Debt forces Middle Georgia College to suspend football

Posted 1:23PM on Thursday 31st January 2002 ( 23 years ago )

COCHRAN - In a move that surprised even its head coach, Middle Georgia College has suspended its football program for the 2002 season. Interim President Robert Watts cited growing athletic department debt in announcing the decision on Tuesday. ``The athletic program has a multiyear debt that's been carried forward of about $73,000, and I'm running close to somewhere around $90,000 in debt for the current year, so that's about $160,000 just in the athletic department, and we have to find a way to get out of that and not just that temporary, one-time debt.'' Garrett Hagin, the Warriors' first-year head coach, said he had no idea until he was told of the decision on Monday. ``I wish they would have let me know so I could've discussed my concerns," Hagin said. Middle Georgia College, a two-year school and member of the National Junior College Athletic Association, revived its football team in 1994 after a 35-season absence. Watts said the school has been battling an annual financial crunch. Watts appointed a seven-member committee to study the issue between now and this summer. Watts said the committee will give its recommendations to the incoming president, who is expected to be named by the University System of Georgia's Board of Regents this summer. Watts said the program needed a budget of between $350,000 $400,000, but was losing money despite operating at less than half of that. Interim athletic director Jim Marsalis said Hagin and the coaching staff will retain their positions but can seek jobs elsewhere if they choose to. Hagin expressed concern over the program's ability to restart itself after a year off, expecting most players to transfer to other schools to play football. But Watts and Marsalis said that no long-term decision had been made and each said the program, if kept, would rebound.

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