La Salle Done?

[DetroitFlyer]

Rumor on the PFL board is that they have taken their ball and gone home. If true, sad news indeed....

[furman94]

http://goexplorers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111907aab.html

Sad for any University...

[USDFAN_55]

So will the players be able to transfer to another FCS school and not have to sit out a year? That's very sad to see another program dropped.

[brownbear]

http://goexplorers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111907aab.html

Sad for any University...

I like the headline "Dimished Pool of Suitable Opponents Key Factor in Decision".

Does that refer to opponents La Salle can beat? I don't know how many teams in all levels meet that standard.

[danefan]

xsmhx xnonono2x xnonono2x xsmhx

When can we expect the PFL expansion announcement and the official MAAC football conference discontinuation announcement? I'd imagine pretty soon.

[downbythebeach]

Wow this was soon....I guess its better than the way SPC did it last year

[Seawolf97]

I like the headline "Dimished Pool of Suitable Opponents Key Factor in Decision".

Does that refer to opponents La Salle can beat? I don't know how many teams in all levels meet that standard.

Agreed - Too Bad :(

[hebmskebm]

Was the picture of the darkened football really necessary?

[furman94]

^^I know, right!^^

[Umass74]

So will the players be able to transfer to another FCS school and not have to sit out a year? That's very sad to see another program dropped.

Yes, the players can transfer without sitting out a year.

Bummer that another college program goes dark. :(

[FCS Preview]

Always sorry to hear when a team drops football. Hope all the players find spots elsewhere.

[aceinthehole]

Sad day for the kids for sure, but the writing was on the wall. Forget about competativeness and look at the budgest and it was clear that St. Peter's and LaSalle were destined to follow other small, catholic schools such as Siena, Fairfiled, Cansisus, St. Mary's CA, St. John's NY, etc.

I called this (and St. Petes) more than a year and a half ago.

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/showpost.php?p=238075&postcount=365

I don't think its a stretch to guess that Iona may not be too far off in dropping the program. It may not happen this offseason, but Iona is going to have scheduling and budget problem. Their peers are gone and they will have trouble winning any FCS games.

My biggest question remains - WHAT IS MARIST THINKING RIGHT NOW? They are basically playing as a non-scholly Independent for 2008.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

My biggest question remains - WHAT IS MARIST THINKING RIGHT NOW? They are basically playing as a non-scholly Independent for 2008.

"Pleasepleaseplease can we play in the Patriot League?" That's what they're thinking.

You know what I wonder? Whether Marist, Iona, and Manhattan all jump to the Patriot League. xtwocentsx

[Lehigh Football Nation]

So much for this fearless prediction :p

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2007_06_17_archive.html


LaSalle: Options Galore
LaSalle also shows the dilemna of the new realities for non-scholarship football. Do you spend the money on scholarships (NEC) or grants (Patriot), and play locally? Or do you spend no money on scholarships and instead make two or three plane trips a year (PFL/Atlantic Sun)?

Prediction: They convince St. Bonaventure to restore non-scholarship football, giving them a A-10 travel partner in a new PFL/Atlantic Sun league.

Sadly, the third option was "fold up the tent." xsmhx

[hebmskebm]

"Pleasepleaseplease can we play in the Patriot League?" That's what they're thinking.

You know what I wonder? Whether Marist, Iona, and Manhattan all jump to the Patriot League. xtwocentsx

Marist's situation with the Patriot League reminds me of the classic Simpsons episode when it flashes back to Homer as a child and all the other kids started a "No Homers Club" in a treehouse:

Boy(Patriot League): Hey Billy! Hey Joey! Come on in. There's plenty of room. Sorry, not you, Homer.
Homer(Marist): Why not!?
[boy points to sign, "No Homers Club"]
Homer: But you let in Homer Glumplich!
Boy: It says no Homers. We're allowed to have one.
Homer: Oh.
Homer Glumplich(Georgetown): Hyuck hyuck!

[aceinthehole]

You have some very odd thoughts on PL expansion. Marist, Iona, Manhattan - are you serious or is that a joke?

IMO - Don't even look at affilations, SAT scores, or football - just look at the budgets. I'll let the PL guys chime in, but I don't see any of those teams joining the PL.

[gophoenix]

It's a shame, I am sure New Hampshire would have been willing to play them.... xlolx

[Franks Tanks]

You have some very odd thoughts on PL expansion. Marist, Iona, Manhattan - are you serious or is that a joke?

IMO - Don't even look at affilations, SAT scores, or football - just look at the budgets. I'll let the PL guys chime in, but I don't see any of those teams joining the PL.

These 3 schools will make us a better basketball league, but is also alters our core philospohy. These 3 schools do not recruit the type of student athletes typical in the Patriot League and the schools are vastly difference. These schools will actually detract from patriot league football and only add somewhat in basketball. Why change what you stand for for these guys.

[Seahawks Fan]

Sorry to hear the news about La Salle football, but the handwriting was on the wall for a couple of years now. Always sad to see a football program go by the wayside.

Marist and Iona are the remaining question marks. Where do they go?

[andy7171]

I like the headline "Dimished Pool of Suitable Opponents Key Factor in Decision".

Does that refer to opponents La Salle can beat? I don't know how many teams in all levels meet that standard.

Seriously. They got rung up by 5 sub D.I programs this year.

[bluehenbillk]

As an almost lifelong Philly-area guy I can shed some perspective:

LaSalle Football operated pretty much on paper only. The major radio station in the area, KYW, made zero mention of LaSalle dropping football this morning. Comcast SportsNet had it 20-some minutes into its 30 minute SportsRise show. You have to turn 12 pages deep into today's Philadelphia Daily News to read the article which is smaller than the 5 Penn State players making all Big-Ten article right below it.

College football in Philly is a tough sell, Temple was in the gutter of 1-A for years, maybe just getting back on their feet now. The most publicity LaSalle ever got regrettably was 2 years ago when one of their players broke his neck & was paralyzed.

Yes, LaSalle was a 1-AA (FCS) label team, but that was just a label. There have been many FCS schools that shed that label in the past few years, the NEC & PFL most notably, but LaSalle in reality, at least this year from a competitive basis, was a bad D-3 team. Look at their schedule & who they went 0-10 against. Ursinius?

You have to feel for the coaches & players but call it what it is: A mercy killing.

[DetroitFlyer]

http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/Search.asp

1. San Diego: $1,155,755
2. Dayton: $825,443
3. Jacksonville: $700,831
4. Morehead State: $637,887
5. Davidson: $580,902
6. Drake: $554,791
7. Valparaiso: $504,103
8. Marist: $456,575
9. Butler: $438,737
10. Iona: $355,172
11. La Salle: $328,490

The above figures are from the Equity in Athletics Website linked above for the latest reporting period. The numbers are the "expenses" reported for football. The truly sad thing here is that La Salle would not have had to increase their budget much to be in line with the bottom of the PFL. Unless La Salle is about to go under, money was not the reason they killed football! Apparently, they just got tired of it.... Frankly, I find the press release to be complete BS!!!!! Of course telling the truth would be even uglier! Still absolutely no reason that Marist and Iona could not spend just a bit more to be in line with the PFL teams. For either to go PL, they would have to spend almost 10 times as much on football.... Ain't gonna happen....

If Iona and Marist do not join the PFL, it will be only a matter of time until both programs are dead.