Football Returning To New Haven

[aceinthehole]

Univ. of New Haven is one of the 20 schools that are exempt from the NCAA moratorium to reclassify. The 2008-09 season will be their DI "exploratory" year.

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HARTFORD COURANT
Staff Report
September 23, 2007

The University of New Haven, once an NCAA Division II football power before dropping the sport in 2004, will resume the program starting with the 2009 season as a member of the Northeast-10 Conference.

Before dropping football, New Haven had trouble scheduling regional teams and attempted to join the NE-10. The Chargers traveled to 18 states, including California and Washington. They were 64-30-1 from 1986 to 1997, but 20-29 after that, including 1-9 in 2003, their last season.

New Haven reached the Division II final in 1997, losing 51-0 to Northern Colorado. That team, coached by Tony Sparano, was 12-2.

New Haven also reached the playoffs in 1992 and '93 under Mark Whipple and in '95 under Sparano. The '92 team upset UConn, 14-13.

New Haven has been in the East Coast Conference since 2002. It will rejoin former New England Collegiate Conference rival Southern Connecticut in the NE-10.

http://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-newhaven0923.artsep23,0,6287134.story

[GannonFan]

Always like New Haven's program - they were real good under Whipple.

[McNeese_beat]

Always like New Haven's program - they were real good under Whipple.

Isn't Whipple somewhere in the NFL right now? I thought he did a great job with the 98 UMass team

[GannonFan]

Isn't Whipple somewhere in the NFL right now? I thought he did a great job with the 98 UMass team

UMass people probably know where he is - he was let go from the Steelers with the head coaching change - new regime and all - he was the QB coach there for a couple of years. I always thought he was a very good offensive mind - and I thought it was odd that after all that early success at UMass (natl title and then quarters the next year) that they didn't do more while he was there. Seemed like he was always trying to find the right QB and couldn't. Didn't win a playoff game after 1999 and only made it one time after that. Had real good QB's in Bankhead and Krohn, not so much with the Lucero's of the world.

[andy7171]

I remember playing New Haven during the pass happy years at Towson (pre- Gordy Combs). Game started at 1pm and ended around 5pm. For awhile it was one of if not the longest in NCAA history. New Haven had 100 some plays to our 96. I hope they are successfull in making the comeback.

[GoGuins]

Always like New Haven's program - they were real good under Whipple.

YSU almost lost to them in '98 and eventually won in OT. I was impressed with their team

[TheValleyRaider]

Returning to New Haven?

Where's Yale been all these years? :D

[YaleFootballFan]

Returning to New Haven?

Where's Yale been all these years? :D

Up until last year, pretty much non existent. xrolleyesx

If you want to get real technical, the University of New Haven campus and football stadium is in West Haven, which is a suburb of New Haven. The campus is less than 2 miles from the Yale Bowl.

[appfan2008]

glad to have them come back

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I'm unearthing this thread because UNH is in an "exploratory" year for D-I and they need to declare their D-I intentions by June of this year (http://estrada2.newhaven.edu/news-events/10535.pdf). They just beat the moratorium.

So if UNH is starting football in 2009, and they have finished their exploratory year, aren't they going to be an FCS independent in 2009, not in the D-II NE-10 as previously reported? xconfusedx

Incidentally, UNH seems like an ideal candidate for the NEC. Doubtful they'd be a Patriot League school based on academics, though UNH is a private school and has had very good D-II football and basketball programs in the past.

[UNHWildCats]

Let's just call them New Haven please :p

[danefan]

New head coach is Pete Rossomundo who has been our OC for the past 4 years and O-line coach for some years before that.

He was an assistant at New Haven under Tony Sparano.

[CollegeSportsInfo]

UMass people probably know where he is - he was let go from the Steelers with the head coaching change - new regime and all - he was the QB coach there for a couple of years. I always thought he was a very good offensive mind - and I thought it was odd that after all that early success at UMass (natl title and then quarters the next year) that they didn't do more while he was there. Seemed like he was always trying to find the right QB and couldn't. Didn't win a playoff game after 1999 and only made it one time after that. Had real good QB's in Bankhead and Krohn, not so much with the Lucero's of the world.

Whipple was not retained by Tomlin once he was chosen to be head coach over assistants Whisenhunt and Grimm. He took this past season off since he was under contract. He was the runner-up for the BC opening after last season. His name has been brought up for the Syracuse and Pittsburgh positions. However, both schools decided to retain their coaches (especially surprising at Syracuse since the past 3 years is the worst run in the history of the program).

I'd like to see Whipple back coaching ASAP. If a FBS position is his goal, he'd be wise to join up somewhere as an offensive coordinator since it will be more difficult for him to get a head coaching job if he's out fo work for multiple years.

[CollegeSportsInfo]

glad to have them come back

The Boston Herald just had an article last week about the Chargers program, bringing up guys like Whipple and Sparano. It's since been archived though.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

Let's just call them New Haven please :p

Agreed! New Hampshire was UNH for decades before New Haven College became a university.

Besides this is a FCS Forum, New Hampshire is FCS, New Haven is D-II! xnonox xmadx

I live in CT so it's a sore point for me. I'm in a good mood today LFN, but I did think about giving you one of those red boxes! ;) :p :p :p

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

I'm unearthing this thread because UNH is in an "exploratory" year for D-I and they need to declare their D-I intentions by June of this year (http://estrada2.newhaven.edu/news-events/10535.pdf). They just beat the moratorium.

So if UNH is starting football in 2009, and they have finished their exploratory year, aren't they going to be an FCS independent in 2009, not in the D-II NE-10 as previously reported? xconfusedx

Incidentally, UNH seems like an ideal candidate for the NEC. Doubtful they'd be a Patriot League school based on academics, though UNH is a private school and has had very good D-II football and basketball programs in the past.

Good lord, if you guys question the academics at American, Monmouth and Marist, then New Haven wouldn't even be on the fringes of your radar screen!

[FCS Preview]

Let's just call them New Haven please :p


Agreed! New Hampshire was UNH for decades before New Haven College became a university.

Besides this is a FCS Forum, New Hampshire is FCS, New Haven is D-II! xnonox xmadx

I live in CT so it's a sore point for me. I'm in a good mood today LFN, but I did think about giving you one of those red boxes! ;) :p :p :p

No different than the people from Northern Colorado calling themselves UNC (which most folks associate with the Tar Heels), South Dakota calling themselves USD (which most people would use for San Diego, though I know South Dakota owns the URL), and Georgia State refers to themselves as GSU though around here that's mostly for Georgia Southern (again I know Georgia State has the URL)...

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Good lord, if you guys question the academics at American, Monmouth and Marist, then New Haven wouldn't even be on the fringes of your radar screen!

Many Patriot League fans have said that the PL would not accept any school that doesn't pass the "academics test", but I for one feel that the league is a lot more pragmatic than that. Not that I'm saying that UN... I mean New Haven :D IS that school, but I just happen to feel that the next school that the League takes is going to be a lot more like New Haven than Johns Hopkins. xtwocentsx

[Marcus Garvey]

Up until last year, pretty much non existent. xrolleyesx

If you want to get real technical, the University of New Haven campus and football stadium is in West Haven, which is a suburb of New Haven. The campus is less than 2 miles from the Yale Bowl.

Does that mean their campus is closer to the Yale Bowl than Yale's?

[brownbear]

Does that mean their campus is closer to the Yale Bowl than Yale's?

Yes, but New Haven will play at Dobbs Stadium on their North Campus, which is very close to the school. According to New Haven's website, it seats 5000.

[813Jag]

No different than the people from Northern Colorado calling themselves UNC (which most folks associate with the Tar Heels), South Dakota calling themselves USD (which most people would use for San Diego, though I know South Dakota owns the URL), and Georgia State refers to themselves as GSU though around here that's mostly for Georgia Southern (again I know Georgia State has the URL)...
Let's not relive the Grambling/ Georgia Southern GSU arguement. xlolx

[Go...gate]

Many Patriot League fans have said that the PL would not accept any school that doesn't pass the "academics test", but I for one feel that the league is a lot more pragmatic than that. Not that I'm saying that UN... I mean New Haven :D IS that school, but I just happen to feel that the next school that the League takes is going to be a lot more like New Haven than Johns Hopkins. xtwocentsx


Let's face it - if there is no further movement on the scholarship issue, Marist has a Hell of a chance of joining up.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Just to clarify, I learned yesterday that New Haven, since they joined the NE-10, are staying in Division II for the forseeable future. They are technically in a "transition year" ending on June 1st, 2008 but since they are in the NE-10 they will NOT be transitioning to D-I... for now.

I was asking since if they restarted their football program and they were transitioning to D-I, they would have been an FCS independent.

[ngineer]

I never could understand them dropping the sport. If I recall their final year or the year before the beat Villanova. Definitely had a competitive program. Glad to see the return.

[Fresno St. Alum]

That's right Lehigh Nation there was a thread about this a while back. Shortly after they announced they go to D-I NE-10 offered them a spot and they took it.