Let’s travel back in time with XU football 

November 4, 2024

By Randy Smith III, Sports Editor

It has been 65 years since Xavier took a snap on the football field. The university’s last game occurred against cross-town rival, Dillard University, in a 21-to- 9 victory in 1959. Xavier’s football team was previously known as the “Forty-Niners” and were a part of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. 

“They taught me the ways of life, how to be a young man, how to be respectful to elders, and how to treat kids who play for you,” said Eddie Flint, who was the starting quarterback for the Forty-Niners for four seasons. 

Xavier football was victorious in 1950 and 1951, going 7-1 and 8-1. Collective and individual success on the field gave Xavier the credibility that they can produce talent. The 2024 XULA Athletic Hall of Fame nominees, Willie Bloxton and Ernest Campbell, were selected to the Pittsburgh Courier HBCU All-America team their senior year. Lineman Vidal Easton played in the first interracial football game in New Orleans on Oct. 9, 1954.  

Football is a rich tradition in the South, where most people dedicate an entire weekend to watching the sport. But on Saturdays, Xavier University football was an entertaining social event that drew students, faculty, and alumni together during home games. The College of Pharmacy and Library/ Resource Center used to be the home of the XU football field where games and practices were held. 

Flint, a New Orleans native, believes his stint at Xavier was one of the greatest experiences he’s ever had. Flint is grateful for his coaches at the time because he learned not only to be a great man but a great coach. 

“I’m very entitled to the people there,” said Flint.  

He became the head coach for St. Augustine High School and led his team to three state championships in four seasons. Flint became a defensive coordinator for head coach Otis Washington, a 2022 Xavier Hall of Fame Inductee, and won three more championships in 1975, 1978, and 1979. Flint will be inducted into the Xavier Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 7, 2024.  

However, despite the successes, administrators announced all intercollegiate sports will be discontinued at the university after the 1959 season. Administrators were looking for ways to reduce overall spending after the passing of St. Katherine Drexel in 1955. Furthermore, Xavier competed against large state schools that had a roster of 100 players while Xavier had not seen a roster of over 35 players in the program’s final 3 years. The university added rigorous academic standards and program cuts led to the demise of Xavier athletics at the time.  

Some students transferred after the discontinuation of football, while others stayed on to complete their degrees at the university. Former Dean of Students, Norman C. Francis, told former athletes they had to earn a “C” average to maintain their scholarship, emphasizing the school’s academic standards.   

With the expansion of the intercollegiate athletics program in 1966, football was left behind while sports such as men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, and tennis thrived.  

Currently, Xavier’s student-body and alumni do not have the pleasure of watching their school play on the gridiron anymore. With the lack of support and funding, the sport is not realistic for the university or many HBCUs to pursue.  

According to a study from Wichita State University, starting a FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) college program would roughly cost $75 million. About $30 million will be invested in a new stadium, if built. The payment for coaches and staff could average $4 million, and the cost of equipment for each player is about $1200. Additionally, Xavier would have to pay to join a football conference either in the FBS or FCS (Football Championship Subdivision). Starting a football program would take a tremendous amount of financial planning, execution, and perseverance.  The future is unknown about the revival of XU football, but the past can be a reminder of what can be. 

 “(It would take) millions of dollars and millions in commitment from people across the street from the athletic complex,” said Edward Cassiere, the associate athletics director for strategic communications, on what would it take for the school to revive a football program.  

For now, current Xavierites can enjoy the other collegiate sports, but some students still hope to experience rooting for an HBCU football program.  

 “In a sense of HBCU culture, the marching band, homecoming, and tradition would maximize to another level if there was a football team,” said junior, Saba Love, a biology pre-medicine major from Sacramento. 

“(Football) gives an opportunity for students to earn scholarships and attend Xavier through their talent,” Love added. 

Tulane University is the only collegiate program that has football in the city of New Orleans. Loyola University discontinued football in the 1940s. Dillard University hasn’t had a team since the 1960s, and the University of New Orleans never had a varsity football program. 

Flint would be delighted to see Xavier restore their football program. He believes football will provide tremendous opportunities for young men in New Orleans. 

 “A lot of kids on the street would have a place to go to get scholarships and play at major university like Xavier,” Flint said.