LFN: Fordham's Vision

[Lehigh Football Nation]

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2012/02/decision-presidential-view-fordhams.html

Alert: if you ever thought of Fordham as Patriot League traitors, this blog posting isn't for you. xlolx

[Go...gate]

Very well said. And I am very happy Fordham stayed aboard.

[DetroitFlyer]

Vision...? Thank Dayton. Losing twice to a PFL team, especially a homecoming loss in the Bronx, caused Fordham to rethink football. They ended up dropping the third game with the mighty Flyers and ultimately moving to an athletic scholarship model. The PL was already spending a fortune of football and the aid provided was considered to be an athletic scholarship. The new model eliminates the need based test which should allow the PL to recruit from a larger pool of players. It will be interesting to see if the new PL model including some form of AI works significantly better than the PFL model of academic and need based aid independent of an AI.... Time will tell.

[RichH2]

Geez, Flyer not everything must include PFL. I am glad the PFL format works for you. We have our own path. And trust me the 2 will diverge markedly overthe next 5 years and not in you favor

[Wildcat80]

Agree!!! Now if they can only start winning some more games!

[DetroitFlyer]

Geez, Flyer not everything must include PFL. I am glad the PFL format works for you. We have our own path. And trust me the 2 will diverge markedly overthe next 5 years and not in you favor

Yeah.... Let's revisit this statement in five seasons.... The AI is still going to significantly limit your pool of potential players. I have no doubt that the PL will be able to recruit better players with the athletic scholarships, (more properly stated as the "no longer need based athletic scholarships). But I am not convinced that the PFL model will be significantly different when it comes to the quality of recruits. Five or maybe ten years down the road will tell....

[Fordham]

There is a ton of respect for Dayton at Fordham but, sorry DF, those losses had zero to do with our move to scholarships.

Good stuff, LFN! On behalf of Fordham fans everywhere - thanks!

[carney2]

A real nice entry in your log, LFN. I'm guessing it is appreciated by one and all.

[Bogus Megapardus]

LFN definitely makes the case for Fr. McShane actually wanting to remain in the PL, rather than simply tolerating it becasue Fordham really had no place else to go. There's probably even a substantial minority of Fordham alums who now favor remaining in PL football even if a better offer (read: CAA) comes along.

Now we just have to make the case for the Rams coming back home to the Patriot in basketball (and everything else) where at least they'd be the fourth-best team - instead of where they are now in the A10. There's only one way to accomplish that, though - and that's using the good ol' carrot and stick. A promise of a new or expanded Rose Hill Gym plus a two-sided Jack Coffey field, in exchange for a ten year absolute moratorium on alumni griping about the PL.

[Pard4Life]

I agree Fordham wanted to remain PL given they were so patient. Their president gave the overtures, but you have to wonder how the athletic administration felt... they seemed to mentally check out of the PL. Based on Fordham's loyalty and patientce, they should be allowed to compete for the title this year.

How come whenever we play Fordham they seem to be the most uninspired team ever? Maybe the new coach changes that...

[van]

How come whenever we play Fordham they seem to be the most uninspired team ever? Maybe the new coach changes that...

Living in the Bronx will do that to you.

[DFW HOYA]

Now we just have to make the case for the Rams coming back home to the Patriot in basketball (and everything else) where at least they'd be the fourth-best team - instead of where they are now in the A10. There's only one way to accomplish that, though - and that's using the good ol' carrot and stick. A promise of a new or expanded Rose Hill Gym plus a two-sided Jack Coffey field, in exchange for a ten year absolute moratorium on alumni griping about the PL.

Neither seems likely. RHG is sandwiched between the Lombardi Center and Jack Coffey Field. The field itself can't add permanent bleachers because of the baseball configuration and the gift that created the permanent baseball seating and dugouts on the far side.

Theoretically, Fordham could build a new arena but the land's not there on campus and the construction cost ($80-100 million) would not be justified by PL-sized crowds.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Neither seems likely. RHG is sandwiched between the Lombardi Center and Jack Coffey Field. The field itself can't add permanent bleachers because of the baseball configuration and the gift that created the permanent baseball seating and dugouts on the far side.

Theoretically, Fordham could build a new arena but the land's not there on campus and the construction cost ($80-100 million) would not be justified by PL-sized crowds.

Lafayette managed to pull that off in a restricted area in the early 70s. Fordham could do it as well if necessary. But Coffey Field as it presently stands serves Fordham quite well, given its densely-populated urban environment. Fordham actually is a rather pleasant place to watch as football game, as it stands presently. Fordham deserves at least some deference for maintaining its athletic venues in the context of its land use challenges.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I wish they could find a way to somehow get stands on the other side of the field in football season, but aside from that Coffey Field is a great place to watch a football game. A huge lot next to the stadium, the campus green visible from the field... it's really quite beautiful on a nice day.

[Bogus Megapardus]

The "other side" might be more a function of perception than it is of necessity, IMHO. But I digress . . . .

[DFW HOYA]

The "other side" might be more a function of perception than it is of necessity, IMHO. But I digress . . . .

The not soon forgotten Parsons Field at Northeastern used temporary bleachers for 6,000 in its baseball field configuration to give Northeastern some semblance of a stadium.

That, and the home side barely sat 1,000.

http://www.campusrec.neu.edu/images/parsons.jpg

[Mr. C]

Parsons Field, arguably the worst stadium in FCS during its time. I remember taking a wrong turn in Boston during a vacation in the 1990s and stumbling upon this eyesore, smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood.