ST. LOUIS -- For nearly a century, universities on the East Coast have played the varsity sport of sprint football, in which each football player must weigh no more than 178 pounds. Beginning in 2022, sprint football will come to Middle America for the first time.
Six private colleges and universities in the Midwest and Upper South are the charter members of a new, independent athletic conference, the Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL). Each MSFL member institution will recruit student-athletes to join their new sprint football teams and begin league play in Fall 2022. The charter members of the MSFL are Bellarmine University (Ky.), Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.), Fontbonne University (Mo.), Midway University (Ky.), Quincy University (Ill.), and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Ind.).
Sprint football evolved on the East Coast and offers a different approach to playing American football. While NCAA and NAIA football in American athletic competition emphasizes strength and body weight, sprint football values speed and agility. As described by the New York Times, sprint football is known for its "quick players" and its "fast-paced style of play."
Since 1934, intercollegiate student-athletes have benefitted from participation in sprint football, which currently is organized under the direction of the nine-member Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL). The addition of the separate Midwest Sprint Football League, with its own rules and championships, will represent the largest single-year expansion of the sport in nearly 90 years.
"Sprint football will be new to some fans in the Midwest and Upper South, but it won't take long for our part of the country to get excited about sprint football," said Nancy Blattner, Ph.D.,
President of Fontbonne University and founding Chair of the MSFL Board of Governors. "Sprint offers a distinctive and fast-paced approach to playing football at the highest level. Our six member institutions are working together to provide new opportunities to student-athletes, who will take football in our four-state region in a different and inspiring direction."
"I have been inspired by the cooperation of our six founding institutions in carefully reviewing the opportunities for a new sport in our region," said Blattner. "Today, we have shown the ability of these colleges and universities to collaborate, to innovate and to act decisively."
Fontbonne University Vice President for Athletics, Maria Buckel, will serve as the new league founding Commissioner during the 2021-2022 academic year. An independent commissioner will be hired to oversee the first year of varsity competition of completion in August and September 2022.
The rules for sprint football are very similar to those for other forms of intercollegiate, varsity football, as sponsored by the NCAA and NAIA. As in wrestling, each sprint football player must weigh in before games to show they meet the weight limit for play.
"Many American men who are in their late teens and early twenties will qualify to play sprint football, especially if they are under six feet tall," said Josh Rabe, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics for Quincy University. "The reality for most NCAA and NAIA football programs today is that relatively few of their players are a match for sprint football, given the emphasis of the NCAA and NAIA versions of the sport on strength, height and body weight. Sprint football will make varsity, intercollegiate football available to hundreds of talented players in the Midwest and Upper South who don't currently have access to a version of the sport that matches their size, quickness and athleticism."
Sprint football is an intercollegiate, varsity sport not sponsored by the NCAA or NAIA. The founding members of the Midwest Sprint Football League also are affiliated with the NCAA or NAIA. Their MSFL membership and competition in sprint football will be separate from their NCAA and NAIA sports and affiliations.
Five of the six MSFL charter members do not currently sponsor varsity football in NCAA or NAIA competition. The sixth, Quincy University, plays varsity football in NCAA Division II. Beginning in 2022, Quincy University will sponsor both NCAA Division II football and sprint football as two separate teams. Several current CSFL universities, including Cornell University, Alderson Broaddus University, and the U.S. Military Academy, also offer both NCAA football and sprint football as varsity sports.
The expansion of sprint football to the Midwest and Upper South has the support of the universities already sponsoring the sport. "I am excited to see the growth of sprint football in another region of the United States," said Dan Mara, Commissioner of the Collegiate Sprint Football League. "I believe administrators at the Midwest schools will provide leadership to not only enhance the sport, but spark potential growth for sprint football in other parts of the country. The Collegiate Sprint Football League looks forward to working with the Midwest Sprint Football League in providing opportunities for football student-athletes to continue their careers at the collegiate level."
The skills of sprint players make for a different approach to the game, with unique strategies and playcalling. According to one former sprint player for the University of Pennsylvania, sprint can be "more exciting" than other forms of football. In sprint football, as one example, the weight limit for players means that "a defensive lineman has the ability to run down a tailback."
Generations of former sprint football players have gone on to successful careers in the military, in business, in non-profit organizations, in law and medicine, and in politics. U.S. President Jimmy Carter is the most famous of the former Republican and Democratic politicians who were sprint football players.
The members of the MSFL have much more in common than sprint football. Five of the six charter members of the MSFL are Catholic institutions. The sixth, Midway University, is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In addition to their shared commitment to Christian higher education, the MSFL institutions embrace the value of the liberal arts. The MSFL institutions also recognize the academic advantages of small classes and highly individualized instruction emphasizing small classes and intense faculty mentoring of students.
"With the MSFL, we have a group of universities with common values and a deep commitment to the intellectual and spiritual development of each student," said Dottie King, Ph.D., President of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. "At SMWC, we believe sprint football will be an outstanding addition to our 15 existing varsity sports and will create opportunities for students who are not well served by most existing intercollegiate football programs."
Fontbonne University President Nancy Blattner formerly was president of Caldwell University in New Jersey, which sponsors sprint football in the East Coast's CSFL. She initiated the conversation about sprint football among a group of college and university presidents and athletic directors, which led to the formation of the new MSFL.
Media professionals and university representatives with questions about the new Midwest Sprint Football League should contact President Nancy Blattner of Fontbonne University, founding Chair of the MSFL Board of Governors, at 314-889-1419 or nblattner@fontbonne.edu.
MSFL Website: midwestsprintfootball.com
MSFL Twitter: Midwest Sprint Football League (@MSFL)
MSFL Instagram: midwestsprintfootball (MSFL)
Summary information for each MSFL member institution is listed below:
Bellarmine University
President: Dr. Susan M. Donovan
Senior Vice President: Dr. Sean Ryan
Athletic Director: Mr. Scott Wiegandt
Website for Athletics: athletics.bellarmine.edu
Calumet College of St. Joseph
President: Dr. Amy McCormack
Athletic Director: Mr. Mike Avery
Website for Athletics: ccsjathletics.com
Fontbonne University
President: Dr. Nancy Blattner
Vice President for Athletics: Mrs. Maria Buckel
Website for Athletics: fontbonnegriffins.com
Midway University
President: Dr. John P. Marsden
Vice President of Admissions & Student Affairs: Mr. William "Rusty" Kennedy
Vice President of Marketing and Communications: Ms. Ellen Gregory
Website for Athletics: gomidwayeagles.com
Quincy University
President: Dr. Brian McGee
Athletic Director: Mr. Josh Rabe
Website for Athletics: quhawks.com
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
President: Dr. Dottie King
Interim Athletic Director: Mr. Ron Prettyman (effective July 1, 2021)
Website for Athletics: smwcpomeroys.com
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE MSFL
June 2021
From Dr. Susan M. Donovan, President, Bellarmine University:
"Bellarmine University is excited to introduce sprint football to new and returning students wanting to continue to compete in football in college. The football games will be another wonderful community experience for our students, alumni, parents and friends and the program will build upon our record of academic excellence among our student athletes. We are honored to be a part of this historic expansion of sprint football and look forward to working with our new colleagues in the MSFL. Go Knights!"
From Dr. Amy McCormack, President, Calumet College of St. Joseph:
"Calumet College of St. Joseph (CCSJ) is delighted to be a founding member of the Midwest Sprint Football League, and very excited about bringing a unique opportunity to engage student athletes and the community. As an institution, we always look for distinctive ways to create community, provide opportunity, and build positive momentum. Sprint football is a great fit for CCSJ Crimson Wave and the region."
From Dr. John P. Marsden, President, Midway University:
"Midway University is continuously looking for opportunities that fit with student interests and the development of each student. We are excited about the opportunity to be a charter member of the Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL) and to bring a new sport to this part of the country. Since Midway University does not sponsor varsity football, sprint football will fit nicely with our other 27 athletic offerings.
"As with all our athletic programs, our recruitment is focused on the student-athlete. We know athletics can be a means for many students to enter college and earn their degree while continuing to play a sport they love. Sprint football allows us another means to meet student demand while enhancing our campus atmosphere at the same time."
From Dr. Brian McGee, President, Quincy University:
"At Quincy University, we are excited about the future of the MSFL and sprint football in the Midwest and Upper South. Football is the most popular spectator sport in the United States, but there is a clear disconnect where collegiate opportunities to play the sport are concerned. With only about seven percent of high school football players going on to play the college game, we see a strong need to create new opportunities for intercollegiate football. Sprint football will fit that bill.
"Quincy University has sponsored varsity football for decades. We are pleased to welcome sprint football, our second varsity football program, to the vibrant and diverse offerings of the QU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics."
From Mr. Scott Wiegandt, Director of Athletics, Bellarmine University:
"I believe the addition of sprint football at Bellarmine will allow local and regional football players the opportunity to continue playing the sport they love and receive a great Bellarmine education. The home games will be another gathering point for our campus community to rally around to support their classmates. As we continue on our path and strategically grow as a department, this addition is another step toward realizing the mission of Bellarmine University."
From Dr. Sean Ryan, Senior Vice President, Bellarmine University:
"The addition of sprint football at Bellarmine will help the university meet goals established in the university's long-range strategic plan. A self-sustaining (sprint football) program makes sense for Bellarmine. It deepens our relationships in key target areas for admissions, including the local markets, the South and the Midwest. The increased exposure and coverage that comes with joining this league will allow us to acquaint many more potential students with the benefits of pursuing a top liberal arts education at Bellarmine."
From Mike Avery, Athletics Director, Calumet College of St. Joseph:
"This is an exciting day for Calumet College of St. Joseph and the Crimson Wave athletic department. We are thrilled to introduce sprint football to the Northwest Indiana region as this is a part of the country that is steeped in a long and rich football tradition. The opportunity to provide aspiring football student-athletes an additional pathway to continue to play the sport they love while pursuing a life-changing academic degree at CCSJ was something that was, quite simply, too good for us to pass up. We are also honored to be a founding member of the MSFL and look forward to working with the league membership to grow this exciting game in the Midwest. Football fans will very quickly see that this is a highly competitive, fast-paced and exciting sport that is a perfect addition to the Wave Athletics family."
From Mr. Rusty Kennedy, Vice President of Admissions & Student Affairs, Midway University:
"We are excited to add this dynamic opportunity to our sports offerings at Midway University. Sprint Football will only add additional vibrancy and excitement to campus life each fall."
From Mr. Kevin Miles, Head Football Coach, Palmyra High School (Palmyra, MO):
"Every year at Palmyra we have a few kids who show a tremendous love for and dedication to the game of football but don't get the opportunity to continue playing at the next level because they are a few inches too short or a few pounds too light. Many times these kids are some of the hardest workers on the team and would thrive academically and athletically at the next level if they were given the opportunity. Anyone who is looking out for the best interests of kids in this area would agree that sprint football would positively benefit a lot of kids for generations to come. I would welcome the opportunity to promote this GREAT game of football and give our outstanding kids more chances to be successful in the AMAZING sport!"
From Mr. Mark Corino, Assistant Vice President for Athletics, Caldwell University (Caldwell, NJ), current CSFL member institution:
"Sprint Football has been an outstanding addition to our campus and surrounding community at Caldwell University. It enhances the campus atmosphere during the fall months, as students, staff and local residents get excited throughout the week leading up to that Saturday's game. School spirit has always been high at Caldwell, and it has only increased since we began sponsoring the sport as Cougar fans now have a college football team to call their own. The sport not only enhances school pride, but also increases student enrollment with a roster of 65 student-athletes who get to continue their football careers while earning a college degree. I would like to wish the new Midwest Sprint Football League tremendous success as competition gets underway."
