[Fly Like a Duck]

I would think the bigger debate is merging programs through consolidation, such as the idiocy of two tiny schools in Fulton County continuing to field separate football teams and barely have enough players some years. Otherwise, the reasons to permanently end it would be:

Size/enrollment
Revenue/funding/costs (operations, insurance, equipment and facilities.)
Compliance violations

On the field success or failure should have little to do with it, but consistent failure and or lack of competitiveness is a symptom of another problem. You could also make an inverse argument about what is preventing the start of programs in the counties that don't have football.

Why they haven't merged is absolutely beyond me.

Has anybody seen the previews of the NFL Network series, "Football Town" starting on September 22nd, featuring Barrow High School in Alaska (the school with the blue turf field right by a bay)?

Anyway, in the clip that's being shared amongst Twitter/Facebook, the head coach talks about how the school was facing a severe drop out rate and the admin prior to the 2006 school year asked the entire student body what they thought would help with that. There overwhelming answer? A football program.

I'll see if I can find it.

Reality is (and, some won't want to hear this)...it's a given that football obviously costs money, but the flip side of that is; no matter how bad the program is, often times the gate money generated is the only (football and basketball) $$$ provided in school budgets to help field some of the non revenue sports (Soccer, Golf, Tennis, Track, even baseball and softball).

I have friends and relatives across the state who are AD's & I know for a fact (per them) that JV/Freshmen football generate more of a gate than the non revenue varsity sports. Baseball and Softball, unless it's big district match ups (not even all of those) often come out in the red from games.