Back in 1942, Roanoke College discontinued their football program due to various constraints following the start of World War II.
Over eighty years later, the Division III school is set to bring the program back, under a rather large condition that needs to be met.
The Roanoke Board of Trustees voted last week to support the proposal by President Frank Shushok Jr. to revive the football program, provided the school can raise a start-up price tag of $1.2 million by June 1 in order to start recruiting players for a partial 2024 season.
If they're unable to raise the funds within that timeframe, ABC13 News shares that they'll consider adjusting the timeline.
Bringing football back would also allow the school to support cheerleading and a marching band as well, both moves that they hope will be just what the school needs to increase enrollment and student diversity on campus.
As for a stadium, the school plans to use Alumni Field on campus for practices, and make upgrades around it to add locker rooms, a weight room, coaches offices, and training facilities.
Games would be played at the College's Elizabeth campus at Salem Stadium (which currently seats over 7,000), where the Division III National Title game was played from 1993-2017, and where the 2023 Stagg Bowl is set to take place.
Roanoke is currently a member of the Division III Old Dominion Athletic Conference, who sent their league champion Randolph Macon to the national playoffs last year after an 11-0 season before they lost in the first round in a heartbreaker to Delaware Valley (32-39).