QUESTION FOR DELAWARE FANS

[MUHAWKS]

Did not want to start new thread but want to make sure CHEN and chicken see- How is the "vibe" heading into this year for fans? I regard The Hens as a "blue blood" for FCS Football- Knowing you are just playing for pride has to suck even if it may be worth it long term. You think fan turnout will suffer? Have there been any defections from decent Juniors and Seniors who want to be able to play for a championship? I assume first year FBS will also be ineligible so kind of a crappy couple years. What should we expect and is there any vigor at all heading into this year ? You get my drift..

[HootyHoo]

I know it is hard for a Monmouth fan to fathom having pride in one’s program. But take it from an alum of a fellow FCS “Blue blood”, the vibes are immaculate. It’s football, it’s fun even if the games don’t count.

[caribbeanhen]

Did not want to start new thread but want to make sure CHEN and chicken see- How is the "vibe" heading into this year for fans? I regard The Hens as a "blue blood" for FCS Football- Knowing you are just playing for pride has to suck even if it may be worth it long term. You think fan turnout will suffer? Have there been any defections from decent Juniors and Seniors who want to be able to play for a championship? I assume first year FBS will also be ineligible so kind of a crappy couple years. What should we expect and is there any vigor at all heading into this year ? You get my drift..

It’s a good question and yes, I totally get your drift

Being more of an outlier fan, Im gonna wait for Mr. chicken as he is a much closer to the situation than I

I’ll say this, I’ve never felt this disinterested for Delaware football than I do right now.

[OhioHen]

I know it is hard for a Monmouth fan to fathom having pride in one’s program. But take it from an alum of a fellow FCS “Blue blood”, the vibes are immaculate. It’s football, it’s fun even if the games don’t count.
Suburban Atlanta State was never a "blue blood."

[Henny]

Yes a little bit of a bummer. No chance at post season for two years and as an FCS fan, I'm going to miss playing our longtime rivals. That said, UD has to make this move to inject some excitement into the program and get more exposure. UD is playing Colorado and Wake in 2025 and has upcoming home and home games with JMU and Coastal Carolina. Most fans are just looking forward.

[caribbeanhen]

Yes a little bit of a bummer. No chance at post season for two years and as an FCS fan, I'm going to miss playing our longtime rivals. That said, UD has to make this move to inject some excitement into the program and get more exposure. UD is playing Colorado and Wake in 2025 and has upcoming home and home games with JMU and Coastal Carolina. Most fans are just looking forward.

and just look how many Delaware fans were on here 15 years ago.

Today, only a handful of fans that still post on here so that in itself is a big clue. Henny’s point that the program needed to inject some excitement is so true because the new and improved CAA was certainly not doing it

[MUHAWKS]

Yep-- good stuff..colorado and wake are huge.. short term "pain" for long term thrills and the "you never know" type season.. Sort of what I thought. Yeah, KSU blue blood is LOL x 1000--

I get that football is fun regardless but its like the Yankees in baseball or Old Pats in NFL- anything other than championship contention is blah. I understand that recent Del s not the same as old Del but still figured I would ask.. Certainly at this point they made the right call. Looking forward to them coming to our place and brining more fans than us haha..

[Anthony215]

Having old FCS foes like JMU, ODU, Liberty, WKU, GSU, Georgia Southern and App State probably move the attendance needle better than Campbell, Hampton, A&T & Bryant. The Nova game can be the FBS/FCS money game to keep the tradition/rivalry going while the other 3 Non Conference games can include a payday against a P4 team and maybe two games against former FCS foes as those schools mentioned above.

[GannonFan]

What short term pain? Not getting to play in the playoffs this year? Eh, we'll manage. The schedule this year is meh just like last year's was, and is a big part of the reason why UD had to make this move. There's no way to grow the program where it was, the only option was to move up. UD's always been at the second level of college football, but that hasn't been the case over the past decade as the G5 part of FBS really separated from the top echelons of FCS. If UD football is going to be worth anything, it had to move up. Even a wonky CUSA is light years better than what the CAA was turning into, and now Delaware will at least be able to be in the conversation if shakeups at the FBS level continue to happen. Great move by UD and certainly the fanbase thinks so.

[MR. CHICKEN]

33317



........NOT GONNA SUGARCOAT..........COODN'T RAISE UH STIFFY......WHEN LEDGENDARY.....N. DAKOTA STATE'S HERD......TRAMPLED NEW-ARK............LIBERTY WHIFF DEY'RE FOOTBALL ZEALOTS.....AN' MAYBEAH SAMMY & KEELER...xcoolx...COME CLOSE TA FILLIN' DUH TUB.........BUT ONCE OURAH FANS...HAVE SEEN EACH CUSA TEAM VISIT............UNLESS CARTY....DOES SOME DEEP PORTAL DIVIN'........AN' WINNIN' COMES QUICK.......IT'S BACK TA SLEEPY HOLLOW IN DELAWARE..........WE'VE GOT 3 LOSSES ON DUH HORIZON......JUST IN OOC'S NEXT YEAR...(COLORADO/WAKE FOREST/UCONN)......LIBERTY/N.MEX.ST/W. KENTUCKY......TA DEAL WHIFF.......NOT TA MENTION WEEKLY BRUISIN'S.....FROM DUH CUSA LOWLIES......FACTOR IN TUESDAY THRU THURSDAY'S IN OCTOBER.....&....FACT THAT WE CAIN'T QUALIFY....FO' COUPLE SEASONS...EVEN WHIFF SUCCESS........OURAH FANS ARE USED TA WINNIN'........DWELLIN' @ BOTTOM....FO' UH FEW SEASONS......&.....GAMES ON TV.......WILL SQUASH ATTENDANCE......AS FAR AS THIS SEASON.....AH'M WONDERIN' IF HENS WILL HAVE DUH HEART.....TA PLAY FO' PRIDE......DERE'S UH 16 DAY DROUGHT...'TWEEN BRYANT....&...DUH ROADIE @ N. C. A&T........23 DAYS......'TWEEN BRYANT & PENN HOME GAMES..........AH'M NOT PSYCHED.....ABOUT IT....xsmhx.....DOODLE-DOO!

[POD Knows]

I know it is hard for a Monmouth fan to fathom having pride in one’s program. But take it from an alum of a fellow FCS “Blue blood”, the vibes are immaculate. It’s football, it’s fun even if the games don’t count.
You are delusional in a very hilarious way. 😂

[caribbeanhen]

What short term pain? Not getting to play in the playoffs this year? Eh, we'll manage. The schedule this year is meh just like last year's was, and is a big part of the reason why UD had to make this move. There's no way to grow the program where it was, the only option was to move up. UD's always been at the second level of college football, but that hasn't been the case over the past decade as the G5 part of FBS really separated from the top echelons of FCS. If UD football is going to be worth anything, it had to move up. Even a wonky CUSA is light years better than what the CAA was turning into, and now Delaware will at least be able to be in the conversation if shakeups at the FBS level continue to happen. Great move by UD and certainly the fanbase thinks so.

Honesty, the playoffs were the best thing about being in 1AA/FCS all those decades …. And of course there will be short term pain, at least for me. I know it was past time to go but I don’t really understand why people are pretending that they won’t miss the playoffs

Hopefully, G5 will put together their own playoff system

[Observer2]

Did not want to start new thread but want to make sure CHEN and chicken see- How is the "vibe" heading into this year for fans? I regard The Hens as a "blue blood" for FCS Football- Knowing you are just playing for pride has to suck even if it may be worth it long term. You think fan turnout will suffer? Have there been any defections from decent Juniors and Seniors who want to be able to play for a championship? I assume first year FBS will also be ineligible so kind of a crappy couple years. What should we expect and is there any vigor at all heading into this year ? You get my drift..

I don't get your drift. I am excited about the future, and we are playing this year to beat every team on the schedule. We have seven home games, plus 3/4 close by away games.

Next year, with a full FBS slate of new, or renewed opponents, including trips to Boulder and Wake Forest and a visit from UConn, will be great.

Do all UD fans agree? Of course not. Change can be hard!

[Daytripper]

Honesty, the playoffs were the best thing about being in 1AA/FCS all those decades …. And of course there will be short term pain, at least for me. I know it was past time to go but I don’t really understand why people are pretending that they won’t miss the playoffs

Hopefully, G5 will put together their own playoff system

This will happen. #BookIt

[caribbeanhen]

You are delusional in a very hilarious way. 

totally agree and it’s certainly entertaining to have snake oil Hooty and the Blow Owls in CUSA

[caribbeanhen]

This will happen. #BookIt

hopefully KC is not retired in Rehoboth Beach before Delaware plays Sam Houston

[BigGreenTruck]

Honesty, the plbut I don’t really understand why people are pretending that they won’t miss the playoffs

I thought the same thing at one point but you really don't, I can attest to that first hand. Once you stop following schools in the conference and in two or three years (less now) when most of the players have changed/moved on then you have no attachment. When we moved up I paid attention to the playoffs the first year and the next few years I scoreboard watched them. I doubt Ive watched a full playoff game since the year 2000. When I find myself watching a game I get bored quickly because 1) I don't know anyone on the field and 2) I have no attachment to either school.

[GannonFan]

I thought the same thing at one point but you really don't, I can attest to that first hand. Once you stop following schools in the conference and in two or three years (less now) when most of the players have changed/moved on then you have no attachment. When we moved up I paid attention to the playoffs the first year and the next few years I scoreboard watched them. I doubt Ive watched a full playoff game since the year 2000. When I find myself watching a game I get bored quickly because 1) I don't know anyone on the field and 2) I have no attachment to either school.

The playoffs were fun, but remember, Delaware learned what life without the playoffs were for the lost decade after they fired Keeler and played mediocre ball afterwards. Now that I'm older, I'm not sure I'd go to every playoff game if it meant brutally cold weather (and Friday night playoff games in Newark in December can be crazy cold). If I had to compare a crappy regular season schedule (which is what Delaware has been playing in the ever changing CAA for the past few years) with the chance of not only making the playoffs but maybe hosting games (and multiple games - just hosting a first round game and then playing on the road isn't that exciting), and playing those games in December, versus moving up to FBS and playing a more attractive regular season schedule, with a couple of interesting OOC home games, playing them in warmer months, then I would take the FBS option. I like the sure thing every year versus the maybe interesting thing every couple of years. The cool thing about the playoffs is getting to play teams you don't often see - some of the regionalization that still exists in the FCS playoffs meant we would see teams we either already played or close by. Started to lose its luster. You can fix that with a schedule you set yourself. UD's already doing that with some of the teams they're scheduling.

[ncspiderfan]

Honesty, the playoffs were the best thing about being in 1AA/FCS all those decades …. And of course there will be short term pain, at least for me. I know it was past time to go but I don’t really understand why people are pretending that they won’t miss the playoffs

Hopefully, G5 will put together their own playoff system

Still remember back in the days before TV, listening in to the Spiders Sports Network and announcer saying "The Road to the A-10 Championship leads through Delaware every year" during the pre-game of a Spider/Hen match up. Seemed every A-10 game back in the day had playoff berth implications on the line.

Glad Spiders will make their last stand in CAA with the Hens on the schedule. I would suspect it will be the last meeting of these old foes.

Hope the Hens find the success they desire with their move up.

[caribbeanhen]

Still remember back in the days before TV, listening in to the Spiders Sports Network and announcer saying "The Road to the A-10 Championship leads through Delaware every year" during the pre-game of a Spider/Hen match up. Seemed every A-10 game back in the day had playoff berth implications on the line.

Glad Spiders will make their last stand in CAA with the Hens on the schedule. I would suspect it will be the last meeting of these old foes.

Hope the Hens find the success they desire with their move up.

classy Spider fan that gets it right here folks

[caribbeanhen]

MUHAWKS

no major portal losses for Delaware. They’ve lost some players, but they’re not really contributors on game day

Marcus Yarns coming back is surprising as I figured he was gone

[MUHAWKS]

MUHAWKS

no major portal losses for Delaware. They’ve lost some players, but they’re not really contributors on game day

Marcus Yarns coming back is surprising as I figured he was gone


Surprises me a bit.. Must say something about Carty. Any shot of you coming to NJ for our battle?

[KPSUL]

Surprises me a bit.. Must say something about Carty. Any shot of you coming to NJ for our battle?
C-Hen actually coming to a live football game? In New Jersey?? xsmhxxsmhx xshakingmadx

[caribbeanhen]

Surprises me a bit.. Must say something about Carty. Any shot of you coming to NJ for our battle?

I would love to

The Bermuda Triangle Im navigating is taking a toll


………NYC

Miami ….San Juan

Woke up in my clothes again this morning
don’t know exactly where I am

[Sader87]

Who knows how this will all play out but Delaware to the FBS makes sense as a flagship state school.....Richmond as a private, liberal arts school is a more natural fit in the Patriot League for football....what constitutes a good fit for a CAA football school continues to be somewhat murky.