DUE WEST, SC - Erskine College announced Friday afternoon the reinstatement of intercollegiate football to the campus effective immediately. The program was discontinued after the 1951 season.

The program will begin competition in 2020. Plans are in process to hire a head coach and two assistant coaches to begin recruiting within the next few months. The coaches will recruit student-athletes to enroll in the fall of 2019 for a redshirt season. During that time, student-athletes will prepare to play at the college level and allow the coaching staff to implement a system for the inaugural 2020 season.

The athletics department is committed to Erskine's mission of equipping students to flourish by providing an excellent liberal arts education in a Christ-centered environment where learning and biblical truth are integrated to develop the whole person. The installation of football at Erskine is based upon the foundation of the institutional mission.

"This is a dramatic step for the college but one that opens doors in recruiting which allow us to expand our footprint in South Carolina and the Southeast Region," Erskine Director of Athletics Mark Peeler said.

"The critical next step is to identify a head coach who will be thoroughly committed to our mission," he added.

"We will not compromise the college's mission or 'The Fleet Way' with the addition of football. We will integrate all aspects of this program with our core values—first and foremost we are Christ-centered. This is dramatic, but it is also a very exciting time for Erskine and the Due West community. We have much work to do," Peeler said.

Further information will be released next week regarding the football program and other athletic programs.