Through his three years as the athletics director at Our Lady of the Lake, Tom Norris discussed football plenty of times with people around the university, always gauging if the move was feasible or when the moment might be right.
He didn’t spend much effort campaigning or fundraising toward the sport, but he said the direction started to change through the past year. One community member in particular showed continued interest in bringing a team to life at OLLU, accelerating the conversation.
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Spurred by a donor’s commitment to cover the program’s startup costs, Our Lady of the Lake is making a seismic move for the athletic department with the launch of a football team, announcing Sunday that the program will hold its debut competition season next fall.
In a period of declining enrollment and budget deficits for the university, Norris hopes the addition can be part of a broader strategy to add to the student population while offering more opportunities for higher education and advancing the university’s mission.
“There’s certainly going to be naysayers of, ‘Well, hold on, this has been in the news, that’s been in the news, why are we doing this?’ And we’re certainly ready for those questions,” Norris said. “We hope that we can build a product with this football program that maybe those people who aren’t excited now can become excited a year from now, and can get on board and support our program.”
The addition will bring OLLU to 22 athletics teams, and the football program will compete at the NAIA level in the Sooner Athletic Conference, which includes four Texas teams among nine football members for 2026.
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The job posting for the program’s first head coach will go live on Monday, Norris said, and the department is still evaluating possible home venues for the inaugural season.
Our Lady of the Lake is aiming to roster about 100 players for the first year, Norris said, pushing the department’s total student-athlete population above 500.
The university aimed to reach an enrollment of 1,800 this fall but reported about 1,550 undergraduate and graduate students, dipping nearly 12% from last year and close to 50% since 2015. OLLU eliminated 16 academic programs last year, cutting 25 faculty positions connected to those changes, and university president Abel Chavez announced his resignation last month.
OLLU wrote in an FAQ document accompanying the announcement that the football initiative was “broader than enrollment alone,” and Norris said the conversation around football predates the enrollment concerns that have been highlighted in recent months.
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“I think people will see this, no pun intended here, as maybe a Hail Mary, but it’s not that,” Norris said. “Athletics has had success. Our student-athlete outcomes have been successful at Our Lady of the Lake. And again, this is an opportunity for us to provide a higher education opportunity for more young men.”
Our Lady of the Lake University athletic director Tom Norris poses for a portrait on campus in San Antonio, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. The university is set to announce the launch of a football program. (Carlos Javier Sanchez/Contributor)
OLLU also noted in the FAQ that football is “not an either-or proposition,” happening alongside investments in academics. Norris said the donor contribution is projected to cover all costs for what he called “Year Zero” before competition begins, including coaching salaries and equipment.
Come next year, the program is expected to be self-sufficient through the players’ tuition payments and other generated revenues. Norris said the amount of scholarship support for the program is still being determined, aiming to be competitive with similar NAIA programs and aligned with the support levels for OLLU’s other sports.
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The addition of football, which follows the February announcement of the launch of a flag football program, could push the student-athlete population to about one-third of OLLU’s total enrollment. Norris said he believes “we’re in a good spot with that ratio,” leaving the door open to further additions.
Even with the boost in men’s participation from football, Norris said OLLU will remain in alignment from a gender equity standpoint, and no female sport addition is imminent.
“I think there’s opportunities, and it’s something that I’m always looking at what’s trending, what’s popular,” Norris said. “If there’s something we can add that doesn’t necessarily require any extra facility usage or needs, then certain that’s something we’ll think about.”
OLLU aims to build a football coaching staff that “aligns with some of the top programs in the NAIA,” Norris said, and the program is also planning on additions to athletic training, game operations, sports information and a variety of other areas to sustain the new team. The school’s weight room “is going to need some attention,” too, Norris said.
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Norris would like to have a job offer to a head coach by mid-December, he said, with hopes of having the role filled by the start of the new year. While an elite recruiter is a priority, Norris said he’s “extremely open to whatever the right candidate looks like,” not targeting any specific criteria or experience level.
“Certainly I don’t want this to be just another athletics program,” Norris said. “Of course I’m not in this business to lose, and none of my coaches are, either. But the academic piece is first and foremost.”
Our Lady of the Lake is still evaluating possible venues to host home games in 2027, and Norris said proximity to campus is a priority.
The program’s existing soccer field is a consideration, Norris said, but OLLU aspires to eventually build a multipurpose facility with artificial turf, allowing both football programs and potentially track and field to compete on campus.
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“Part of the big-picture, master plan would be to have everybody on campus,” Norris said. “Obviously, that comes down to dollars and cents, but I think this announcement is going to give us an opportunity to get out in the community and seek some external dollars to be able to do some of those bigger-picture projects.”
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This article originally published at Our Lady of the Lake launches football program with an eye on growth.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
