Club football aims to provide an affordable tackle football program that avoids the tremendous expense of NCAA requirements and Title IX matching. It is largely student-run and financed, similar to other major club sports already in existence.

It is “football for the fun of it,” not for scholarships or the hope of being drafted for a pro tryout. It should be open to all students who have a desire to continue playing the sport they enjoyed in high school or community college, even if they were not considered college-level recruits. It would also be open to male or female students who did not play organized football before college but want to try it. Part-time and graduate students would also be eligible to play. This might work for students wanting to see if they might be considered for a spot on a traditional team as a transfer without losing that year of eligibility while still playing at club level, though NCAA rules in this regard should be consulted.

The “football for the fun of it” concept means the goal is participation, comradery between teammates and opponents, and a chance to experience the equivalence of a collegiate football program without the stress and time commitment of a varsity program. Students gain experience running their own program that may be useful in future endeavors, including coaching. Players should not expect special perks that varsity athletes receive or huge crowds filling the stands if they are even allowed to use stadiums for their games. More likely, games might be played on practice fields and lined by the club members themselves.

The coordination between teams and leadership on different campuses is a necessity. Leaders would need to communicate with the college clubs in rival schools to arrange for schedules, transportation, and housing for visitors. This should be a cooperative endeavor, and getting to know players from other club teams is essential to keeping a league functional, sharing ideas, and making friends. Host schools should provide some type of social activity after the games to promote relations between players and friendships, much like the tradition in club rugby, though rowdy beer parties with underage players should be avoided to stay in the good graces of the college administration.

Club teams should promote the expansion of similar club teams at neighboring colleges to make the system more viable and have more teams to play. The model for the expansion of major club sports exists if you look at the history of crew, rugby, ultimate frisbee, and other club programs with varsity equivalent sports teams for men and women. A league structure should be established with officers and record keepers. This can be done autonomously or with membership in the National Club Football Association. The NCFA leagues currently are small; three to four teams are usual. They find other teams, community colleges, JVs, or small colleges to fill out their schedules or just play a few games against fellow NCFA members. If California colleges could simultaneously establish at least four club programs that played a jamboree-type preseason event where each club played the other for a quarter, followed by home and home contests, and a final post-season tournament with the top seed playing the bottom seed, and number two seed playing number three in the semi-finals, then the winners playing for the championship and losers for third place that would make nine contests without having to play outside the club league, though admittedly there would be multiple times teams might play each other. As more teams were added, this could become a more interesting league.

Participation is important to keep members involved. If they show up to practice and have paid their dues, the coaching staff should be required to give them playing time. This could be on special teams, offense and defense squads, alternating in subs, or if there are many players having a fifth quarter for those who have not played much with the agreement of the other team.  If both clubs have large numbers of players, an informal JV game could be added after the first team’s game finishes.

Officials should be hired from local associations. If the league agrees, high school federation rules could be used instead of NCAA rules because that is what most local officials are familiar with. Fees can be negotiated, and hopefully, some associations will be willing to volunteer to help out the clubs.

The program should be made fun by the coaches and not treated as a varsity-style system. The idea is to keep all members of the club happy and committed while still focusing on other aspects of student life. If students find the program too challenging or the coaches too demanding, they will lose interest or quit, and the club risks folding, as many clubs have in the past.

Practices do not have to be long or five days a week, but training should be adequate to ensure safety and prepare the teams for a competitive contest with any opponent.

Cheerleaders, post-game parties or barbeques to meet opponents, and events to publicize the club, such as rallies, homecoming games, kings and queens, parades, etc., should be part of establishing a fun season run by the players themselves.

The initial season for schools that do not have leftover equipment from previous varsity programs would require the purchase of equipment, which can run into hundreds of dollars for each player’s complete basic outfit, helmet, shoulder pads, hip, knee, thigh, and butt pads, and pants, which could double as game and practice pants. Players would have to purchase their own practice jerseys, game jerseys, shoes, mouthpieces, additional arm pads, braces, etc. The club could provide chin straps. To get a club off the ground, sponsorship, alumni donations, and fundraising activities would be necessary if the recreation department cannot provide help.

To recruit players and supporters, the club would have to publicize its existence and how to sign up for membership. This is best done in the spring term with a major effort to recruit and a noncontact spring workout, culminating in a full-contact spring game for those most committed.  The rugby team and lacrosse team might be good sources of recruits. Fraternities could also be a source of players and perhaps help raise money and promote attendance. Freshman dorms are where many potential players might be found. The more members who join and pay dues, the more likely the club can finance equipment needs and other expenses. The clubs with fifty members are usually the most viable, though much smaller clubs still function.

Insurance is important. Most students already have student health insurance. This should be required along with an appropriate waiver of responsibility for injuries, which most recreation departments probably already have.

A coach’s contract should outline the philosophy of “football for the fun of it” and clarify the coach’s duties and responsibilities. A faculty sponsor should be recruited to communicate with the school administration and make sure students and coaches are following rules.

Fees should be high enough to cover yearly basic expenses, equipment maintenance, purchase of needed equipment, publicity, paying officials, and a head coach if possible. For some students, this may be prohibitive. The leadership may decide to waive fees for students who wish to play but cannot afford dues. A partial or full fee waiver is an option made up of assigning the player additional duties, such as helping to line the fields, taking on one of the more time-consuming appointment offices, etc. The inability to pay hefty club dues, which, according to the UCSB recreation department links to its major sports clubs, can run from several hundred dollars for a season to a thousand for each quarter in the case of the crew.

The NCFA clubs often have good websites. George Mason has one I found that seems excellent as a model. It even has clips of its game highlights.