Eastern Michigan pushes forward with FBS: cutting four sports.

[Pinnum]

www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2018/03/eastern_michigan_dropping_4_sp.html

EMU could be a solid FCS program and actually a point of pride for the school. Not sure why they keep trying to make FBS work...

[RootinFerDukes]

They're right in the shadow of the big M miles away. They'd be the laughing stock of Michigan and the Detroit metro area if they dropped to "D2". They'll say they may as well just drop their program altogether.

[JacksFan40]

They don't compete at the FBS level anyways, never understood teams who suck at the FBS level continue to stay there. It's all about pride.

[Pinnum]

They're right in the shadow of the big M miles away. They'd be the laughing stock of Michigan and the Detroit metro area if they dropped to "D2". They'll say they may as well just drop their program altogether.

Youngstown State is in the shadow of tOSU as well as Akron, Kent State, and others yet the program thrives.

I have no doubt that EMU would do well at the FCS level. They would be the only FCS school in Michigan.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Youngstown State is in the shadow of tOSU as well as Akron, Kent State, and others yet the program thrives.

I have no doubt that EMU would do well at the FCS level. They would be the only FCS school in Michigan.

EMU is literally right down (<10 miles) the road for UM. The Ohio schools you mentioned are all at least a few hours away from Columbus.

[Professor Chaos]

They're right in the shadow of the big M miles away. They'd be the laughing stock of Michigan and the Detroit metro area if they dropped to "D2". They'll say they may as well just drop their program altogether.
And they aren't already??? I agree that they'd just drop football altogether before dropping down to FCS but the notion that being a perennial MAC cellar dweller is somehow more prestigious than being a competitive FCS program (not saying you're saying that but it's obvious EMU themselves think that) is laughable.

[RootinFerDukes]

And they aren't already??? I agree that they'd just drop football altogether before dropping down to FCS but the notion that being a perennial MAC cellar dweller is somehow more prestigious than being a competitive FCS program (not saying you're saying that but it's obvious EMU themselves think that) is laughable.

Dropping to FCS would be admitting that you aren't an institution anywhere on the same level as Michigan which is mere miles away. It would be humbling for their administration to have to acknowledge that UM is in fact light years away from them in overall relevance. Dropping to FCS would be the stamp of approval confirming what they know deep down.

Someone said they'd be the only Michigan FCS program. THAT'S WHY. They'd be the only Michigan FCS program. The red headed step child.

They've been long time peers to CMU and WMU, also the OH MAC schools. They want to stay with them at this point.

[DFW HOYA]

They don't compete at the FBS level anyways, never understood teams who suck at the FBS level continue to stay there. It's all about pride.

No, it's about state aid. There's a strong correlation between states that fund I-A/FBS universities versus the dollars below the line. EMU doesn't want to be considered along with Grand Valley and Oakland.

[RootinFerDukes]

For the NDSU and Montana fans who criticize attendance at other FCS schools, Look at UM completely blotting out EMU's sun to drive the point home in how a lack of P5 influence in your region benefits fan support.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

No, it's about state aid. There's a strong correlation between states that fund I-A/FBS universities versus the dollars below the line. EMU doesn't want to be considered along with Grand Valley and Oakland.

Wayne State is also a HUGE D2 school that calls Detroit home.

[RootinFerDukes]

In their case too, where would EMU go? Idaho had a natural and available fit in the Big Sky. Where would EMU go? CAA? Meh. We don't need them and they're a geographic outlier. They wouldn't be a competitive addition like a YSU might be.

MVFC? They'll be a bottom dweller there for a decade or more. They make a little more geographic sense but again, why would the MVFC need them?

The Ivy or Patriot clearly aren't options. Exclusive clubs there.

The NEC or Pioneer are their only realistic options I'd say without MVFC or CAA openings. Pioneer is also non-scholly so no go there.

[Bisonator]

They should just drop FB. It's quite obvious nobody cares, not the school, the students or the fans. Put their resources into programs people care about and move on.......or not.

[DFW HOYA]

The Ivy or Patriot clearly aren't options. Exclusive clubs there.


As numerous threads on this board have discussed, the Patriot is not an exclusive club. It's just a club without any seriously interested applicants.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2018/03/eastern_michigan_dropping_4_sp.html

EMU could be a solid FCS program and actually a point of pride for the school. Not sure why they keep trying to make FBS work...
Thanks for bringing the story but if it isn't specific to FCS and it's only us speculating based on a story then please throw these up in the "Other sports" part of the site.xthumbsupx

[Serpentor]

Well they just lost to the Bearkats in basketball, which should be a point of shame all it's own.

[ngineer]

They should just drop FB. It's quite obvious nobody cares, not the school, the students or the fans. Put their resources into programs people care about and move on.......or not.

Agreed, and reinstate the the four sports they sacrificed for such a nowhere move.

[ngineer]

I had heard a year or so ago the U of Detroit was thinking of reinstating football at the FCS level. They were a major power years ago, and then went downhill in the early 60's dropping the sport in '64.