Dear Winthrop,

Before President Mahony declined Winthrop football, I believed that we shouldn't have it. I don't watch football at all, don't know a lot of major teams, and only know that touchdowns are goals. But after sitting down with Mahony for a news interview about his decision, I started to think a little differently. I'm not saying that I regret his decision to not have it, but I pondered on what Winthrop football could have meant for the school, and what Winthrop stands for without it.

Having football on campus would mean more males attending our school, and therefore, more diversity. Since Winthrop used to be an all-female college, that would've been a major step in the right direction.

There could be more school spirit, not just from football, but the female sports that would come along with it. More athletes would come to Winthrop due to more options for sports teams, and more diversity among the students in terms of activities. There would be more school games, and therefore, more on-campus events for people to attend. Alumni would definitely attend the sports events as well.

We would have another connection to the Rock Hill community. Rock Hill is a strong football community, and based off the surveys conducted by Winthrop faculty, would love to attend football games and support Winthrop.

Unfortunately, reality came in. All the programs associated with Winthrop football would be too expensive for the school. Scholarships, facilities, expansion, and all types of expenses would put too much stress on Winthrop financially, and they would have to dip into important areas just to make it. Even with potential donations, we would have to make up the gap from having the programs exist. The fact that money gets in the way of this makes me sad.

However, that does not have to be a bad thing for the school. Very well known colleges like Virginia Commonwealth University and College of Charleston get along great without football. Winthrop's admission is increasing every fall, so we are doing something right. Be proud of what Winthrop has now, and what we can do for students in the future, and maybe, we can stay undefeated.

Sincerely,

Zuri