When you think of winning football programs schools like Notre Dame University, Ohio State University, University of Michigan, University of Alabama and Louisiana State University all come to mind.
Ball State University does not.
Think of how neat it would be if Ball State was up there. Impossible, you say?
Not really. One of the key factors in creating a great team is recruiting. Football programs scout great high school players and try to convince them to go to its schools on football scholarships. Recruits are told why they should attend that school. They have to provide sound reasons. Recruiters have to emphasize winning and the team's ability. They have to state reasons why that school's athletic program will benefit the recruits. The National Collegiate Athletic Association has strict rules on recruiting. Potential recruits are not allowed to be given gifts or money by the college or by alumni. If caught, not only will the athlete get in trouble, but the college will too. The college can be fined, lose scholarships and even lose its program.
Ball State has added a new feature, well updated, to draw in recruits: the remodeled Scheumann Stadium. The new Field Turf has made playing safer. There is an area for the media to gather, club seating, family area and entertainment venues. The concession area is bigger, the restrooms are better, and if you have enough money for a private box, your very own attendant! So why aren't major recruits coming our way?
This campus has things to offer us. That is why we are all here.
Most college athletes never become professional athletes. They will have to find a job just like non-athletes. The skills they use in sports can be applied to their jobs later in life. The athletes need to focus on their major. Ball State offers 178 bachelor, 97 masters, 16 doctoral, eight associate and four specialist programs. It has seven academic colleges. There is something for just about everyone to choose from.
It takes more than a pretty new stadium to make a player want to come here. Bodies have to fill that stadium. Remember when you were in Little League and you saw the people cheering for you? It felt great. It's hard to give it your all if nobody cares. Students get into the games free. There is no reason we can't attend at least one home game. That support will encourage athletes and make the student body more united as a whole.
Chances are students will see a potential recruit being shown around campus sometime during their Ball State career. The beautiful part of campus is shown off. Famous alumni are rattled off. Athlete accomplishments are bragged about. When these tours come by, would it be so hard to smile or wave? Give them a little taste of Ball State from the students' point of view.
When the football team travels to a bowl game, the school receives money for the game. If a Mid-American Conference team were to win a BSC Bowl game, the entire conference would receive money. The money is used to pay not only for the football program, but other sports. A highly successful football program could bring in a lot of money.
Better recruits would make a better team. The money made would help all sports and provide more opportunities for other athletes. It is completely reasonable to think we could be a great team. When more games are won, even more recruits will come. It's a cycle that is possible to achieve.
The football team's success is our success. If our team wins, we win. They lose, we lose.
Racheal Ambrose is a junior majoring in journalism and writes 'Final Word' for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
Write to Racheal at reambrose@bsu.edu
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