Colleges nationwide are reinstating or adding football programs to attract male students amid demographic pressures and enrollment declines, especially given the nationwide trend of women outnumbering men at four-year institutions by a significant margin. Roanoke College recently revived its varsity football team for the first time since 1942, aiming to boost enrollment and balance gender ratios. While research indicates that adding football often produces only short-term spikes in enrollment, administrators like Roanoke’s president and athletic director believe the addition enhances campus spirit and long-term appeal to male students, countering shrinking pools of traditional college-age populations.