ODU Football is official - Wednesday Announcement!

[Monarch Nation]

Old Dominion football will become official Wednesday. For some of us, this is something we have been working towards for almost 30 years.

Va Pilot article (http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=105175&ran=79411)

[Jackluv]

Norfolk St. ready for a rivalry?

[mainejeff]

That's awesome! This pretty much puts America East Football on track for a 2009 debut. It will be interesting to see if other CAA schools (Georgia State, George Mason) make a bigger push for pigskin.

[golionsgo]

Old Dominion football will become official Wednesday. For some of us, this is something we have been working towards for almost 30 years.

Va Pilot article (http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=105175&ran=79411)


That's great news!! The more the merrier I say. No to mention ODU has one of the classiest logos in college athletics IMO.

[GAD]

:thumbsup: two thumbs up:thumbsup:
:hurray: :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: :hurray:

[rokamortis]

Great news! Congratulations and welcoem to the club from a newbie.

[Tribe4SF]

Old Dominion football will become official Wednesday. For some of us, this is something we have been working towards for almost 30 years.

Va Pilot article (http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=105175&ran=79411)

Congratulations from your cousins up I-64! Once the program gets rolling, we'll have to come up with a name for our matchups. I-64 Bowl and Battle of the Bay are already taken.

ODU will be the 8th I-AA program in Virginia, and the 4th in Tidewater.

:hurray: :bow: :hurray: :bow: :hurray: :bow: :hurray: :bow: :hurray:

[Jag4Life]

Congrats ODU. I always had much respect for their school especially there basketball programs. Well I hope everything works out!!!!!!!!!!

[DTSpider]

Great news indeed! Welcome aboard ODU. Looks like they're planning on trying to get CAA football membership in 2011 according to the article.

[dbackjon]

Congrats ODU!

[TexasTerror]

I-AA ALL THE WAY!

Welcome to the Monarchs! Look forward to more I-AA fans from ODU in the near future... :)

[MplsBison]

Congratulations from your cousins up I-64! Once the program gets rolling, we'll have to come up with a name for our matchups. I-64 Bowl and Battle of the Bay are already taken.

ODU will be the 8th I-AA program in Virginia, and the 4th in Tidewater.



Would VCU consider adding football?

[DTSpider]

Would VCU consider adding football?

Not anytime in the near future. Their president is very opposed. Further, there does not seem to be much desire among VCU students or faculty for football. Unfortunately they would have a stadium available for use as UR is planning to move on-campus.

IMO the next VA school to add football could be Longwood.

[Sly Fox]

The more I-AAs in the Commonwealth the merrier. Welcome aboard!

[Go...gate]

Congratulations!!!

[*****]

... This pretty much puts America East Football on track for a 2009 debut...looks like it huh? Good. I'm not a fan of huge conferences.

[rokamortis]

looks like it huh? Good. I'm not a fan of huge conferences.

Maybe Coastal needs to send the CAA some literature :smiley_wi

I like the idea of playing in the AE less version of the CAA just for the fact that a lot of our alumni come from 'up north'. The travel would kill us in all sports, but it would make it easier on UNCW and Georgia State.

[Sly Fox]

Maybe Coastal needs to send the CAA some literature :smiley_wi

Come on, Rok. You guys stay fixated on the SoCon and we'll dream about the CAA. xlolx

[rokamortis]

Come on, Rok. You guys stay fixated on the SoCon and we'll dream about the CAA. xlolx

I know, I know. But we have to keep our options open since we are such a bad fit for the SoCon. :rolleyes:

[Ronbo]

This is exciting news. They already have the biggest stadium in the CAA, 25,400. Maybe Delaware will expand before ODU joins.

Interesting how they'll proceed, in 2008 they'll start practice with JC Transfers and Freshmen all redshirting. No games. What do you think? 30 schollies used?

In 2009 they'll begin play with half the games against I-AA and half Div. II or lower. They will bring in more JC's and Freshmen and redshirt them. How many schollies in the second class? 20?

Then in 2009 they go to just recruiting Freshmen. 13 schollies available?

I assume they are going full scholarship football to get in the CAA.

[rokamortis]

This is exciting news. They already have the biggest stadium in the CAA, 25,400. Maybe Delaware will expand before ODU joins.

Interesting how they'll proceed, in 2008 they'll start practice with JC Transfers and Freshmen all redshirting. No games. What do you think? 30 schollies used?

In 2009 they'll begin play with half the games against I-AA and half Div. II or lower. They will bring in more JC's and Freshmen and redshirt them. How many schollies in the second class? 20?

Then in 2009 they go to just recruiting Freshmen. 13 schollies available?

I assume they are going full scholarship football to get in the CAA.

Hopefully they get as many scholarships as possible as quick as possible. At CCU it took us 4 years to get to 63.

[carney2]

Will someone please point me to a thread that explains the CAA beginning business in 2007. I know that it has something to do with the A-10, but I am out of the loop on this one.

[89Hen]

Will someone please point me to a thread that explains the CAA beginning business in 2007. I know that it has something to do with the A-10, but I am out of the loop on this one.
Nothing really to explain. The CAA takes over the entire A10 in 2007. Same conference, same teams, just under a new HQ and conference.

[89Hen]

Oh yeah, WELCOME ODU!!! :hurray: :bow: :hurray: Your ladies have been kicking everybody's arse in bball, it will be nice to return the favor in football. :smiley_wi :p

[Ronbo]

The way I did it they would have:

2009 - RS Juniors and RS Freshmen on the field with 30 schollie players.

2010 - RS Seniors, RS Juniors, RS Sophmores, and RS Freshmen on the field and 50 schollie players.

2011 - the full 63 scholarships and begin CAA play.

I wonder if they will move forward as fast as I would?

[Monarch Nation]

Oh yeah, WELCOME ODU!!! :hurray: :bow: :hurray: Your ladies have been kicking everybody's arse in bball, it will be nice to return the favor in football. :smiley_wi :p

xlolx Yeah, we're going to get whacked for a while, but eventually we'll be able to pull it together. Believe me, we're all euphoric at just playing right now, we'll worry about quality after the first season.

Oh, before I forget, Foreman Field only holds 22,000 as it is configured right now. We tore down an end zone section (4,000 seats) about ten years ago, so it no longer seats 26,000.

[catamount man]

Welcome to I-AA football ODU! Someone send this to Stanton at ETSU who BOLDLY predicted all the schools in I-AA that would be dropping football, not adding it. HA!

GO CATAMOUNTS!!!

[Pard4Life]

Welcome ODU! Indeed, a very nice accomplishment for your school. I-AA football is the place to be.

[*****]

Will someone please point me to a thread that explains the CAA beginning business in 2007. I know that it has something to do with the A-10, but I am out of the loop on this one.http://www.i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=69792

[blur2005]

Welcome, ODU! Now, let's get Mason and Georgia State to add football for nine all-sports CAA football members.

[henfan]

looks like it huh? Good. I'm not a fan of huge conferences.

You may have to deal with the large CAA until at least 2011 and probably even longer than that.

[Ruler 79]

Does this increase or decrese the odds for AE Football??? Any thoughts?

[GannonFan]

That's awesome! This pretty much puts America East Football on track for a 2009 debut. It will be interesting to see if other CAA schools (Georgia State, George Mason) make a bigger push for pigskin.

Hey, that could work out for us - I would assume when we play Maine again in 2008 that it'll be in Newark - if you're gone by 2009 that means we've played our last game in Orono (yeah, I know, it could happen in the playoffs, but I'll believe that when it happens). Darn, no more trips to Maine outside of the occassional vacation in Bar Harbor in the summer. ;)

[HIU 93]

Norfolk St. ready for a rivalry?

Norfolk St. has two rivals- Hampton and Virginia St. Even thought they are right around the corner from each other, I don't see NSU vs. ODU becoming a rivalry. There is no history between them.

PS- Congrats ODU. I have been waiting for this announcement for sometime now.

[HIU 93]

That's awesome! This pretty much puts America East Football on track for a 2009 debut. It will be interesting to see if other CAA schools (Georgia State, George Mason) make a bigger push for pigskin.

Mason has a club team and is working to get their team and school qualified for I-AA competition. It is going to be a longer process, because the economics and space issues here are quite different than in Norfolk.

[bandl]

Old Dominion football will become official Wednesday. For some of us, this is something we have been working towards for almost 30 years.

Va Pilot article (http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=105175&ran=79411)

Fantastic news!!! :hurray:

I wonder how long it'll take them to join the ranks of other I-AA schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia with great football programs...JMU, Mary & Bill, Hampton, Richmond... :nod:

[89Hen]

It is going to be a longer process, because the economics and space issues here are quite different than in Norfolk.
Not 100% accurate. The site across the street from the main campus where the current stadium is (5000 capacity) has a little bit of room for expansion and "varsity football" is certainly mentioned in their 2004 Master Plan. The parking lot for the Patriot Center holds quite a few cars considering capacity is 10,000 and it's no further from the stadium than where I've had to park for games at JMU. The costs of construction could be pretty high, but space is not as big of an issue as you would think.

GMU needs to strike while the iron is hot. Jai Lewis going to the Giants as a TE could be a HUGE plus for GMU football getting off the groud even though he never played a down for the Patriots.

[greenG]

Congratulations from your cousins up I-64! Once the program gets rolling, we'll have to come up with a name for our matchups. I-64 Bowl and Battle of the Bay are already taken.

How about the Royal Bowl?

[henfan]

Does this increase or decrese the odds for AE Football??? Any thoughts?

IMO, neither. So much can happen in the next 5-6 years. Activity might weaken or further solidify the pending CAA FB league. At this early stage, it's impossible to say.

It's been rumored that the AEC would like to have its own FB league but, without 6 all-sport members with full scholarship FB, they have no realistic plan for getting there. In the meantime, CAA expansion is possible, which could even include one or even two existing AEC members who play FB. That may be less likely to happen if George Mason or Georgia State start their own FB programs. At this point, GMU, GSU and AEC FB all seem equally unlikely.:twocents:

[bluehenbillk]

Hey, that could work out for us - I would assume when we play Maine again in 2008 that it'll be in Newark - if you're gone by 2009 that means we've played our last game in Orono (yeah, I know, it could happen in the playoffs, but I'll believe that when it happens). Darn, no more trips to Maine outside of the occassional vacation in Bar Harbor in the summer. ;)

Cmon Gannon, we've been to Orono & you know that outside of the greater Acadia area, you can keep the state of Maine, and that's only the 4-5 months per year that Acadia is accessible. Good riddance, I'd much rather go to Virginia Beach for the weekend.

[HIU 93]

Not 100% accurate. The site across the street from the main campus where the current stadium is (5000 capacity) has a little bit of room for expansion and "varsity football" is certainly mentioned in their 2004 Master Plan. The parking lot for the Patriot Center holds quite a few cars considering capacity is 10,000 and it's no further from the stadium than where I've had to park for games at JMU. The costs of construction could be pretty high, but space is not as big of an issue as you would think.

GMU needs to strike while the iron is hot. Jai Lewis going to the Giants as a TE could be a HUGE plus for GMU football getting off the groud even though he never played a down for the Patriots.

The Patriot Center's Parking lot is relatively small. I don't know what stadium you are talking about is "across the street". there is no football stadium "across the street" from GMU. There are a few stadiums in the area (Woodson HS, Annandale HS, Lake Braddock HS, Fairfax HS, and Robinson HS) . I don't think any of them hold 5000.

[mainejeff]

Hey, that could work out for us - I would assume when we play Maine again in 2008 that it'll be in Newark - if you're gone by 2009 that means we've played our last game in Orono (yeah, I know, it could happen in the playoffs, but I'll believe that when it happens). Darn, no more trips to Maine outside of the occassional vacation in Bar Harbor in the summer. ;)

Oh well........At least the former head honcho at MBNA has taken a liking to the UMaine athletic program ;).

[mainejeff]

Cmon Gannon, we've been to Orono & you know that outside of the greater Acadia area, you can keep the state of Maine, and that's only the 4-5 months per year that Acadia is accessible. Good riddance, I'd much rather go to Virginia Beach for the weekend.

Mainers feel the same way about you. We like to keep the Mid-Atlantic filth where they belong, and keep the State of Maine as pristine as possible.

[bluehenbillk]

Mainers feel the same way about you. We like to keep the Mid-Atlantic filth where they belong, and keep the State of Maine as pristine as possible.

Guess that's why they shipped you out to the left coast! Actually, I'm going to San Diego for a convention this November, I hear good things.

[89Hen]

The Patriot Center's Parking lot is relatively small. I don't know what stadium you are talking about is "across the street". there is no football stadium "across the street" from GMU. There are a few stadiums in the area (Woodson HS, Annandale HS, Lake Braddock HS, Fairfax HS, and Robinson HS) . I don't think any of them hold 5000.
Across 123 is the field house, baseball diamond and 5000 seat stadium for soccer, field hockey, track, and club football. There are also six practice fields and another diamond or two, but I don't know if GMU owns all of that land.

I've been to the Patriot Center when it was nearly sold out and never had a problem parking. There is also a huge lot on the north side of campus which is actually closer to the stadium.

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/gema/nonsport/facilities/mason-stadium-300wide.jpg

[mainejeff]

Guess that's why they shipped you out to the left coast! Actually, I'm going to San Diego for a convention this November, I hear good things.

The weather, the ocean, and the zoo are nice......the rest of it, well let's put it this way.......trust me, you don't wanna live here.

[bandl]

Across 123 is the field house, baseball diamond and 5000 seat stadium for soccer, field hockey, track, and club football. There are also six practice fields and another diamond or two, but I don't know if GMU owns all of that land.

I've been to the Patriot Center when it was nearly sold out and never had a problem parking. There is also a huge lot on the north side of campus which is actually closer to the stadium.

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/gema/nonsport/facilities/mason-stadium-300wide.jpg

If GMU is after a field in the general vicinity of GMU with plenty of seating while they build a new stadium, the W.T.Woodson high school stands hold over 15,000...the largest high school stands in the region, if not the state (I could be wrong about the state part). Parking for 15,000 is outrageous though ...it overflows into the neighborhoods, across 236 to the Fair City mall (both of the strip malls on either side of Pickett), even to one of the elementary school parking lots (Old Creek).
I think the best location for a new stadium would be the Braddock fields towards Shirley Gate. I believe they own a good portion of unused land that aways.

Parking for The Patriot Center is never a problem...I lived within walking distance of the place for many years. Traffic is a problem though for concert nights, graduations (many high schools in the area use the facilities), and b-ball games.

[Spider]

it won't take ODU long to get up to speed as they have always had great athletic teams. Enjoyed watching UR and VMI play down in Forman field in the Oyster Bowl a few years ago....

[Monarch Nation]

The official announcement was today.

Here is a photo of the festivities:

http://www.monarchnation.com/footballodu.jpg

(Part of our startup costs will include money for a marching band)

[SactoHornetFan]

Congrats ODU. You guys have one of the best logos and colors in all of the NCAA. Great to see and good for VA, CAA and I-AA.

[oldsport]

I think ODU will develop a great program over time. The Tidewater area is loaded with outstanding high school football. Moreover, the surrounding area is outstanding as well for recruiting outstanding football players. The right coaches and fan base along with outstanding players will spell success. Best of luck ODU...a greatfull fan.

[HIU 93]

If GMU is after a field in the general vicinity of GMU with plenty of seating while they build a new stadium, the W.T.Woodson high school stands hold over 15,000...the largest high school stands in the region, if not the state (I could be wrong about the state part). Parking for 15,000 is outrageous though ...it overflows into the neighborhoods, across 236 to the Fair City mall (both of the strip malls on either side of Pickett), even to one of the elementary school parking lots (Old Creek).
I think the best location for a new stadium would be the Braddock fields towards Shirley Gate. I believe they own a good portion of unused land that aways.

Parking for The Patriot Center is never a problem...I lived within walking distance of the place for many years. Traffic is a problem though for concert nights, graduations (many high schools in the area use the facilities), and b-ball games.

Woodson Stadium holds 15K now? Damn. I guess that is how long it has been since I have been to a Woodson game. Last I checked they were Div. 5 (the largest population being Div. 6). Did they move up to 6?

[HIU 93]

Across 123 is the field house, baseball diamond and 5000 seat stadium for soccer, field hockey, track, and club football. There are also six practice fields and another diamond or two, but I don't know if GMU owns all of that land.

I've been to the Patriot Center when it was nearly sold out and never had a problem parking. There is also a huge lot on the north side of campus which is actually closer to the stadium.


Well I must say that my powers of observation must be leaving me, because I have been to the field house numerous times and have never noticed a 5K stadium over there. I used to work out at the field house.

[89Hen]

Well I must say that my powers of observation must be leaving me, because I have been to the field house numerous times and have never noticed a 5K stadium over there. I used to work out at the field house.


http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Fairfax,+VA&ll=38.833682,-77.313967&spn=0.003895,0.010729&t=h&om=1

[BigDukeDawg]

You may have to deal with the large CAA until at least 2011 and probably even longer than that.


Until JMU moves up to 1A :thumbsup:

[HIU 93]

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Fairfax,+VA&ll=38.833682,-77.313967&spn=0.003895,0.010729&t=h&om=1

I believe you. I just hadn't seen it and didn't realize they had a 5K seater. I guess since I have only been to the fieldhouse at night, I never paid attention.