Maricopa Community Colleges to eliminate football

The state's largest community-college district will eliminate football after the 2018 season.

Citing financial constraints, Maricopa County Community College District officials said Monday they are ending the district-sponsored football programs at the four colleges that now have football: Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa and Glendale community colleges.

District spokesman Matt Hasson said the decision to eliminate the sport was not made lightly.

“Although this is a disappointment to our student athletes, coaching staff, and football fans, it is ultimately the right decision for the district and the long-term success of students,” he said in a statement.

“As an essential resource to the community and businesses, MCCCD must be responsible for the financial resources it has been entrusted with.”

Last year, a task force submitted recommendations to Chancellor Maria Harper-Marinick with the possibility of football being cut. But district officials announced in October that they would continue the football programs, which makes this week's announcement to eliminate football a surprise.

'This is a killer'

“This is a killer for kids who aren’t D-I scholarship players right out of high school," Casa Grande High School coach Jake Barro said.

Arizona makes it especially difficult, he said, due to the fact that the state has only have two National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics universities that play football and no universities in Division II or Division III.

Vail Cienega High School coach Pat Nugent said that junior colleges have helped Arizona kids develop physically and mentally for higher levels.

"We will have so many players miss out on the opportunity to go play football even if it was just for two more years" in junior college.

Four of the district's 10 colleges offer junior college football, a sport that is seen as a last hope for high school players who want to continue their passion.

20 percent of athletics budget, 50 percent of insurance costs

District officials said the state's decision to eliminate funding to the community colleges several years ago played a role in the decision. They also looked at national trends. Of the 530 member colleges in the National Junior College Athletic Association, only 65 sponsor football programs, officials said.

MCCCD officials say football makes up 20 percent of the district's total athletic budget and is responsible for more than 50 percent of insurance costs. Ongoing costs to maintain the football programs could top $20 million in needed capital improvements and associated expenses, officials said.

Phoenix St. Mary’s High School coach Tommy Brittain called the decision to eliminate junior college football "unfortunate" for the many high school football players who can compete at the next level but have not yet been recruited. He say others simply need a few years to develop their potential as an athlete or that they lack the financial support that playing out of state usually requires.

Three JUCOs in Arizona will still play football

The junior colleges in Arizona that will continue to offer football beyond 2018 are Arizona Western College in Yuma, Pima Community College in Tucson and Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher.

Those three plus Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, are currently in the Western States Football League, along with Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale and Phoenix.

Former Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep quarterback Jordan Gehrke, who is part of the Arizona Rattlers’ preseason camp, started his college career at Scottsdale Community College and finished it at Pac-12 Colorado.

“It’s tremendous,” Gehrke said of the junior-college football bridge to a four-year college. “It’s just another opportunity to get looked at by some coaches. It happened to me. I think it happened to a few quarterbacks there.”

Both Tim Rattay and Joe Germaine began their college careers at SCC, before doing big things at a four-year college. Rattay set NCAA offensive records at Louisiana Tech, and Germaine led Ohio State to a Rose Bowl win over Arizona State. Both later played in the NFL.

Reach the reporter at 602-444-8072 or anne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com.

OCT. 12, 2017: Despite concerns from study, Maricopa community colleges will continue playing football

MAY 12, 2017: If community colleges cut football 'it will come back to haunt our state,' coaches say

Oct. 14, 2016: Phoenix College football offers hope