OTTAWA — If all goes well, Carleton Ravens football will be back on the field in 2012 as a result of a vote Thursday night by the university’s board of governors.
[URL]http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Carleton+aims+bring+back+football+2012/3197839/story.html
“There was a great feeling from people that they wanted to see this come back,” Carleton University president Roseann O’Reilly Runte said. “The people who are supporters of this are strongly in support.”
A team will play in Canadian Interuniversity Sport for the first time in 13 years if the board of governors can reach its fundraising goal of $5 million and convince senior administration the team is financially sustainable in the long run. The university made a highly unpopular decision to scrap the team in 1999 because it was draining a large portion of the athletics budget without producing a lot of wins.
This time around, alumni are helping out with the budget. Former Ravens cornerback John Ruddy has pledged his support as the lead donor and the board has already raised at least half of the $5 million required to bring the team back.
Runte said she has been working on reviving the team since she started the job in 2008. A survey showing student support for bringing football back convinced her the time was right, she said.
“The majority of the students said they would like to have football here and they said they would attend games,” Runte said.
Football is a valuable tool for community building at a university, Runte said.
“I believe that stellar athletes are part of the university community and I believe that sports bring people together.”
Ottawa Citizen
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Read more: [URL]http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Carleton+aims+bring+back+football+2012/3197839/story.html#ixzz0rrbcu8bb
Advocating for football prospects one story at a time.
FPC West Showcase Spotlight: Alberta DT embracing the process of football with a major piece of advice
