College Football 2011: 10 Programs That Need to Drop Football

With the news of Nebraska-Omaha cutting its football program as it moves to Division I gaining media attention, there are plenty of teams that should have dropped their football programs currently playing Division I football.

As you read through these 10 teams that stretch across the country, you know that none of these schools will shut down their underperforming programs. Even though the team loses a multitude of games every year, football will not be cut, as it makes too much money for universities.

With that, let's take a look at the programs that should take the steps to cut their dismal football programs that have been underperforming football teams over the decades.

Duke Blue Devils

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DURHAM, NC - SEPTEMBER 25: Head coach David Cutcliffe of the Duke Blue Devils cheers on his team the Army Black Knights at Wallace Wade Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

First Football Season: 1895
Overall Winning Percentage: .502
Bowl Game Wins: Three (1945, 1955, 1961)

Duke has to be the best example of a basketball school attempting to make a mark on present-day college football with a fledgling football program that produces nowhere near the success of the basketball program.

The Blue Devils did have some good years in the early part of the 20th century, but as college football grew by leaps and bounds, Duke fell from the top of the heap to a doormat year in and year out for members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Eastern Michigan Eagles

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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 25: Dexter Larimore #72 of the Ohio State Buckeyes chases down quarterback Alex Gillett #8 of the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Ohio Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State won 73-20. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Gett

First Football Season: 1891
Overall Winning Percentage: .456
Bowl Game Wins: One (1987)

With the state of Michigan having multiple football-rich programs inside the state lines, Eastern Michigan wasn't lucky enough to get some of that tradition rubbed off on its program, as the Eagles have only earned four winning seasons in the past 30 years.

Idaho Vandals

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LINCOLN, NEBRASKA - SEPTEMBER 11: Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive tackle Terrence Moore #90 takes down Idaho Vandals quarterback Brian Reader #14 during second half action of their game at Memorial Stadium on September 4, 2010 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebrask

First Football Season: 1893
Overall Winning Percentage: .445
Bowl Game Wins: Two (1998, 2009)

It must be tough for the Vandals to see in-state rival Boise State gaining conference titles and a vast amount of media attention, while Idaho has only earned four winning seasons since making the jump to Division I in the 1996 season.

Indiana Hoosiers

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COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 9: Kofi Hughes #13 of the Indiana Hoosiers runs with the ball after making a catch against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

First Football Season: 1887
Overall Winning Percentage: .425
Bowl Game Wins: Three (1979, 1988, 1991)

What are the chances of Indiana dropping football as a member of the Big Ten? Not likely. The Hoosiers have never posted double-digit wins in a season in addition to the second-most losses in the current Division I roster of teams, only being surpassed by fellow Big Ten member Northwestern.

Kent State Golden Flashes

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CHESTNUT HILL, MA - SEPTEMBER 11: Anthony Bowman Jr. #26 of the Kent State Golden Flashes is tackled by Dominick LeGrande #26 of the Boston College Eagles on September 11, 2010 at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Boston College defeated Ke

First Football Season: 1920
Overall Winning Percentage: .387
Bowl Game Wins: None (0-2)

Whether you call it Kent or Kent State, the Golden Flashes have been a pretty lackluster football program in northeast Ohio with only seven winning seasons in the past 30 years and only one season at .500 since 2000.

New Mexico State Aggies

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AUSTIN, TX - AUGUST 31: Linebacker Brian Robison #39 of the University of Texas at Austin Longhorns tackles Keith Mouton #6 of the New Mexico State University Aggies at Texas Memorial Stadium on August 31, 2003 in Austin, Texas. Texas defeated New Mexico

First Football Season: 1893
Overall Winning Percentage: .429
Bowl Game Wins: Two (1959, 1960)

The Aggies have been on a pretty bad streak of poor seasons as of late with seven straight seasons of five or less wins since the program was last over the .500 mark in the 2002 season, when New Mexico State finished 7-5 while still in the Sun Belt Conference.

Northwestern Wildcats

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CHICAGO - NOVEMBER 20: Jason Ford #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini breaks away from Vince Browne #94 of the Northwestern Wildcats during a game played at Wrigley Field on November 20, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. Illinois defeated Northwestern 48-27. (Ph

First Football Season: 1876
Overall Winning Percentage: .437
Bowl Game Wins: One (1949)

While Northwestern has been one of the best academic schools in the Big Ten and the country, the Wildcats haven't seen that success translate into a consistent successful program, as the team was the first to reach the 600-loss mark in major college football.

Rice Owls

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HOUSTON - SEPTEMBER 04: Running back Tre' Newton #23 scores in the first half against the Rice Owls at Reliant Stadium on September 4, 2010 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

First Football Season: 1912
Overall Winning Percentage: .440
Bowl Game Wins: Five (1937, 1946, 1949, 1953, 2008)

The greatest moment in Rice football program history, which has been buried by some of the more mainstream programs in the state like Texas and Texas A&M, would have to be the speech by President John F. Kennedy at Rice Stadium in 1962.

Temple Owls

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STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 19: Wide receiver Chaz Powell #2 of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs with the ball after catching a pass during a game against the Temple Owls on September 19, 2009 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by

First Football Season: 1894
Overall Winning Percentage: .433
Bowl Game Wins: One (1979)

The Temple Owls have a great deal of competition in the greater Philadelphia area to gain fans to help build up the football program, with a professional sports team in each of the big four leagues in addition to only having four winning seasons in the past 30 years.

Tulane Green Wave

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NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 11: Members of the Tulane Green Wave take the field before playing the Ole Miss Rebels at the Louisiana Superdome on September 11, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

First Football Season: 1893
Overall Winning Percentage: .466
Bowl Game Wins: Four (1937, 1970, 1998, 2002)

With LSU holding most of the fans' attention in the state of Louisiana, Tulane has been relegated to the back of the pack, as the Green Wave have been a very mediocre program over the years except for one blip on the radar, when the team went undefeated but was not invited to play for the national championship in 1998.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

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PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Chris Givens #2 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons runs in for a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

First Football Season: 1888
Overall Winning Percentage: .410
Bowl Game Wins: Six (1946, 1992, 1999, 2002, 2007, 2008)

The Demon Deacons are yet another basketball school that doesn't meet that success on the football field. Wake Forest has been at the back of the pack in the ACC, as the team has found it tough to just make it to eight wins year in and year out.