imaginary) programs of Rio and SSU.

ACCBiggz wrote:

91blue14 wrote:i dont see the next level talent from these schools.

Eh, disagree with this statement very much. Recruitment in this region would be an instant hotbed for either Rio Grande or Shawnee State (hypothetically that either had or would get a team). The reason being is talent level at the NAIA level in order to be competitive. That's not a knock, but there are reasons with each lower division the talent drops off: NCAA D-1AA, D-1A, DII, DIII, and on down to NAIA. Every year in SEO players end up at division one schools, a lot of the times MAC schools. But others end up at places like Heidelberg for instance. However, those schools academically pose problems for others.

With Shawnee and Rio having open enrollment, not that the academics are any easier as both offer quality educations, and being in the NAIA with less restrictions it opens the doors for many of those student athletes who otherwise would never get the chance to play past high school. Think of the extraordinary programs (for most years) that we have in the area: Ironton, Portsmouth, Portsmouth West, Wheelersburg, Jackson, Gallia, Logan, Chillicothe, etc. and we could go on and on. And let's not forget the athletes that are outshined by highly touted prep stars in the areas of Cincinnati and Columbus. many of these athletes in this area get overlooked because of no exposure, past by because they are just this much slower than needed or don't jump that extra inch higher for big programs, or perhaps it's a financial or academic issue that keeps them out -- A Shawnee or Rio in this area would benefit from this and also give the student athletes that would not normally receive a higher education the opportunity for one.

These schools wouldn't be recruiting at a NCAA level. The talent pool in this area is very deep, in my opinion, for (imaginary) programs of Rio and SSU.

anybody can afford rio`s community college rates their first two years but the private tuition is really high once you became a junior. i enjoyed my first two years at rio but moved on to marshall to graduate. those last two years i couldnt afford it and didnt want to spend the rest of my life with student loans. rio has suffered from not having football with rivals like dominican, walsh, moving onto div II to play football. of course they would benefit from local kids coming to school but dont see the school making any profit. they just dont have the numbers enrolled.

ManitouDan wrote:word is Tosu is calling trying to find out which unni is going to have a team 1st, either ssu or rio, so the bucks can schedule a game . MD

91blue14 wrote:of course they would benefit from local kids coming to school but dont see the school making any profit. they just dont have the numbers enrolled.

You do know that only 20 collegiate athletic departments, as a whole, are profitable, right? Those are your typical big time programs. Everyone else is in the red... and football programs are the #1 reason why. No school adds football to their athletics thinking it makes them profitable.

Raiderball wrote:

ManitouDan wrote:word is Tosu is calling trying to find out which unni is going to have a team 1st, either ssu or rio, so the bucks can schedule a game . MD

This is classic.....a WVU fan on here laughing about a comment made by a Michigan supporter! Is it me or didn't both WVU and UM get smacked in the mouth by someone this weekend?

We know WVU wouldn't want to play Rio Grande after getting beat by Syracuse and UCONN back to back, but I figured Michigan would want this game cause it would be their best chance to beat a team from Ohio.

Raiderball wrote:

ManitouDan wrote:word is Tosu is calling trying to find out which unni is going to have a team 1st, either ssu or rio, so the bucks can schedule a game . MD

Well we all know Michigan hasnt tried to find out which one is going to get football first. Hell, Meatchicken's defense couldnt stop either one of them

Hoggy wrote:

Raiderball wrote:

ManitouDan wrote:word is Tosu is calling trying to find out which unni is going to have a team 1st, either ssu or rio, so the bucks can schedule a game . MD

This is classic.....a WVU fan on here laughing about a comment made by a Michigan supporter! Is it me or didn't both WVU and UM get smacked in the mouth by someone this weekend?

Got smacked hard. Can't and won't deny it..... unlike the OSU fans with their scarlet and gray blinders who try and defend their strength of schedule.... or lack of strength.

U of M breaks the rules of overpracticing players, and they still cant dodge a nosedive losing streak as they get pounded in the Big Ten.

At least Buckeye Nation does a better job of defending their schedule as Meatchicken defends opponents.