Division I Switch

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA FOOTBALL―UNA is undergoing a possible Division switch from Division II to possibly Division I.

Should We Stay, or Should We Go?
By Will Riley
443 Words


FLORENCE ― The center of Florence, The University of North Alabama, is filled with rumors of a new Division for the upcoming football season.
UNA is currently a member of the Gulf South Conference, and is experiencing difficulties with teams leaving the conference. Currently, there are 6 GSC universities in Ark. that are forming a new conference, leaving UNA in the same conference with fewer teams; thus, leaving UNA with fewer home games. If UNA remains in the GSC, then she will not generate as much money at games due to the lack of home games. Also, during the regular season, it leaves the team to play the same teams on numerous occasions.
There was a crucial question brought up at the Sept 10th BOT meeting: ‘Can we stay any longer and still satisfy the community?’
With the loss of the teams, and the fact that UNA’s enrollment is at an all time high for the 3rd year in a row, the possibility of switching Divisions is becoming feasible in the eyes of UNA administration.
“Change is inevitable. What determines success or failure is determined by how we respond to the change,” claims Josh Woods, Direction of University Communications.
Woods believes that “our cheese has been moved.” He quotes from the 23 million copied bestselling book, “Who Moved My Cheese,” by Spencer Johnson. The book tells of when certain organizational changes arise, we should go along with a change because change is usually for the better.

Woods is in support of switching to Division I only if it is best for not only the university, but the entire community. There are different peaks and valleys in switching to a larger division, but “we will not switch if it in anyway harms another organization on campus,” states Woods.
Woods may be in favor of the switch, but the question remains, “are we ready to switch?” Woods does not know the answers. Even the coaches are still pondering because Woods proclaimed that we would not switch until 2011 . . . at the earliest.
Even though the switch would not go into effect until the next football season, we should prepare for the changes within switching to a different division: tuition increase, additional/removal of intramurals, different football teams, renovations to campus, and even modifications to city of Florence.
This is a serious matter that students should not take lightly because UNA will be switching divisions in the next few years, so students should be seeing a new UNA in the next few months. There will be a science building and student commons building to compensate for enrollment.
Will Riley is an undergraduate student of UNA majoring in Entertainment Management.