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- Aug 26, 2011
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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.
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.