As a Division III school, Piedmont University has several sports. One that is missing is a football team.

Long before any of us were in attendance, Piedmont, in its early years, had a collegiate football team. The program ran from 1910 to 1937. The Lions played more established college programs, such as Clemson and Georgia Tech, according to the Piedmont University website. Since then, the university established more balanced and professional athletic programs. Only a handful of Division III schools in Georgia, such as Berry, LaGrange and Covenant College, have NCAA football programs.

Almost half of the student body is student-athletes at Piedmont. Even more are sports fans and many of them enjoy watching football, whether that be college or professional.

With all this being said, should Piedmont bring back its football team? It would be unlikely that the university would bring in another DIII program due to the lack of funds for a team. If not an official NCAA program, why not an intramural? Flag football would be the most probable.

There are many positives to introducing a flag football intramural team. It surely would not have any trouble getting participants, as this is one of the more desired sports, especially among young men.

Injuries would be limited because, by definition, flag football is a non-contact sport, meaning no tackling. Access to a field is not an issue, having one right below the Mize Center.

Teams would surely be large, which could encourage a range of people to join, including unexpected friend groups who might not mind giving this non-contact sport a shot. Games would draw in big crowds. Keeping non-student athletes active would also be a benefit.

Even with many upsides to having a flag football team, downsides do follow closely. When would games be?

They most likely would not be during the soccer and lacrosse seasons because those sports have higher authority over the field. Even if it were to go on during those seasons, what time could the games be at when there are practices and home games for those sports? Another and more concerning issue is student-athlete participation.

Flag football during certain seasons would limit some athletes’ participation due to concerns about injuries that could hold them back in their primary sport. And even out of season, many student athletes are not allowed to participate in intramurals regardless.

Ultimately, it is up to the student body to take action and determine whether this could become a reality. Most students would not be opposed to participating or being on the sidelines, cheering.

The only question left is, would you want a flag football team at Piedmont University?