Mar 19, 2010 8:57:53 AM

George Fox is proceeding with plans to reinstate the football program that it discontinued four decades ago.

The school announced it will again sponsor the sport beginning with the 2013 season. It had sponsored the sport from 1894 until dropping it primarily for financial reasons after the 1968 season.

The school indicated that it is making efforts to expand the number of sports it offers and percentage of students participating in intercollegiate athletics, in accordance with the Division III philosophy of offering opportunities for participation in a competitive athletics environment.

Last summer, George Fox announced plans to build a new sports complex and indicated at that time that the decision could lead to reinstatement of football. It also is exploring adding women's lacrosse, and men's and women's swimming as varsity sports.

George Fox is the second Northwest Conference member to recently reinstate the sport. Another member, Pacific (Oregon), will begin play this fall after dropping the sport in 1991.