Reader Dennis Godfrey asks “Are there any plans or dicussions to bring back football to LBSU?”
The Daily Forty-Niner answers: For Long Beach State, football ended in 1991 after the sudden death of head coach George Allen. There is a grassroots effort to bring football back to the beach, led by a group called Bring Back 49er Football. The Daily Forty-Niner reported in February that although Bring Back 49er Football claimed its petition in support of a football team had over 2,000 signatures, the group faced an uphill battle, primarily because of funding issues. Resurecting football would cost around $15 million, according to Vic Cegles, director of athletics at Long Beach State. Bring Back 49er Football estimated that students could pay an additional $70 to $85 per semester to pay for a new team. Adding a men’s football team could also cause LBSU to fall out of compliance with Title IX, which stipulates that universities must maintain equality between athletic programs for men and women. Cegles said two women’s sports would need to be created in order to stay compliant.
Given these challenges and the current economic climate, it’s unlikely we’ll see the return of football to The Beach anytime soon. In a phone call to the Forty-Niner, Cegles said the idea wasn’t being given much consideration.
“It’s not even on the backburner. It’s off the burner,” Cegles said.
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