MyVCU Portal - VCU Football Poll Results

Here is a breakdown of the results for each of the poll questions on the MyVCU website. The total number of respondents decrease with each successive question – this may mean that some individuals didn’t know how/weren’t aware of the need to refresh/reload the portal poll after each question. This was, however, specified in the directions of each poll question. Regardless, we have a very high level of participation by the student body. The survey indicated that a strong majority (73%) of respondents are in favor of a VCU football program. Here are the rough numbers of the survey, though I am also still working on going through all of the open ended responses (there are thousands). Check it out:

Apparently there are a lot of people who would like to have a football team but I am asking why. We already have a successful basketball team not to mention our teams in soccer, field hockey, tennis, etc. By saying we need a football team to build prestige you are saying that our other teams are not good enough. Further on that point I believe that the strength of a school's academic programming is what makes it noteworthy. Football may be entertaining but one should not assign value to a university based on the success of their teams. From someone that has to pay for their tuition and fees by working I can say that I do not want any of my funds going to a sports team we don't need. Please put that hard-earned capital into something more valuable like better classrooms and tutorials for all the professors (and there are too many) who don't know how to use the projection equipment in the rooms or even Blackboard! Many professors don't even know how to use the newer lighting in Hibbs. I'd like to think my ever-increasing tuition went towards a better education and not just having fun for four years and I hope that others will agree with me. Thanks.

Why do we need any sports? Consider how you mentioned basketball - then reflect on all the money poured into new facilities and development of the Siegel Center. How valuable has that facility proved to our campus and our student community?

It is easy to point towards the costs associated with any sports program and to say "that money is better spent on X" but both the short and the long term costs and benefits need to be evaluated. That is what this project is about. No, not everyone is going to be in support of VCU Football - that is ok. Not everyone cares about our basketball team or was in support of the Siegel Center. However, to blindly assert that more sports would be detrimental to the university, that football is unnecessary, or that it would not yield significant benefits is a matter of opinion. There are numerous benefits to sports programs as well as numerous costs. The question is how to achieve the appropriate balance of costs-benefits and if that will yield long term benefits to the VCU community, other sports, alums, and our academic community.