The survey on what fans and alumni of Erskine College think about adding football to the school’s athletics program is completed, so now officials in Due West will mull over the information for the next few months to see if the idea will move forward or be shelved.

Naturally, all this has made me wonder. And based on calls and e-mails, it’s made you wonder, too.

Is Anderson University considering adding football?

Every now and again talk heats up about AU buying the fairgrounds located adjacent to the school. The Fair and Expo Center is 68 acres of prime real estate, perfect for a small football stadium and new and improved athletic fields.

To this point, however, college football in the Electric City is nothing more than a fun topic to kick around during the offseason.

Still, I had to ask Anderson University director of athletics Nancy Simpson about Trojans football.

“Having only been here for a bit less than a year, I may not have the deepest historical perspective, but what I have heard is as follows, regarding football,” Simpson said. “On occasion, the question has been raised, and there certainly have been some informal discussions on campus, and perhaps even in the community. However, it has never reached a level of interest that warranted a survey or a study of any sort. So, I do not believe that it has been investigated seriously.”

Living in a football-crazed state as we do, the mere mention of the gridiron game will always spark interest. And at first glance, it seems like a terrific idea. But, while big-time football pays the bills at some schools, it can be a huge drain on others — especially Division II programs with a small student body.

AU has an enrollment of roughly 1,700.

Then again Newberry College, which has been playing D-II football for a while, has less than 1,000 students, so size isn’t necessarily a deal breaker.

Currently the Trojans field 16 varsity sports and the school does a good job of making sure all of them are competitive and well run. Like any sports program some teams are more successful than others, but all are given the proper attention and the chance to succeed.

Football would be a major financial undertaking, which is why many D-II schools don’t play it and others — such as Erskine — do exhaustive research in an effort to determine whether or not it’ll even fly.

Right now, Anderson has more important things to worry about, such as finding a new women’s basketball coach and gearing up for the 2008 fall season.

But, if there should come a time when there’s a groundswell of support for Trojans football, I’m sure the school will look into it.

And if or when it happens, rest assured the folks at Anderson will look into it with their eyes wide open.