Is RIO getting a football team?

[1987chieftains]

lots of kids in SEO that might play

[1959IRISHA]

being from Chillicothe, I would support a team from Rio or a team from Shawnee. If Shawnee could do it, I would rather see them use Spartan Stadium. I know the new stadium is nicer, but I love tradition!

Now, where will the Rio club team play?? And IF.....IF it ever does become a varsity sport, where would they play?? Building a stadium is expensive. Would Gallipolis be a possibility??

Not Sure i have been to Rio soccer games played in point pleasant ????

they have a new complex there and gallia will have one soon?

[hbk2016]

shawnee would be a much more viable option for football than rio.

[gtowntiger78]

Very cool video on the website.

[ACCBiggz]

Add shawnee State to the poll. With no college football in the Southern Ohio Area they would do well IMO.

I agree that Shawnee could do very well, but it's not going to happen for some time.

Shawnee State has thought about adding Football in the past, but there are some major hurdles in the way. Over the course of the past few years they have focused on adding more and more students increasing by around about 5% per year and many are staying on campus or finding housing just off campus. Very promising for the future of the University. However, here are the biggest hurdles:

Cost
Football is an extremely expensive sport and SSU does not have the alumni to donate the funds needed (well over one million dollars in start-up costs alone).

Land
I saw You're Tiger Bait mention they could play in Portsmouth's new stadium, but that would reflect poorly on the University. However, there is a field that could be renovated called "Spartan Municipal Stadium". But where the land becomes an issue is that you are not talking simply a field to play games, but a field house for the 80+ team members to practice, lift weights, etc.

Title IX
You have a vast amount more scholorships for football and that drastically hurts adding it because of Title IX. You have to look at cutting sports (which SSU has little of to begin with) or spending more money to add a variety of women's sports, which again you run in to problems listed above.


At this time, unless SSU has a major booster come forth and donate funds needed they won't have a football program for some time. The current facilities on campus are actually starting to become strained from the influx of students and community use.


In a perfect world I would like to see Shawnee State get Spartan Stadium and some surrounding land (even at the unfortunate use of eminent domain) to build a sports complex. That would free up the current gym and athletic center to be for student use only, and allow expansion to the athletic department. A perfect world is millions of dollars from happening.

[Hoggy]

Neither team will see football other than on T.V.

[ACCBiggz]

I honestly think Shawnee State will field a team in the future, just not the near future. The campus has really started to transform over the last few years and with the influx on students and new marketing campaign they've launched I think eventually it'll get to a point where they will need to build a new athletic facility, and when that time comes they'll include space for football.

[RioProf]

The Storm is coming...Watch for more details in the near future. Anybody wanting to support the program financially please PM me.
Thanks

[RioProf]

RioProf, while you may be starting a club program I think you are being too optimistic about it turning into a varsity sport. As many people have said it is too costly to start one. Now if you did start one you would have to consider how much money they have for scholarships, as that's a BIG issue when recruiting. As other people have said, there are other, academic related, problems that they can be spending their money on, and not worrying about a football team.

You have some good points here. These are issues we are working through right now. The nice thing about all this is the President and the Board is 100% in favor of this. If I'm not mistaken this is the first time that both have been in favor.

Also I am a very optimistic person as this has been a passion of mine for the past 20 years. We are going to do whatever it takes to make this succeed. This will be good for the school and the community and I hope you would be a supporter!!

[BRUTUS IS A BEAST]

I would enroll there if it starts up

[theassassin]

rio prof
i saw a red storm helmet in an email earlier this week. is that an official helmet?
can you post it here?