User Tools

Site Tools


men_s_football:1960

1960 Season - The Final Football Season at Marquette

In 1960 the Warriors went 3-6, but no one knew the program was in danger.

“A lot of people didn't know it was coming,” Andrie said. “We woke up in the morning and there it was. Somebody … said, 'Did you hear the news?' 'No.' 'We no longer have a football team.' 'What?' Everybody ran up to the coach's office. Nobody knew anything about what was going on.”

At 9:30 on the morning of Dec. 9, 1960, Marquette's Office of the President announced that the school's football team was abolished.

The program that had compiled a 273-220-38 record during its 68-year history was slashed without notice because it was costing the university $50,000 per year.

By 2 p.m., the protest was underway.

The Dec. 14, 1960 issue of The Marquette Tribune reports, “The demonstrators, estimated from 300 to 3,000 at various times marched over 22 city blocks carrying brooms, scrawny Christmas trees, funeral parking signs, and placards with such slogans as: 'Join the fight with N.D. (Notre Dame) against this brand of excellence' and 'Liz for MU Pres.'” Lisle (Liz) Blackbourn was head coach of the team when it was disbanded.

Not everyone shared that sentiment, however. In the same issue of the Tribune, Engineering senior Frank Paulus was quoted as saying, “I'm glad they dropped football. It was a good move by the administration. Big-time football has to be a money making organization: if you can't make money at it, give it up.”

University officials concurred, and the varsity football team quickly became obscure.

Andrie later added: “When they took away our scholarship we went to the dean and we says, 'Hey, why are you doing this to us? This wasn't our decision. We didn't quit the team. … You know what he told us? 'I'm running a business. I'm running a business.' I could not believe it.”

men_s_football/1960.txt · Last modified: 2020/12/07 16:49 (external edit)