On Nov. 25, Temple President John Fry said the university is “re-assessing” its football program after firing former head coach Stan Drayton on Nov. 17. Debates arose about whether the program was worth salvaging after another underwhelming season in 2024.
In response to heightened speculation, Fry clarified that university officials understand the impact football can have on the university and it is here to stay. The department hired former Sam Houston State head coach K.C. Keeler as its next head coach on Dec. 1.
Temple Football had some of its worst seasons since Name, Image and Likeness was legalized in college athletics in July 2021. After the policy went into effect, players were allowed to profit off their personal brand.
To keep Temple’s sports teams competitive in this new age of college athletics, the Editorial Board is urging alumni and fans of Temple sports teams to donate to The TUFF Fund or the Temple Owl Club. The TUFF Fund is an NIL collective not affiliated with the university but provides student-athletes with financial opportunities. The Owl Club is the athletic department’s main avenue for fundraising.
The Owl Club has around 2,000 members who raised roughly $2 million in 2022. The University of Central Florida, which left the American Athletic Conference for the Big 12 in July, raised more than $43 million through 10,000 donors. Charlotte, who joined the AAC during the summer and whose recent athletic success is comparable to Temple’s, had about 500 fewer donors but still raised $4.16 million.
Temple’s current NIL and fundraising results do not put them in a position to seriously compete against top-tier competition in football and men’s and women’s basketball. In this current age of college athletics, Temple needs financial support to bring in top local recruits.
Successful athletic programs can also remedy some of the university’s broader issues, like declining enrollment. A November poll conducted by The Temple News found that improving enrollment is the fourth most important issue for Fry to focus on for students and faculty.
When Temple’s football team won the American Athletic Conference and its men’s basketball team made the NCAA Tournament in 2016, Temple had some of its best enrollment classes in recent history in the years to follow.
In the current landscape of college athletics, Temple has no choice but to adapt. By donating to NIL collectives or to the athletic department directly, Temple sports fans and alumni can play a major part in improving the struggling programs.
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