LFN: A Call To Patriot League Action

[Lehigh Football Nation]

As usual, I got a bit carried away today:

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/

But as was shared on the other thread, I think the call to action is very much warranted.

[carney2]

A call for action - make that a plea for action - on football scholarships. It requires leadership at the presidential level. Waddya think? Looking only at the 5 core all-sports members with FCS football programs we have:

BUCKNELL: Brian Mitchell. We have not heard much from or about Mitchell on this subject, so we must deal with the facts at hand, which are: (1) The football program seems to be on some sort of a "sunspot cycle" where it emerges from dormancy about once every 11 years. No one in the administration seems particularly concerned about the current down cycle and all appear somewhat content. Football is not a first level sport in Buffalo. It's not a bottom feeder either, so let's call it a 1a. (2) Mitchell knows that his alumni carry their checkbooks to Sojka and their small change to Christy Mathewson. Expect foot dragging rather than leadership from Mitchell.

COLGATE: Rebecca Chopp. The Colgate AD is on record as favoring football scholarships and, to the best of anyone's knowledge, did not get his fingers slapped. Since it's football and not field hockey, I guess I'd prefer that we had a Robert Chopp or a Richard Chopp or even a Reginald Chopp, but, ya gotta believe that if someone is going to step up and bang the drum, I'm betting it will be Chopp. But is she willing to be the Lone Ranger?

HOLY CROSS: Rev. Michael McFarland, S.J. Fr. McFarland is better described as a road block, rather than a trend setter on this subject. You can write in the "NO" vote here before the ballots are even distributed.

LAFAYETTE: Daniel Weiss. A lot of folks seem to think that Weiss will be a leader on this issue. I'm not so sure. He is still a relatively new kid on his own block, and he spent a lot of whatever extracurricular capital he had pushing the basketball scholarship issue. And then there was the $25-$30 million stadium renovation. It didn't come out of College funds, but it still hacked off many in his constituency who consider it frivolous and a misstatement of priorities. I'm not sure that he can stick his head out of his foxhole and fire both guns on football scholarships so soon after fighting these battles. The best you can hope for here is "support," perhaps even strong support, but not leadership.

LEHIGH: Alice Gast. The Lehigh alums who know her best feel that Gast is "academics first." That sounds like a positive thing to say about a university president, but they intend it in a negative way within the context of football scholarships. I'm not sure what to expect on the issue, but I'm pretty sure that "leadership" isn't it. If it's even "support, it will be weak, at least at the beginning.

So, LFN, I'm asking where is the leadership? Who has the guts to get this ball rolling? There are no rumors or even mild breezes blowing out there to give us even faint hope.

[ngineer]

A call for action - make that a plea for action - on football scholarships. It requires leadership at the presidential level. Waddya think? Looking only at the 5 core all-sports members with FCS football programs we have:

BUCKNELL: Brian Mitchell. We have not heard much from or about Mitchell on this subject, so we must deal with the facts at hand, which are: (1) The football program seems to be on some sort of a "sunspot cycle" where it emerges from dormancy about once every 11 years. No one in the administration seems particularly concerned about the current down cycle and all appear somewhat content. Football is not a first level sport in Buffalo. It's not a bottom feeder either, so let's call it a 1a. (2) Mitchell knows that his alumni carry their checkbooks to Sojka and their small change to Christy Mathewson. Expect foot dragging rather than leadership from Mitchell.

COLGATE: Rebecca Chopp. The Colgate AD is on record as favoring football scholarships and, to the best of anyone's knowledge, did not get his fingers slapped. Since it's football and not field hockey, I guess I'd prefer that we had a Robert Chopp or a Richard Chopp or even a Reginald Chopp, but, ya gotta believe that if someone is going to step up and bang the drum, I'm betting it will be Chopp.

HOLY CROSS: Rev. Michael McFarland, S.J. Fr. McFarland is better described as a road block, rather than a trend setter on this subject. You can write in the "NO" vote here before the ballots are even distributed.

LAFAYETTE: Daniel Weiss. A lot of folks seem to think that Weiss will be a leader on this issue. I'm not so sure. He is still a relatively new kid on his own block, and he spent a lot of whatever extracurricular capital he had on pushing the basketball scholarship issue. And then there was the $25-$30 million stadium renovation. It didn't come out of College funds, but it still hacked off many in his constituency who consider it frivolous and a misstatement of priorities. I'm not sure that he can stick his head out of his foxhole and fire both guns on football scholarships so soon after fighting these battles. The best you can hope for here is "support," perhaps even strong support, but not leadership.

LEHIGH: Alice Gast. The Lehigh alums who know her best feel that Gast is "academics first." That sounds like a positive thing to say about a university president, but they intend it in a negative way within the context of football scholarships. I'm not sure what to expect on the issue, but I'm pretty sure that "leadership" isn't it. If it's even "support, it will be weak, at least at the beginning.

So, LFN, I'm asking where is the leadership? Who has the guts to get this ball rolling? There are no rumors or even mild breezes blowing out there to give us even faint hope.

Pretty good summary of the 'players'...Gast is also very new to the scene, so I wouldn't expect her to take the 'lead' in this Canterbury farce. Despite some views of her 'aloofness', she was a collegiate athlete, herself, so one never knows what may be in her mind. There is also the imprintur of the PL Exec. Dir. as well...and while she doesn't have a vote, I would think the Presidents would listen to someone who is (or should be) looking at the overall situation.

[Ken_Z]

okay, i may have over reached a bit when i stated that i believed the PL had reached a decision. however, we have more evidence that i may not be so far off base.

from the Bucknell's April trustees meeting:

XI. Athletics
The Athletics Subcommittee met and discussed the following items:


B. The Patriot League, especially the potential addition of new members. The important pieces affecting that issue at this time include discussions occurring throughout the Patriot League about athletic scholarships and how they could be financed without detrimentally affecting need-based aid at institutions like Bucknell, and revenue that would be needed to finance league expansion.

http://www.bucknell.edu/x42915.xml

[DFW HOYA]

A call for action - make that a plea for action - on football scholarships. It requires leadership at the presidential level. Waddya think?

Your thoughts, then, on DeGioia (Georgetown) and Rev. McShane (Fordham)? They may not have a vote, but their voices would also be in the discussion.


The important pieces affecting that issue at this time include discussions occurring throughout the Patriot League about athletic scholarships and how they could be financed without detrimentally affecting need-based aid at institutions like Bucknell, and revenue that would be needed to finance league expansion.

"Revenue...to finance league expansion?" No, the PL is not paying for new teams xlolx , but what kind of revenue impact is this referring to?

[TheValleyRaider]

Your thoughts, then, on DeGioia (Georgetown) and Rev. McShane (Fordham)? They may not have a vote, but their voices would also be in the discussion.

I think what he's saying is that one of the core 5 would have to be the leaders on the scholarship issue. Certainly they would need and want the support of Georgetown and Fordham, but one of the core has to be the one to bring it up to the regular league xtwocentsx

The question, as carney says, is who? xscanx

[Go...gate]

Bucknell is looking the FA issue in the eye. Good job.

[carney2]

okay, i may have over reached a bit when i stated that i believed the PL had reached a decision. however, we have more evidence that i may not be so far off base.

from the Bucknell's April trustees meeting:

XI. Athletics
The Athletics Subcommittee met and discussed the following items:


B. The Patriot League, especially the potential addition of new members. The important pieces affecting that issue at this time include discussions occurring throughout the Patriot League about athletic scholarships and how they could be financed without detrimentally affecting need-based aid at institutions like Bucknell, and revenue that would be needed to finance league expansion.

http://www.bucknell.edu/x42915.xml

I have frequently referred to KenZ as a blowhard, but if we can get some confirmation of these discussions from elsewhere around the League, we may just have that "mild breeze" that I referred to earlier.

[DFW HOYA]

I have frequently referred to KenZ as a blowhard, but if we can get some confirmation of these discussions from elsewhere around the League, we may just have that "mild breeze" that I referred to earlier.

I read it a different way--there's a big difference between the generic athletic scholarship and discussing football scholarships. The PL prsidents could just as easily approve small numbers of scholarships in Title IX-friendly sports like men's and women's soccer, etc. and call it progress, steering past football grants altogether.

[Ken_Z]

I read it a different way--there's a big difference between the generic athletic scholarship and discussing football scholarships. The PL prsidents could just as easily approve small numbers of scholarships in Title IX-friendly sports like men's and women's soccer, etc. and call it progress, steering past football grants altogether.

this is about football scholarships. it is recognized that this is a key issue inhibiting league expansion with the schools the PL desires.

sholarships are already permitted in all other sports. BU is also reviewing its aid approach there as well:

D. Potential changes in the University's student-athlete financial aid model and their likely impact on strengthening efforts to enroll the finest student-athletes.