Ridgewater College Suspends Football Program

Ridgewater College in Willmar and Hutchinson has suspended their football program after their roster shrunk from 54 players when the season began to where it currently stands at 22.  Ridgewater Athletic Director Todd Thorstad said that a number of factors played a role  in the decreased roster size from injuries, player suspensions, players leaving the program and kids withdrawing from the college.

Thorstad said many of the players lost were offensive or defensive lineman and it wouldn't have been safe to ask a 170 pound player to play on the line.  Thorstad said they had a couple of players in concussion protocol but he thought that was a good think for safety purposes.

Ridgewater College played 4 games this season including their last game with just 22 players on the roster.  They had 4 games remaining on their 2018 season.  Thorstad isn't sure if the football program will continue in 2019 but a decision on that needs to happen "sooner rather than later" according to Thorstad.

Ridgewater College finished the season 0-4 and were outscored by a combined 159 to 25.  They compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association.  Listen to my conversation with Todd Thorstad below.