FNL- Friday Night Lights, the nostalgic feeling that many Biolans have from their high school football games. Dressing to the extreme for the theme, and screaming til you lose your voice in the student sections, these are the memories that many students hold. And when they transitioned to Biola, that same nostalgic feeling is left unfulfilled.
Coming from a high school where football was our biggest pride, it was easy to always look forward to Friday nights. Whether that was watching the game intently, or having a social gathering up in the stands, it was a time for the student body and community to gather together.
The phrase, “Biola has been undefeated in football since 1908,” is a common joke among students and faculty at Biola. This inside joke stems from the fact that Biola has never had a varsity football team. While many students enjoy the option of joining a low-stakes intramural football team, there has never been a legitimate football team in Biola’s history.
Dr. Bethany Miller, Associate Vice President for Student Development and Senior Director of Athletics, says that there are many reasons why Biola has never had a football team.
“Because of the facility limitations, as well as there not being a local conference to compete in, there has not been discussion of an addition of a football team,” Miller said. “It would cost significant funding to rent a facility, and to travel a large roster sport-around 100-120 student-athletes-to other states to compete without a Division II conference to compete in.”
While at times I do miss the overwhelming sense of school spirit of being surrounded by cheers in the student section after another touchdown, every school has its own way of showing spirit, including Biola.
The school spirit that Biola has to offer is abundant. From DBC’s notorious selfies to stuffing your face with rolls during Cafsgiving to counting down from 10 to see the Christmas Tree light up or patiently waiting in the never-ending lines during Torrey Conference; Biola has many community traditions engraved into its core.
When looking at the school spirit specifically to Biola’s sports, there are many ways to show your spirit to your fellow student-athlete peers, such as supporting them at their games. And while there is no football in the near future at Biola, Miller notes how Biola is in the best spot with our current sports.
“From my perspective, where we are in our current sports offerings is the best for Biola – both our students and our institution,” Miller said. “We are excited about our current NCAA DIvision II athletics programs and hope to continue to build into our student experience of Biola spirit and belonging on our campus through the athletic events we host. Go, Eagles!”
