RICHMOND, Ind. — Earlham College in Richmond is suspending its D3 football program.
It seems the last straw for Earlham’s interim president Avis Stewart was a 70-to-6 loss to Rose-Hulman over the weekend. The loss put Earlham in the history books. With 51 straight losses, the Quakers own the longest losing streak ever by a football team at any level of college football.
“Our board of trustees has been looking at football with concern for several years, and we agree that it is time to consider whether or not success on the football field is a goal we should pursue,” said Stewart. “This decision was not made easily or lightly, but I am convinced that it is the right one at this point in the history of the College.”
Earlham plays at the Division III level in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference against other small Indiana colleges like Wabash College, Depauw University, and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
In a press release, Stewart said the college’s football program will return for the 2020 season, granted that three conditions are met. First, Stewart mandates the program secure proper funding from outside the school’s current operating budget. Second, that the athletic department hire a qualified head coach and coaching staff. Finally, Stewart said the program must recruit “an appropriate number of football student-athletes to field a competitive team.
“These three conditions must be met before we re-establish our program,” Stewart said. “Our alumni will be instrumental in helping us attain these goals. A quality football program with the appropriate numbers has the potential to enhance the student experience, increase enrollment, and impact the College’s budget in a positive way.”
In order to achieve these goals, Stewart plans to create a Football Review Committee, which will be made up of alumni, faculty, student-athletes, and current and former Division III football coaches, and athletic directors.
The last time Earlham won a game was back on October 26, 2013, which was a 21-20 win over Anderson University.
(PHOTO: Courtesy of Earlham College)
