Juliette B. Bell, president of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, had decided to shelve a plan to restore an intercollegiate football program at the historically Black educational institution. The university last fielded an intercollegiate football program in 1979.
Dr. Bell accepted the recommendation of a task force she appointed to look into the possibility of reestablishing a football program. The task force concluded in its report that “the university is not currently in position, with either human or fiscal resources, to reinstate football at this time.”
President Bell stated, “We live in challenging economic times. We must continue to focus the university’s limited resources on its core mission of educating students.”
Throwing a bone to alumni who had called for the reinstatement of the football program, Dr. Bell said the university may revisit the option five years down the road.
