For four years, I loved the thrill of getting up every Saturday morning and going to see my high school, DeMatha Catholic High School, play football against some of the best schools the D.C., Maryland and Virginia areas had to offer. I loved smelling hot dogs and hamburgers cooking on the grill and the sight of parents and alumni tailgating in the parking lot, the coaches and parents cursing at the referees because they think he made the wrong call. Oh, how I love football.

As my senior year of high school was coming to an end and I made the decision to attend Iona College, I knew I would be losing the one thing that gets me excited for the fall season. I was glad that they had basketball since it’s my favorite sport, but football is something I look forward to in September and October.

The one thing I didn’t know was that Iona had a football team in the past.

The football program was started in 1967 as a club sport. It held this standing until 1993 when the Gaels became a Division I FCS program and a founding member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League. Some of the schools that played in this division were Canisius, Fairfield, Siena and St. Peter’s.

Iona had two winning seasons in the MAAC. The Gaels won the MAAC Football League Championship in 1993 and 2007.

The conference disbanded in 2007 after teams began to leave and it became hard to schedule games between similar programs, according to MAAC commissioner Richard J Ensor. This left Iona to become an independent football team and join the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Football Championship Subdivision.

A year later in 2008, when the Gaels were struggling to compete against the teams in the Football Championship Subdivision, former Iona Athletic Director Patrick Lyons thought it was best to end the program.

“It is with a heavy heart and careful deliberations that we have come to this extremely difficult decision,” Lyons said in a press release. “The dissolution of the MAAC Football League after the 2007 season and the lack of equitable opponents in Division I FCS football was the main factor in the decision.”

Since 1993, Iona posted a 59-94 overall record. Iona only won three of the 11 games they played in 2008. Their last game was at home against Bryant University on Nov. 15, 2008. The Gaels lost 23-7.

The decision to end the football program left former head coach Fred Mariani without a job, and his players trying to find a new school to play football at. Many coaches, players and parents were angry.

“They were kicked in the teeth – that’s the best way to describe it,” Ed Day, father of former Iona tight end Mike Day, told the New York Times.

It’s almost been eight years since a football game has been played on Mazzella Field. I understand why the school decided to end football, but there is still a part of me that wants to see it back. The team might not be the best football team out there, but it would be fun just to watch football. I feel like a football team at Iona will change the school spirit within the Iona community Also, I’m not the only one that feels the same way.

“I definitely think we should bring back a football team. Football is the most popular sport in the country, and everyone loves to watch it,” sophomore Matt Saljanin said. “I really think it would provide even more school spirit, everyone would come to the games and even the community of New Rochelle would come out and watch.”

Football is the type of sport that will draw people if they like the sport or not. People will come out just to tailgate before the game and have a good time with their friends.

“Football is a really great sport to watch. It will bring a great community to the school,” sophomore lacrosse player Parker Brown said. “It will bring in a lot of money to the school.”

If Iona ever decides to bring football back, I think they can make money off of ticket sales, merchandise and food. The first season will draw in a lot of people to the game since it’s been a long time since Iona played football. Who knows, ESPN might come to Iona to host College Game day.

Besides that, I feel like the school will get more students to come here since football is so popular.

“Football would bring more school spirit, more funds, and more activities to the school,” Iona student Elijah Ware said. “It would be a great acquisition for Iona.”

Iona volleyball players Emma Rose and Claire Archibald expressed their feelings of bringing back a football team and how it would change the campus.

“I love football. It would be fun to watch on campus,” Rose said. “I think it would bring more people to the school, students will come to the games, and it will bring money towards the athletic programs.”

Archibald also believes a sport like football would be another fun event a student can go to and create a different atmosphere at Iona.

“It would be another event the student body can attend together,” Archibald said.

The Iona campus looks like a ghost town on Saturdays. There is hardly anyone on campus except the people that are getting something to eat or going to the gym, and I understand why. After spending the entire week writing papers and studying for test, you deserve to sleep in on Saturday. But, if there was a football game, I think it would give students a reason to get up on a Saturday morning.

Iona hosting football once again will probably remain a fantasy of mine. I guess I’ll have settle with rugby.

To contact the Ionian’s Ryan McFadden e-mail him at [email protected].