Fordham to Add Athletic Scholarships in Football

[CSN Log]

06-05-2009 09:11 AM

Fordham to Add Athletic Scholarships in Football

Rams Will Remain an Associate Member in Patriot League, but Ineligible for League Title Beginning in 2010

Fordham has notified the Patriot League that it will begin awarding athletic scholarships to its football class entering in the fall of 2010. As a result, the Patriot League Football Presidents have endorsed an agreement with Fordham wherein the Rams will continue their association with the League but will be ineligible for the Patriot League title and automatic playoff berth beginning that season, announced Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich on Friday.

Read more ... (http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/index.php/2009/06/05/fordham-to-add-athletic-scholarships-in?blog=2#more5044)

[Syntax Error]

I guess that is the temporary solution.

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“There is strong desire both on the part of Fordham and the Patriot League to continue our long-standing relationship,” said Bucknell President Brian C. Mitchell, the Chair of the Patriot League Council of Presidents. “The interim arrangement we have agreed to will allow Fordham to begin to award scholarships in football while affording the League time to address merit aid for football and broader issues related to membership expansion. This issue comes at a very difficult financial time on all of our campuses.” Smart move for the PL. xthumbsupx

[TexasTerror]

This is going to make it much harder to recruit for Fordham, it would seem - especially since they can not guarantee a playoff berth for those few years (if not longer).

The PL has left it open to the other schools adding scholarships, but what happens if they do not head in that direction...?

[turbodean]

This is going to make it much harder to recruit for Fordham, it would seem - especially since they can not guarantee a playoff berth for those few years (if not longer).

I disagree, it will be quite the opposite. Fordham will now be able to pursue any academically eligible player they want , regardless of family financial situation (now recruiting is pretty much limited to either extreme wealthy or extreme needy). Under current restrictions middle and upper-middle class kids were long shots as any other FCS school with schollies could and would trump Fordham. What parent's going to pay (or borrow) $20K - 50K per year when another FCS offers "free"?


The PL has left it open to the other schools adding scholarships, but what happens if they do not head in that direction...?

If the PL doesn't agree to go schollies within the 3 yrs then a) Fordham goes indy or b) the agreement can be extended or c) Fordham joins another league.

[turbodean]

fyi


"This is a great day for Fordham football," said head coach Tom Masella. "Being able to award scholarships based on athletic ability will greatly increase the pool of student-athletes that we are able to recruit. We are pleased to be able to maintain our Patriot League schedule and at the same time, look to enhance our schedule with the addition of some FBS schools along with top FCS schools. In the end this will aid us in achieving our ultimate goal, a chance to compete for an NCAA FCS championship."

http://www.fordhamsports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/060509aad.html

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I think the AQ loss will hurt in the short term but by the time the PL adopts schollies (a BIG if) and Fordham has destroyed the PL field (a BIG if) it won't matter. Maybe more likely is no PL schollie adoption and Fordham cashes in on FBS games but does not achieve much FCS improvement.

[colorless raider]

I think the AQ loss will hurt in the short term but by the time the PL adopts schollies (a BIG if) and Fordham has destroyed the PL field (a BIG if) it won't matter. Maybe more likely is no PL schollie adoption and Fordham cashes in on FBS games but does not achieve much FCS improvement.

Stupid League!

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Stupid League!HEDGING THEIR OPTIONS! xlolx

http://www.chiltern.gov.uk/images/hedge1.jpg

[andy7171]

A 9-2 Fordham might not get the autobid from the PL, but it might contend for the CAA's 5th slot!

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A 9-2 Fordham might not get the autobid from the PL, but it might contend for the CAA's 5th slot!Or beat the CAA champ like they did in

[Native]

A 9-2 Fordham might not get the autobid from the PL, but it might contend for the CAA's 5th slot!

After a couple of years, this may well be the most likely outcome of the changes at Fordham. xnodx

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A 9-2 Fordham might not get the autobid from the PL, but it might contend for the CAA's 5th slot!

Or beat the CAA champ like they did on the road in the playoffs of 2002.

snicker at smack from a TU fan, neither CAA or PL contender...