When classes resume this fall at Grandview College the team will officially play varsity football. Former Iowa State assistant and St. Ambrose coach Mike Woodley was hired to start the program and says he has been surprised at how many players want the challenge of being part of a new program.
Woodley says his original thought was that it was going to be real tough to get players as they had no identity for football. He says once he got out recruiting, he was surprised by the number of kids who wanted to have the opportunity to play as freshmen.
While many schools that add the sport ease their way in by playing one season as a club team Grandview will jump right in and play a varsity schedule. Woodley says he researched teams that had started both ways and found that teams that started with a junior varsity schedule felt they should have done it the other way.
Woodley says the chance to play a varsity schedule right away was a draw and he says he was able to set up a schedule the way he wanted it. Woodley says the Vikings will be a young team and will need some time in the weight room to mature into college players.
He says a lot of them have come from good strength programs in high school, but don’t realistically make great strides until they get to a college weight room. Woodley says his expectation is for them to come in and grow together. Grandview’s first football game is August 30th against Briar Cliff.