Why Don't These Schools Have Football? (Gonzaga, Creighton, Long Beach State)

One of the more fun parts of March Madness is the fact that it brings together universities from all over division 1 athletics to compete in the same national title tournament, from FBS, FCS, and schools without football. From these schools without football, three have earned a special spotlight from last year's tournament: the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Creighton Bluejays, tournament regulars, and Long Beach State.

These schools have done fine for themselves without football, but every once and a while, seeing these teams compete against schools that do feature football on campus, the question gets raised: why don't they have football? Where did those teams go? Why did they get cut?

Today, I look into answering that exact question. Why don't Gonzaga, Creighton, and Long Beach State have football? The answer is surprisingly simple, but some interesting stories are brought up along the way.

[joshuaamos]

Videos like this make me realize how resilient Marshall was to keep their program going

[claystripe]

Fun fact- the absolutely jacked fella in the Long Beach segment, Leon Burns, broke multiple NCAA rushing records at LB due to being 5-10 years older than everyone he played, having served a prison sentence right after high school. He remains the oldest first round pick in NFL history, entering the league at 29 years old.

[GeeseMan]

Really wish creighton had kept their team. The Midwest could use some more FBS teams

[prestonhunter]

The 1983 creighton football team was the greatest football team of all time. It’s sad not a lot of people got to see them play 😂

[NapTownKid]

I would enjoy seeing a video about D2 or D3 schools that have won D1 National Championships. Such as Johns Hopkins lacrosse or Minnesota-Duluth Ice Hockey

[cfoster]

I'm from the Washington DC area and George Washington University, although it's a private university, is the largest college in the city. The Colonials (Now known as the Revolutionaries) had a Football program, only briefly stopping for WWII, from 1881 to 1966. During that span they played against at least six current teams in Division 1 FBS or FCS, most notably, Cincinnati, who were an Independent, West Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and Virginia Tech, which were a part of the conference that spawned the Southeastern Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Southern Conference. Their one and so far only Bowl game they played was the 1956 Sun Bowl against UTEP (then known as Texas Western) which GW won. The best years of the program were from the 1930's after the onset of "The Great Depression" to the 1950's as the Southern Conference became smaller and not as large in their early years. Currently, the only Colleges that currently play College Football in DC are Howard University and Georgetown, in which both of those programs are in the FCS, and Catholic University in Division 3. I think their story should be told in hopes of GW re-establishing the Football team and I also think you would be the best to tell their story. Furthermore, before the program was discontinued, they were a tenant at DC Stadium (Later renamed Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, aka "RFK") and most of the time, they played their home games on Friday nights and shared the stadium with the then Washington Redskins (now Commanders) and the expansion Washington Senators (now the Texas Rangers) as well as prior to RFK being built, Shared Griffith Stadium with the original Washington Senators (now the Minnesota Twins) as well as the Skins

[dntfeedphil]

I can't wait for the video on the former Big West football programs

[mrterp]

Not-so-fun fact: George Allen may have passed away due to the after effects of getting a Gatorade bath at Long Beach State

[warrenjacobs]

It’s really fascinating learning about how WW2 affected college athletics so much. That would actually be an awesome video, talking about how it killed some programs, helped make Army and Navy into dynasties, the flight school football teams, and made some odd rivalries like Notre Dame-Navy

[brickpalace]

Another interesting one to add... Pepperdine in Malibu, CA

[jimhenry]

Thanks for doing a segment on Long Beach St, and not mentioning the shark. :P
Also, thanks for mentioning Terrell Davis, who played his Freshman Year at The Beach under Willie Brown, and redshirted for George Allen, who recruited him.

One correction... LB joined the CCAA in FB in 1958, not the Big West, which didn't exist yet. LB was one of the 7 schools that formed the Big West, then called the PCAA, Pacific Coast Athletic Association, on July 1, 1969, for the 1969 football season.

They should have had a second bowl game for winning the 1980 conference title, but the PCAA had no bowl affiliation that year. The California Bowl in Fresno would be created in 1981.


UNDEFEATED SINCE 1991! LOL

[andrewcoen]

Should do video on Hofstra’s former football program that was axed after 2009 season given the many NFL players it produced like Wayne Chrebet and Marques Colston

[samuraisaxon]

Heard rumors that Xavier (cincy) is in the works of fielding a program similar to Butler

[Lawomenshoops]

The vote by Cal State Long Beach students meant they would have to pay for football to come back! That’s a different question than asking the, if they want football at their school.

[randypradavinsky]

It would be cool if you did a video strickly in Gonzaga as a college basketball program and about all its hurdles it has had to climb to get where it is today!

[Bagelboy]

Great video idea, but what about Hofstra

[kartierglory]

Was about to say "Houston Stockton" sounds like what we'd call John Stockton if he played for the rockets 💀 then you dropped the bomb

[BobKubby]

Your vids are so awesome! Imagine today a rivalry of Creighton and Wichita State in football. That would be amazing! But alas money always talks. But keep up with the fun videos. Love the history!PS could you consider doing a video on San Francisco and Santa Clara? I know a few folks on the west coast who ask why their programs ended. Thanks

[brandon]

A not-so-fun fact for WYOMING fans...In the early 1920s, Gonzaga destroyed Wyoming, 77-0, in our worst loss ever in Wyoming history (1893-present).

[ThatGuyTrice]

You should make a video about which FCS teams are most likely to make the jump to the FBS next!