'In Texas, you need football'

[Harry]

Texas State spent decades beneath college football's upper echelon before it decided to strive for something greater.

So in 2007, the university in San Marcos started raising money and mapping out a jump from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision, the NCAA's top level. Roughly 54 miles southwest, UT-San Antonio was on the verge of something even more ambitious.

In 2012, UTSA went from having no football team to joining Texas State as the Lone Star State's newest FBS universities in the span of two years. Both schools, fueled by desire and donations, joined the growing list of in-state athletic departments ramping up their football programs.

However, those moves come at a steep cost. Between 2013 and 2017, the schools' football programs have operated at a combined deficit of nearly $38.3 million, according to NCAA reports obtained through open records requests.

Factoring in the cost of scholarships, coaching salaries and facility upgrades, football is by far the most expensive NCAA sport. For Texas State and UTSA, the lofty price tag is worth the prestige and opportunity that comes with having a football program.

"In Texas, you need football," said Texas State athletic director Larry Teis when asked why that money isn't spent on another high-profile sport like men's basketball. "I hate to say it for those who don't have it, but you need football."

Other schools seem to agree. Since 2010, at least six Texas schools have moved up to Division I (FCS or FBS).

UT-Arlington, which shuttered its program in 1985 because of budget constraints, could be the next to join the mix. UTA athletic director Jim Baker has been in conversations regarding bringing back a football team, according to messages obtained through an open records request. Baker could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

read more:  https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/college-sports/collegesports/2018/07/30/texas-need-football-starting-college-football-programin-lone-star-state-worth-price