Whittier College in California has relaunched its football program following a three-year hiatus, fielding 96 players this fall and achieving roughly a 10 percent increase in overall enrollment at the institution. The college’s decision came after initial program elimination in 2022 sparked both player transfers and departures among non-athlete students who valued the football experience. President Kristine E. Dillon set a fundraising goal of $750,000 to make reinstatement viable, and supporters exceeded that target by $75,000, demonstrating strong community backing for the restoration.
The expansion of football programs at lower competitive levels—primarily within NCAA Division III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics—represents the largest growth in college football since 2013, with ten new or revived teams beginning play this fall and seven additional programs planned for the future. Institutional leaders view football as an enrollment strategy distinct from the high-budget operations at major universities. Stillman College, a historically Black institution in Alabama, recently announced revival of its dormant football program, seeking to increase enrollment from approximately 750 to 1,000 students by 2030, with projections that football alone could attract more than 100 athletes to campus.
Scholars and economists offer cautionary perspectives on the enrollment benefits of adding football programs. Economics professor Andrew Zimbalist characterized the trend as a desperate response by struggling institutions facing demographic headwinds and an unpredictable college sports environment. Research findings present a mixed picture: some studies document modest, temporary enrollment gains that fade over time, while others show no significant benefits at the Division III level. One analysis identified stronger enrollment at Division III colleges with football programs compared to those without, though causation remained unestablished.
Dillon acknowledged that football’s success as an enrollment driver may prove limited in other institutional contexts, particularly where financial constraints are more severe. The outcomes at institutions like Whittier and Stillman will likely inform whether peer colleges pursue similar strategies or seek alternative approaches to address enrollment challenges and financial sustainability concerns.
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