Poll: Texans get with the programs

By Lew
September 11, 2004

Four in five believe that football is important in public high schools

Gene Wier tells people that one way to better appreciate the importance of high school football in Texas is to compare it with another state.

Wier left a successful stint of more than three decades coaching in Kansas to come to Richland two years ago, and said the conditions for athletes in Texas – from rigorous academic standards to the traditional appeal of the area to major-college programs – were the main reasons why.

"I think Texas is much more proactive in terms of what's good for kids, both in football and otherwise," Wier said. "I see priority placed on all the sports. I think it's what kids deserve. I don't know if everyone realizes the quality of programs they have here."

Most Texans agree with Wier, as evidenced by a poll released today by the Abilene-based Scripps Research Center. The Texas Poll shows that 79 percent of Texans think a high school football program is either very or somewhat important in public schools.

A substantial number of Texans, however, think high school football is overemphasized. Half of those polled said public schools statewide place too much emphasis on football, while 40 percent feel the same is true within their own communities.

Rockwall coach Mark Elam said football programs in Texas not only provide a disciplined outlet for at-risk students, but a game night showcases a variety of student activities such as band, cheerleading and drill team.

"A Friday night football game brings the community together. It's as much of a social gathering as it is interest in the game itself," Elam said. "It's not just about playing the game. It's another part of the education system. You can overemphasize anything, but I think we keep our values straight."

Scripps Howard researchers polled 1,000 adults statewide last month gauging their feelings on a variety of Texas football topics ranging from high schools to the NFL. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Among the notable results:

• Almost two-thirds said it was very or somewhat important for colleges to field a winning football team.

• Forty percent said Texas was their favorite college football team in the state, making it a clear leader over Texas A&M (25 percent), Texas Tech (10 percent) and TCU (4 percent).

• Fifty-eight percent described themselves as professional football fans, compared with 46 percent who are fans of the college game. Nearly half said they are more interested in following pro football than college football.

• More than three times as many fans named the Cowboys (64 percent) over the Houston Texans (21 percent) as their favorite NFL team in the state.

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