Selling the Bleachers

Trinity University’s administration continued to create a difficult environment for football to strive and prosper throughout the 80’s. In a Trinitonian article from 1987, Tom James discussed the decision by Trinity’s athletic director to sell the top half of its stadium bleachers. He wrote that multiple individuals who had committed to Trinity decided to not come to the school because they heard the rumor that Trinity was disbanding its team. This rumor and decision to sell the bleachers clearly had a negative impact on players that Trinity was recruiting, so it is fair to assume that the student body was not pleased by this decision either. Although the team was already lacking a strong, supportive fan base, this decision was yet another reason for students to not attend games. This is one of the extreme differences between Trinity and most other prominent college football programs. Professional teams consistently do all that they can to cater to their fan bases and get them involved, while Trinity conveyed the message that its stadium and game attendance was, and continues to be, of very little importance.