It has been a talking point among Anderson University administration members for years. The interest has always been there, but timing was key for a decision of this magnitude.

In the end, the time is now, and the decision came from looking within and discovering strength.

“We have strong enrollment, great facilities, great faculty and great resources,” athletic director Dr. Bert Epting Jr. said. “And when you put that together, you have an opportunity to really impact the university and we felt like the time was now.”

College football is coming to Anderson University.

Epting, Anderson University president Dr. Evans P. Whitaker, members of the Anderson University Board of Trust, regional civic leaders and South Athletic Conference commissioner Patrick Britz were on hand for a formal announcement on Friday.

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"We're hoping that a lot fans will come and support us, fall in love with the team and program and come be a part of what we're trying to accomplish," Whitaker said.

When and where the Trojans will play

Kickoff is set for 2024, with athletes reporting to campus in 2023. This four-year gap gives the university time to prepare adequately in all phases for this new, major endeavor. The addition of football will be a huge transition for the university, not just athletics specifically.

“It’s a holistic process. Adding any program affects the entire university,” Epting said. “You have to make sure you have the correct housing opportunities, enough space in the dining commons, make sure our student affairs/development professionals can handle the number of students we’re bringing.”

The Trojans football team will play in the Division II South Atlantic Conference, the conference in which their other sports teams currently play. They’ll be the 10th school in the conference with a football team.

"As far as I'm concerned, we couldn't have been in a better position than being in the South Atlantic to start a program," Whitaker said. "We didn't choose to join the easiest conference, but we chose to start football in a conference that will make us be competitive and make us a strong competitor."

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Anderson identifies its recruiting base

Though 2023-24 seems far off, Anderson University administration understands it will be here before they know it. Epting is hoping to hit the recruiting trail early to put its new program on the radar, starting with the local community.

“When you think about our state and local high schools, we’re a strong football community,” Epting said. “It’s going to be neat to partner with our local schools, local communities and really build a brand of football that maybe we haven’t seen at this level.”

The search for the head coach

Preparation has been the word that’s been at the forefront of administration’s minds when determining how to roll out the program. They’ve done extensive research, consulted with other schools within the conference and want to make sure the athletes have the best chance to compete when the first game is played in 2024. The most important decision to make: the head coach.

“We have to make sure it’s a man who loves the Lord and understands the intricacies of starting a program but also building and sustaining it,” Epting said.

To this point, the search hasn’t started, but will commence once the full funding is in place. Epting is projecting early 2021 at the latest in regards to naming a head coach.

He will be vital in the continued development of the program which includes bringing in Anderson’s inaugural recruiting class. Epting is hoping that the initial class will bring in over 100 athletes; ideally around 120-125, which would put Anderson in the top third of the South Atlantic Conference in numbers.

“Some student-athletes can have as much as a full ride, others as little as a couple of thousand from athletics,” Epting said. “Many of our students that come here are strong academically as well, so we partner a lot of our athletic scholarships with our athletic scholarships.”

“We’re looking to have a good number that’s going to keep us in the top third so we’re going to start this from a position of strength meaning we have a strong budget.”

The “fully funded” number the university has set is $6 million, possibly up to $7 million.

“Everything you need from personnel, equipment and partially facilities perspective,” Epting said. “That really is all football-centric.”

“When you think of football-centric, that $6 million will allow us to make sure we have the needed number of faculty to offset the increase in student population. It will allow us to have the administrative staff that we need in athletics — our sports information department will have to grow, our strength/conditioning staff, our academic administration, our athletic administration and student service will have to increase as well. That number will allow our university to handle the change.”

A stadium on campus?

The time in between announcement and play also lends time for the university to finalize a playing space. Local high schools T.L. Hanna and Westside have strong facilities, but Anderson University is fully invested in having its own space for the start of the 2024-25 season.

“A lot of discussions we’ve had with different alumni groups and boards on campus is that there’s some value in having your own space on campus to play,” Epting said. “Our initial plan right now is to continue to work in that facet where we want to have a stadium on campus.”

Administration has pinpointed the field where the Anderson soccer teams and future lacrosse team will play as a spot that can provide growth. They’re currently installing a turf field that will allow them to use it in multiple ways that is accessible whenever they need it.

With growth comes opportunity and the possibility that the football program will provide an economic boost to Anderson. The administration is excited about the chance to further entrench themselves within the community and is hopeful the community will embrace the future Trojans.

"The economic impact will be greater than what we initially imagined," Whitaker said. "This will create a number of new jobs and these are all individuals who will buy or rent homes in the community, paying taxes and spending money in our community"

"We're right here in the city which means we're close proximity for a lot of people to come out and enjoy the games. My message is to join us and help us build what we hope will be a very competitive program and something we can all be proud of."