N.C. Wesleyan Announces Addition of Football

March 6, 2003 - North Carolina Wesleyan College has announced that they will begin intercollegiate football in 2004.  NC Wesleyan is an NCAA Division III school and participates in the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. 

Wesleyan continues its fundraising for start up costs and has targeted community resources as well as alumni.  Two of those entities have already been solidified as contributors to the football program.  RBC Centura has come on board as an example of the community support that Wesleyan is looking for.  Former Basketball All-American Roger Taylor has contributed $35,000 in seed money.  It is alumni support such as this that will be counted on for initial financial success.

Wesleyan will play their home football games at the Rocky Mount Athletic Complex, which is just across from the RBC Centura building.  Plans are currently being developed for an on-campus practice facility.  Wesleyan will also break ground on a field house that will house football as well as three other outdoor sports.  This outdoor facility is part of a plan that would also renovate Everett Gymnasium, adding additional footage to the existing facility.

The search for a Head Football Coach will begin immediately with Director of Athletics John Thompson spearheading the process.  There is no timetable for the selection of the head coach but the plan is for that person to be on staff for the 2003-2004 school year for recruiting purposes.

The establishment of football at Wesleyan has multiple goals in the eyes of the College as a whole.  In addition to adding a sport that would be competitive in conference play, it would also help to increase student enrollment.  Increased enrollment would be a major factor in a new financial strategy for the school.  In the area of student life, it would give the student body more activities and help with the recruitment and retention of students.  Football is also considered to be the first step in the growth and development of the entire Athletic Department, with the eventual addition of more sports at Wesleyan.

North Carolina Wesleyan College is an independent, four-year liberal arts college for men and women, located on a 200-acre wooded site in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Founded in 1956 with a historical connection to the United Methodist Church, the College enrolls just under 1,000 students on the main campus. An Adult Degree Program that helps adults finish their bachelor’s degrees in several disciplines is available at the Rocky Mount campus and at instructional branches in Raleigh/Research Triangle Park, and Goldsboro.

N.C. Wesleyan offers bachelor’s degrees in 21 majors. More than 70 percent of full-time faculty hold the Ph.D. or highest degree in their field. Close to 40 percent of students come from outside North Carolina. U.S. News & World Report has ranked N.C. Wesleyan as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the South.