Touchdown Florida Tech: Football Approved

MELBOURNE, FLA.—Florida Institute of Technology President Anthony J. Catanese this afternoon announced the university’s next steps in developing a football program. Today, the President presented and the Board of Trustees endorsed action items that came as recommendations from the Football Exploratory Committee: the formation of a Football Advisory Committee to start the process and the formation of a Football Boosters Committee to start the fund-raising effort.

The Board of Trustees also endorsed the following particulars of the football plan:

The most cost-effective approach is to launch non-athletic scholarship NAIA football.

This can be done in Fall 2011, allowing an initial year for fundraising.

Competition could begin Fall 2013.

Fundraising goals include $821,000 in FY 2011 and $1,880,000 in FY 2012 without the need to use other revenues.

The goals of increased enrollment, campus spirit and community involvement can be accomplished by establishing a football team at Florida Tech.

Football can be established without damaging the academic culture of Florida Tech.

Overall visibility of the University will be enhanced by adding football.

“We will plan a fund-raising luncheon later this year, and I will ask Florida Atlantic University Head Football Coach Howard Schnellenberger to be the speaker,” Catanese said.

Schnellenberger was coach of the National Champion Miami Hurricanes and was an assistant coach on the perfect season Miami Dolphins team, as well as coach at the University of Louisville and the University of Oklahoma.

“I invite the community to join the boosters as we begin our football journey,” Catanese said.