Loyola (MD) Adding Football?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Are they - and are they thinking about joining the Patriot League? Check out the analysis and judge for yourself.

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com

[TexasTerror]

Bet Towson is keeping tabs on this one. That's a cross-town rival for the Tigers in out of conference football action. We know they have played Morgan State quite a bit as of late. Would help bring costs down for Towson if the OOC continued to be rather close to vest.

[bostonspider]

Images of the planned facility

http://www.loyola.edu/bin/n/p/Athletic3-arial-top.jpg
http://www.loyola.edu/bin/n/r/Athletic3-arial-bot.jpg

http://www.loyola.edu/bin/p/g/Athletic4-grandstand-top.jpg
http://www.loyola.edu/bin/t/u/Athletic4-grandstand-bot.jpg

http://www.loyola.edu/bin/t/o/Athletic1_Main-top.jpg
http://www.loyola.edu/bin/p/g/Athletic1_Main-bot.jpg

[Lehigh74]

I'm not with you at all on this one LFN. Frankly, I fail to see how admitting Loyola as a full member would be a positive step for the league.

[TheValleyRaider]

Is there any more smoke to the fire of Loyola Football other than a connection to Holy Cross and the building of a new stadium? xconfusedx

I can certainly see 6,000 people going to lacrosse games at a school in the Baltimore area xtwocentsx

[Go...gate]

No offense to Loyola, which is a fine school and probably a reasonable fit academically, but we can't add a stsrt-up program. Better we add an academically prestigious Division III which seeks to upgrade, as has been discussed here before.

Anybody ever consider Washington & Lee?

[DFW HOYA]

Anybody ever consider Washington & Lee?

W&L? Why not ask the school right next door, a school who would jump at the chance to play the likes of Army and Navy in all sports and averaged nearly 7,000 a game in football despite a 2-9 record?

[Seawolf97]

No offense to Loyola, which is a fine school and probably a reasonable fit academically, but we can't add a stsrt-up program. Better we add an academically prestigious Division III which seeks to upgrade, as has been discussed here before.

Anybody ever consider Washington & Lee?

Correct if Im wrong but D3 school moving up ? We still have 3 years left on the NCAA moratorium and then a D3 school moving up would take 3-5 years after that. Loyola is D1 and could move up right after the moratorium given the time it would take to establish a program.

[TheValleyRaider]

Correct if Im wrong but D3 school moving up ? We still have 3 years left on the NCAA moratorium and then a D3 school moving up would take 3-5 years after that. Loyola is D1 and could move up right after the moratorium given the time it would take to establish a program.

Really then, what's the difference? If they'd rather wait for a D-III, then the move-up would coincide with the time it would take for Loyola to start their program. If they were to announce tomorrow, it'd still be another 2-3 years at least before they could even field a team, forget any level of real competitiveness. Given that as far as we know, their football ambitions are limited to LFN's musings, they likely wouldn't even sniff a program for another 4-5 years anyway

Of course, I'm still holding out hope for the PL to take RPI when they jump to D-I ;) xprayx

I'd be willing to take VMI given their profile, but their overall athletic program.....

[Dane96]

RPI is not going DI

[andy7171]

While I would love to see Loyola College get a football team (I'm going to grad school there), it ain't happening. That stadium is for lacrosse and soccer, and it'll be filled during lacrosse season. They already have a FieldTurf "stadium" and practice facility on campus now, if this complex is built, those fields will become parking REAL quick.
I would love to see it happen, LC is half the distance to Towson than Morgan State is, which is only about 5 miles. It's literally, right down Charles St.


FWIW, I've heard more rumblings about UMBC starting up a football program.

[Seawolf97]

While I would love to see Loyola College get a football team (I'm going to grad school there), it ain't happening. That stadium is for lacrosse and soccer, and it'll be filled during lacrosse season. They already have a FieldTurf "stadium" and practice facility on campus now, if this complex is built, those fields will become parking REAL quick.
I would love to see it happen, LC is half the distance to Towson than Morgan State is, which is only about 5 miles. It's literally, right down Charles St.


FWIW, I've heard more rumblings about UMBC starting up a football program.

UMBC taking up football is interesting. I thought their president was dead set against a football program but anything can change. That would be another America East school with football.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

FWIW, I've heard more rumblings about UMBC starting up a football program.


UMBC taking up football is interesting. I thought their president was dead set against a football program but anything can change. That would be another America East school with football.

Just came in from work and am finishing dinner. I'll try to find a thread or post on the America East Forum tomorrow or Sunday when I have more time.

My memory is telling me that one of the UMBC guys posted something about an offer from the Ravens which would have built the facilities UMBC needed to start FCS football and would be used for the Ravens preseason training. Despite this home run, UMBC turned the Ravens down. There would have to be a significant change at UMBC for football to be started.

[ngineer]

The most likely D3 school to move up, if one were to move up, would be Johns Hopkins. Excellent academics, national D1 power in lacrosse...

[UAalum72]

Just came in from work and am finishing dinner. I'll try to find a thread or post on the America East Forum tomorrow or Sunday when I have more time.

My memory is telling me that one of the UMBC guys posted something about an offer from the Ravens which would have built the facilities UMBC needed to start FCS football and would be used for the Ravens preseason training. Despite this home run, UMBC turned the Ravens down. There would have to be a significant change at UMBC for football to be started.
Here's the post (which I could find easily because I mentioned it here once before) http://www.basketballforum.com/america-east-conference/367506-uvm-football.html#post4886738

It was posted a year ago about a chance which is now three years ago - is there anything new? Unless UMBC has a new president, it doesn't sound hopeful

[dgreco]

Just came in from work and am finishing dinner. I'll try to find a thread or post on the America East Forum tomorrow or Sunday when I have more time.

My memory is telling me that one of the UMBC guys posted something about an offer from the Ravens which would have built the facilities UMBC needed to start FCS football and would be used for the Ravens preseason training. Despite this home run, UMBC turned the Ravens down. There would have to be a significant change at UMBC for football to be started.

UMBC turned it down and the Ravens redid the field at McDaniel College and are also redoing all the athletic facilities as well as the the other sports field. UMBC doesn't have the nicest facilities so they really missed out on that one. With McDaniel being a DIII school it has been a huge boost to the athletics.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

UMBC turned it down and the Ravens redid the field at McDaniel College and are also redoing all the athletic facilities as well as the the other sports field. UMBC doesn't have the nicest facilities so they really missed out on that one. With McDaniel being a DIII school it has been a huge boost to the athletics.

Worthy of note is that Gettysburg and McDaniel have a huge rivalry in football, and Gettysburg has been floated as a possible PL school in the past (they also, back in the day, had a rivalry with Bucknell). However, as also has been mentioned, HC would become an ever-lonlier outpost in the NE.

[ngineer]

Worthy of note is that Gettysburg and McDaniel have a huge rivalry in football, and Gettysburg has been floated as a possible PL school in the past (they also, back in the day, had a rivalry with Bucknell). However, as also has been mentioned, HC would become an ever-lonlier outpost in the NE.

While they are the furtherst north, they're not terribly removed from Fordham and Colgate. At first glance, I thought if Boston University reinstated football, it would make a nice rivalry for HC, BU is such a huge school, in comparison with the other PL schools, that I don't think the profile would be as good a fit in the league. Similar to the situation with Towson years ago. Loyola, JHU, Gettysburg seems the most likely, should we not go to scholarships which could lure a Richmond, Wm & Mary or Villanova.

[Seawolf97]

Here's the post (which I could find easily because I mentioned it here once before) http://www.basketballforum.com/america-east-conference/367506-uvm-football.html#post4886738

It was posted a year ago about a chance which is now three years ago - is there anything new? Unless UMBC has a new president, it doesn't sound hopeful

Imagine Albany getting an offer from the Giants-new stadium plus redo their facilties just for the their practices. No one in their right mind would turn down something like that.

[dgreco]

Worthy of note is that Gettysburg and McDaniel have a huge rivalry in football, and Gettysburg has been floated as a possible PL school in the past (they also, back in the day, had a rivalry with Bucknell). However, as also has been mentioned, HC would become an ever-lonlier outpost in the NE.

Their rivalry is somewhere along the lines of almost 100 years right? I think they have played 90 something games over a 110 year span or something like that.

I think that Gettysburg would be a great addition to the PL. They are an excellent fit academically. Besides JHU who gets a lot of pub, they are a great athletic school also. I know it is a different world, but if they can bring kids in at DIII I am sure they will be able to get kids at DI.

I think a few Centennial Conference teams would make a good fit, most notable JHU and GC though.