Kyle Pohl University of Akron Zips Football

Akron quarterback Kyle Pohl (16) looks to make a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Northern Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 12 , 2013, in DeKalb, Ill. The chair of the university's faculty senate said the university should drop the football program out of the bowl championship subdivision.

(AP Photo)

AKRON, Ohio -- The chairman of University of Akron's faculty senate thinks the university should consider downgrading its football program from the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.

Law Professor William Rich, chairman of the faculty senate, told the Akron Beacon Journal that the Division I program costs the university "millions of dollars every year" in upkeep.

"We ought to be competing at a lower level and at a much lower cost -- and perhaps doing it more successfully," Rich told the newspaper.

Rich's comments come a week after the university cut 215 positions -- laying off 180 staff members -- and eliminated the Zips Division I baseball team.

Interim Athletic Director Nathan Mortimer said the university is not considering moving the football team into a lower subdivision.

"We are focused on being where we are and competing at the highest level we can compete at," Mortimer said. " We view it as an investment from the marketing standpoint alone . . . this is the front door of the institution."

The football team, playing in the $62 million InfoCision stadium opened in 2009, drew the fewest fans of any Division I team last year, averaging 9,169 fans over six games.

If the Zips left the Mid-American Conference, they would drop from the Football Bowl Subdivision to the Football Championship Subdivision, joining schools such as the University of Montana, University of New Hampshire and North Dakota State University.

University of Akron President Scott Scarborough earlier told the Beacon Journal's editorial board that he would not have built InfoCision Stadium, but said Tuesday that having a top-tier football team is an important marketing tool.

This article was updated to include comments from University of Akron CFO and Interim Athletic Director Nathan Mortimer.