Schreiner University draws closer to football decision

Schreiner University's board of trustees approved last week to continue studying a plan to re-instate the football program, which ended in the 1950s. The university is considering joining other Texas-based universities in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Association, which competes in the non-scholarship NCAA Division III.

Schreiner University Marketing and Communications Manager Toby Appleton stopped by The Lead Live on Wednesday and confirmed the story for us.

If the university moves forward with the plan, Schreiner would likely field a team for the 2023-24 school year. Finding the money to pay for the program is going to be one of the biggest challenges. Early estimates that startup costs could be more than $1 million. The final decision could come in December.

Four members of the conference currently field football programs. There are nine Division III programs in Texas, including powerhouse Mary-Hardin Baylor, winners of two Division III national titles since 2016.

"The conference is leaning toward turning the conference into a football conference," Appleton said in a previous interview. "So, they reached out to all of the conference schools to ask if the schools wanted to start a football program. They asked to do a feasibility study and give an intent of what we wanted to do by the end of the year. By December."