The Delaware view of the world ... | The Boneyard

The Delaware view of the world ...

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"All of which begs another question: Does Delaware also need to take a long, hard look at moving up to FBS.

Darn right it does, especially taking into account the drastic fall off in attendance over the past 10 years and the fact Delaware now has top-notch facilities, including the indoor practice setting at the Delaware Field House, the new Whitney Athletic Center’s modern offerings and Delaware Stadium’s improvements, which would have to be enhanced more.

Surely, UD athletic administrators are closely monitoring the rapidly evolving landscape to see how and where the Blue Hens best fit. That might, most likely, be where they are now. But considering how many of their peers have made, or may make, the leap to FBS, Delaware must consider it, also.

An ideal scenario, which many have fancied before, would be the creation of a new regional conference that could perhaps spring from a JMU/Delaware climb to FBS. Maybe they’d find willing partners in rivals Villanova and Towson, which, like Delaware, both benefit from being in a major media markets (which JMU does not).

Perhaps ODU and Marshall would have interest, as might former conference rivals Massachusetts and Connecticut, now forlorn FBS independents. Maybe such a setting would be more appealing to Navy and Temple than the widespread AAC, or even independent Army."

MY VIEW: in case you didn't know ... University of Delaware has a culture and a deep pocket for Football. They spend. They have nicer football facilities than Temple, UMASS, Buffalo (and probably BC before the bigger paychecks of ACC). They are constantly upgrading. This thought process expressed in a Delaware paper HAS to be what every solid FCS school is thinking. Erosion. There is a ONE time WINDOW. Things are happening now and they probably won't happen quite this explosively for another decade. And why this should open our eyes: Delaware (IMHO) is a laggard. They think traditional and love that Playoff in FCS etc etc. But you cannot play musical chairs and just wish things turn out OK

and what's needed ... is another Dave Gavitt. There doesn't seem to be anyone leading the charge. CUSA - I know - has the capacity to spring up a Northeast Yankee division to FBS. But ... it'll take leadership.
 
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"All of which begs another question: Does Delaware also need to take a long, hard look at moving up to FBS.

Darn right it does, especially taking into account the drastic fall off in attendance over the past 10 years and the fact Delaware now has top-notch facilities, including the indoor practice setting at the Delaware Field House, the new Whitney Athletic Center’s modern offerings and Delaware Stadium’s improvements, which would have to be enhanced more.

Surely, UD athletic administrators are closely monitoring the rapidly evolving landscape to see how and where the Blue Hens best fit. That might, most likely, be where they are now. But considering how many of their peers have made, or may make, the leap to FBS, Delaware must consider it, also.

An ideal scenario, which many have fancied before, would be the creation of a new regional conference that could perhaps spring from a JMU/Delaware climb to FBS. Maybe they’d find willing partners in rivals Villanova and Towson, which, like Delaware, both benefit from being in a major media markets (which JMU does not).

Perhaps ODU and Marshall would have interest, as might former conference rivals Massachusetts and Connecticut, now forlorn FBS independents. Maybe such a setting would be more appealing to Navy and Temple than the widespread AAC, or even independent Army."

MY VIEW: in case you didn't know ... University of Delaware has a culture and a deep pocket for Football. They spend. They have nicer football facilities than Temple, UMASS, Buffalo (and probably BC before the bigger paychecks of ACC). They are constantly upgrading. This thought process expressed in a Delaware paper HAS to be what every solid FCS school is thinking. Erosion. There is a ONE time WINDOW. Things are happening now and they probably won't happen quite this explosively for another decade. And why this should open our eyes: Delaware (IMHO) is a laggard. They think traditional and love that Playoff in FCS etc etc. But you cannot play musical chairs and just wish things turn out OK

and what's needed ... is another Dave Gavitt. There doesn't seem to be anyone leading the charge. CUSA - I know - has the capacity to spring up a Northeast Yankee division to FBS. But ... it'll take leadership.
I was thinking of Delaware when Shizzle offered this in the NCAA Restructuring thread, especially since JMU is going to the "show."

Not really. We are a state flagship in a medium-size state population-wise with no in-state competition. We’ll make the cut even if we are bad.
 
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Not moving, not yet. For UD, sports is much bigger than football, for now. They’re thinking about all of their sports - something JMU did not. They’re fine for now.
 
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Not moving, not yet. For UD, sports is much bigger than football, for now. They’re thinking about all of their sports - something JMU did not. They’re fine for now.

You recognize that "move" in this CFB world involves getting invited.

We are at the point that Dave Gavitt thought is needed. It is 1979 and the CBB doesn't want to deal with this awful free-flowing ECAC whilst the rest of the country is in solid conferences. With Football feeding into bowls. And our Northeast is also a mess in football with the schedule, occasionally, in conference; but certainly not a real segregation of top to middle

The rest of the country saw Middle Tennessee, App State, Coastal, FIU/FAU, Troy rise ... our neighborhood has none. We at UCONN would be better off with games against these major Universities in our region rather than the Tulsa and MEMPHIS.
 
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Delaware might be an interesting partner for WKU for the MAC....
 
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you have to be interested first.

CUSA reached out to UConn hoping to invite the school. UConn was not interested.

Your desire to create local rivalries does not overcome Newark’s thinking.

FWIW, I feel strongly that conferences will be bifurcated in near future, with schools being in a FB only conference, that effectively operates outside the NCAA and a second conf for all else.

UConn should find regional rivals in such an arrangement.
 

Fishy

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There’s zero reason for UConn to ever want any kind of association with Delaware or JMU or New Hampshire or whatever bumpkin school we’re trying to over-promote these days.

We just got out of a bad conference, stop trying to create new bad conferences.
 
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We have no path to P5. Could you remind the 100s here that fact. If they are saying at bumpkin Middle Tennessee that there will be 40-50 schools in a higher tier of CFB (and that eliminates 15), our UConn Program isn't in the 65. Let alone the next cut.

Where do we go from here? I rather play Buffalo and a bunch of bumpkins from nearby than Tulsa ever again. I bet we draw better. If your answer is we stay Independent for 10 years, I don't think that is sustainable.
 

Fishy

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You’ve been very clear about your desire to hitch out wagon to anything with a pulse.

There‘s absolutely no reason or benefit for us to play Buffalo over MTSU or anyone else other than the fact hat you live in the same state.
 
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wrong. As someone who has gone to games throughout the FBS period, I know many of us loved the roadtrips - BC, Army, Rutgers, Buffalo, Temple, Navy, VaTech. Florida. But never the new time zones.

It is exactly this point about FBS and bumpkin football that hurts us at UCONN: App State + Coastal + Troy + South Alabama + etc etc have risen. And they are doing well. Our peer group is Delaware. UMass. UNH. Buffalo. The State U's in our region and that entire section has not moved in a CFB world that has changed dramatically and their FCS is a shell of what it was in 2010; and the money is sliding away from them.

We - at UCONN - are in an independent status hoping for something. I think we play regional ... and guess what, I am not the only one.
 

zls44

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Delaware. Doesn't. Matter.
 
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Delaware. Doesn't. Matter.

and neither does UNH. the troika of UAlbany (where I get a paycheck), Stony Brook, Towson. Villanova forever in the FCS minor leagues.

Then ... presumably you do know College Football ... because the lineup of Jacksonville State, Sam Houston, Coastal Carolina, App State, Charlotte, UTSA, South Alabama, Troy, Old Dominon ... says what.

WE - UCONN Football - are in this mess of flying to Tulsa and New Orleans and Memphis because the Programs we grew up with - DELAWARE - never rose to a natural level peer.

Strategically = and I know you are in Connecticut curmudgeon behavior. New Hampshire just grew by double digits over the last 2 years (1.37m then 210k population since 2019). Are we always going to have more CFB upgrades from Alabama? At what point, do we get to play someone 2-4 hours away? I am pointing out the reason. Delaware and Yankee football matters. The new FB programs - YES UAlbany and Stony Brook (SUNY) did build stadiums with the expectations of being big boys.
 
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The new FB programs - YES UAlbany and Stony Brook (SUNY) did build stadiums with the expectations of being big boys.
So Albany built a stadium that seats 8.5k (expandable to 24k) and Stony Brook built a stadium that seats 10.3k and they were built with the expectations of being big boys? Neither were in the top 30 of FCS attendance in 2019 with Albany averaging 3.8k fans and Stony Brook averaging 7.3k fans. The stadiums look like they were built for mid to lower tier FCS schools.
 

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Are you proposing an all-sports conference with this group? Otherwise they all need a safe harbor for olympic sports, like UConn has. Also, it would be illuminating to link to the Delaware opinion you heavily quote from just to see if it's connected to the school or a local sportswriter just spewing nonsense takes.
 
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So Albany built a stadium that seats 8.5k (expandable to 24k) and Stony Brook built a stadium that seats 10.3k and they were built with the expectations of being big boys? Neither were in the top 30 of FCS attendance in 2019 with Albany averaging 3.8k fans and Stony Brook averaging 7.3k fans. The stadiums look like they were built for mid to lower tier FCS schools.

they started football - circa 1995. Do you see that? With none of the boosters that you find around UCONN - because (basically) our Hoop. This is a couple decades process and ... they think bigger than Maine or URI will ever think. Why? Guess what: they both measure themselves against the other SUNY with the same Chancellor in charge of Budget. Buffalo - go read the expamsive plan that University has for Academic, Cultural, Region success. Do you think the President of UAlbany or Stony Brook has smaller visions.

Yes ... I have football and basketball players in my class. It is nothing like 2007 when I started. I pose this to you: do you have any notion where Coastal Carolina was in terms of sports in 2007? Have any of you tracked the UAlbany Nanotech academics. Why Delaware? I think it is stupid to stay FCS.
 
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Are you proposing an all-sports conference with this group? Otherwise they all need a safe harbor for olympic sports, like UConn has. Also, it would be illuminating to link to the Delaware opinion you heavily quote from just to see if it's connected to the school or a local sportswriter just spewing nonsense takes.

The American East is a perfect fit for the northeastern state schools. And the CAA? I dunno for every school. But I am thinking Football only. Unless you grab 6/7 and pull in VCU + George Mason.
 

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and neither does UNH. the troika of UAlbany (where I get a paycheck), Stony Brook, Towson. Villanova forever in the FCS minor leagues.

Then ... presumably you do know College Football ... because the lineup of Jacksonville State, Sam Houston, Coastal Carolina, App State, Charlotte, UTSA, South Alabama, Troy, Old Dominon ... says what.

WE - UCONN Football - are in this mess of flying to Tulsa and New Orleans and Memphis because the Programs we grew up with - DELAWARE - never rose to a natural level peer.

Strategically = and I know you are in Connecticut curmudgeon behavior. New Hampshire just grew by double digits over the last 2 years (1.37m then 210k population since 2019). Are we always going to have more CFB upgrades from Alabama? At what point, do we get to play someone 2-4 hours away? I am pointing out the reason. Delaware and Yankee football matters. The new FB programs - YES UAlbany and Stony Brook (SUNY) did build stadiums with the expectations of being big boys.
as one ualbany alum to another ualbany world person, are they going to build out bob ford field or what?
 
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they started football - circa 1995. Do you see that? With none of the boosters that you find around UCONN - because (basically) our Hoop. This is a couple decades process and ... they think bigger than Maine or URI will ever think. Why? Guess what: they both measure themselves against the other SUNY with the same Chancellor in charge of Budget. Buffalo - go read the expamsive plan that University has for Academic, Cultural, Region success. Do you think the President of UAlbany or Stony Brook has smaller visions.

Yes ... I have football and basketball players in my class. It is nothing like 2007 when I started. I pose this to you: do you have any notion where Coastal Carolina was in terms of sports in 2007? Have any of you tracked the UAlbany Nanotech academics. Why Delaware? I think it is stupid to stay FCS.

more color: Bob Ford at SUNY Albany. The former Penn coach; the HC at Stony Brook; Rossomondo; a bunch of the U New Haven guys all coached with him. He is one of the best connected guys in the Northeast in Football. Someone is gonna say that Albany was playing football in 1973 and that is true; but, they were playing SUNY Brockport & Cortland; Dean Junior College in Mass. They weren't even at the level of Union or RPI until well into the 1980s.

I say 1995 because that is approximately when UAlbany upped the level of scholarships. Certainly, far behind UNH or UMass etc. Stony Brook will track this almost exactly. When did Buffalo start to build up - same time frame. Who was the Governor & what was the state political climate? Then what was happening at State U at UConn with Calhoun + UMass with Calipari.

The point remains. There's like 8 FBS schools in Alabama now. And do you think this mindset remains as the $ goes to the Coastal or App State.
 
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as one ualbany alum to another ualbany world person, are they going to build out bob ford field or what?

Bob Ford Field is now the Outdoor Track ... and if you walk over there right now, you will see very attractive women - probably indoor track athletes - running quarter miles.

I wonder if they transfer the name to the new field? I bet the "BOOSTER" notion has just started to hit them. The big real estate company Massry gave them the donation for their Business School and can be relied on for more.
 

zls44

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because the lineup of Jacksonville State, Sam Houston, Coastal Carolina, App State, Charlotte, UTSA, South Alabama, Troy, Old Dominon ... says what.

It says that those schools either (A) have the money to throw at FBS football or (B) don't care about paying for it on student fees.

Delaware, Villanova and Albany are neither A nor B.
 
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and I say they just started late.

Delaware - by the way - has oodles of money. DuPont money. They build athletic facilities like crazy ... and yes, I often go to comparative campuses - not on visits for my kids. So money simply is not an issue.

I would say the summary comment on the FCS southern schools rising is that is cultural and it is far better money. And not necessarily student fees. A $1.4 m payday from Mississippi State is better than the $400 k they pay FCS. Some are going to bowls. And some get a little TV.

Then Brand. You are now different as State U than the 15 others that don't have bigtime Football - in the south.

Villanova? I suspect if the entire CAA Football went FBS, Villanova would have an interesting decision. My bet is they would hook up with Georgetown, Holy Cross, Fordham ... and maybe play Patriot League.
 

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Bob Ford Field is now the Outdoor Track ... and if you walk over there right now, you will see very attractive women - probably indoor track athletes - running quarter miles.

I wonder if they transfer the name to the new field? I bet the "BOOSTER" notion has just started to hit them. The big real estate company Massry gave them the donation for their Business School and can be relied on for more.
i meant The Casey or whatever the hell it's going by now lol. i know it's theoretically expandable to FBS levels. going tomorrow, in fact
 
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I went to one game earlier in the year when they lost to URI late. It was 8000 and full. That grassy berm is a nice touch - and where the students love to be. I don't think you can accurately state an attendance by seating. They could put 1000-2000 on the berm even in Covid.


And that's when I went ooooh on the URI Quarterback. Hill is listed at 6-2 235 ... but looks 250 and can throw + run. He is a monster.
 

TRest

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I went to one game earlier in the year when they lost to URI late. It was 8000 and full. That grassy berm is a nice touch - and where the students love to be. I don't think you can accurately state an attendance by seating. They could put 1000-2000 on the berm even in Covid.


And that's when I went ooooh on the URI Quarterback. Hill is listed at 6-2 235 ... but looks 250 and can throw + run. He is a monster.
Memorial Stadium Hill>UAlbany berm. That's just facts.
 

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