New Ivy League commissioner not rushing into football playoff debate

[bulldog10jw]

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/08/01/sports/1_solomon.txt

After about the third time I rephrased the same question, Robin Harris couldn’t mistake the direction of the conversation Friday.

Harris, the new executive director/commissioner of the Ivy League, who replaced Jeffrey Orleans on July 1, gently rebuked my attempts to discern whether she arrives with a predilection toward allowing the Ivy League to compete in the postseason in football. It’s one of two hot button league issues, along with a postseason league tournament in men’s and women’s basketball. Or so I thought.

“Actually, that topic (football postseason) never came up in the interview process,” said Harris, a native New Yorker who used to spend summers at Camp Hadar in Clinton and whose parents have lived in Madison for over 20 years.

[bonarae]

The future's not so bright for Ivy football anymore as of this moment because the officials are very reluctant to take action... but the new Commissioner says changes are on the way, so she might be the one who'll take us into our dream land (i.e. the playoffs and Chattanooga). We'll see for the next few years. xcoffeex

[RichH2]

While I admire your optimism, has anyone been able to move your Presidents over the last 10 yrs in a forward direction? She is new but what power does she have to move an entire league that follows the lead of H and Y who will never give up the GAME as the end of the Ivy season. I wish you luck and hope the IL does join the rest of us in the playoffs.

[ngineer]

I don't see it happening. The lead will come from the 'big three', and no where else, and no one is leading.

[bonarae]

I don't see it happening. The lead will come from the 'big three', and no where else, and no one is leading.

It was true during the time of the previous Commissioner. I think she needs to convince the Presidents that the League needs change in order to move forward. xconfusedx


While I admire your optimism, has anyone been able to move your Presidents over the last 10 yrs in a forward direction? She is new but what power does she have to move an entire league that follows the lead of H and Y who will never give up the GAME as the end of the Ivy season. I wish you luck and hope the IL does join the rest of us in the playoffs.

Yes. I also wish the new Commissioner luck with convincing the Presidents to have us join the road to Chattanooga.

[DFW HOYA]

It was true during the time of the previous Commissioner. I think she needs to convince the Presidents that the League needs change in order to move forward. xconfusedx


Maybe Dartmouth needs to tell the league they're adding 63 scholarships if the league doesn't change course... xlolx

[ngineer]

Maybe Dartmouth needs to tell the league they're adding 63 scholarships if the league doesn't change course... xlolx

...and the League will respond by saying, "Dart who?"

[bulldog10jw]

Maybe Dartmouth needs to tell the league they're adding 63 scholarships if the league doesn't change course... xlolx

It would not be Dartmouth, they are solidly Ivy. (not saying that's a good thing)

It would be Penn or Cornell.

[RichH2]

Gven aid packages now available, I dont think scholarships an issue . 1st up will be 11th game. Maybe in 5 or 10 yrs some thought about playoffs

[carney2]

It's subtle, but the Ivy League is changing. We've had this discussion before, but the biggest change is the increasing gap between the haves (Harvard, Yale, probably Princeton, and maybe Penn) and the have-nots (the other 4). At some point permanent second class citizenship has got to rub someone the wrong way. Is it enough to just have your name on the door with the other five/six/seven, or do you really want to be a participant? How long will the others be content to merely RSVP for what is becoming the Harvard Invitational in the major sports?

In other words, Ms. Harris will have larger and more basic issues on her plate than football playoffs, an 11th game or an Ivy league post-season basketball tournament. The hope is that these items will get swept up with the larger solutions when the time comes.

[ngineer]

It's subtle, but the Ivy League is changing. We've had this discussion before, but the biggest change is the increasing gap between the haves (Harvard, Yale, probably Princeton, and maybe Penn) and the have-nots (the other 4). At some point permanent second class citizenship has got to rub someone the wrong way. Is it enough to just have your name on the door with the other five/six/seven, or do you really want to be a participant? How long will the others be content to merely RSVP for what is becoming the Harvard Invitational in the major sports?

In other words, Ms. Harris will have larger and more basic issues on her plate than football playoffs, an 11th game or an Ivy league post-season basketball tournament. The hope is that these items will get swept up with the larger solutions when the time comes.

I've always been surprised at Cornell's difficulty in maintaining football excellence. They've had some excellent teams sporadically over the past 40 years, but for the most part are mediocre. With their 'quasi-state school' status, one would think they could recruit both academically and financially quite well.

[bonarae]

Gven aid packages now available, I dont think scholarships an issue . 1st up will be 11th game. Maybe in 5 or 10 yrs some thought about playoffs

True. First thing in our wishlist is the 11th game we've long hoped for.


It's subtle, but the Ivy League is changing. We've had this discussion before, but the biggest change is the increasing gap between the haves (Harvard, Yale, probably Princeton, and maybe Penn) and the have-nots (the other 4). At some point permanent second class citizenship has got to rub someone the wrong way. Is it enough to just have your name on the door with the other five/six/seven, or do you really want to be a participant? How long will the others be content to merely RSVP for what is becoming the Harvard Invitational in the major sports?

In other words, Ms. Harris will have larger and more basic issues on her plate than football playoffs, an 11th game or an Ivy league post-season basketball tournament. The hope is that these items will get swept up with the larger solutions when the time comes.

True. But who knows? Maybe the Presidents would change their minds again.

[89Hen]

While I admire your optimism, has anyone been able to move your Presidents over the last 10 yrs in a forward direction?
Maybe I'm completely wrong but I seem to recall 5-6 years ago, it was only 1 or 2 Prez's shy of passing. xconfusedx

[Lehigh Football Nation]

It's subtle, but the Ivy League is changing. We've had this discussion before, but the biggest change is the increasing gap between the haves (Harvard, Yale, probably Princeton, and maybe Penn) and the have-nots (the other 4). At some point permanent second class citizenship has got to rub someone the wrong way. Is it enough to just have your name on the door with the other five/six/seven, or do you really want to be a participant? How long will the others be content to merely RSVP for what is becoming the Harvard Invitational in the major sports?

This is all true. Unfortunately the "bottom four" can't decide either what the best solution is going forward. Dartmouth's president and admissions department seemed perfectly willing (in recent past, anyway) to let the whole thing drop down to D-III, join NESCAC and be done with it. Brown and Cornell clearly don't want to do anything like that, and it's hard to tell where Columbia stands.

The top four aren't exactly in lockstep either. Harvard and Princeton seem to enjoy the status quo, while Yale every once in a while talks about their "glory years" in big time (read: FBS) football, and you wonder if they have an eye in that direction. Meanwhile, it's hard to read Penn as well.

I mean, you have one member talking seriously about going FBS and another thinking about dropping to the NESCAC in all but name. That's not a recipe for decisive action going forward.

[colorless raider]

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/08/01/sports/1_solomon.txt

After about the third time I rephrased the same question, Robin Harris couldn’t mistake the direction of the conversation Friday.

Harris, the new executive director/commissioner of the Ivy League, who replaced Jeffrey Orleans on July 1, gently rebuked my attempts to discern whether she arrives with a predilection toward allowing the Ivy League to compete in the postseason in football. It’s one of two hot button league issues, along with a postseason league tournament in men’s and women’s basketball. Or so I thought.

“Actually, that topic (football postseason) never came up in the interview process,” said Harris, a native New Yorker who used to spend summers at Camp Hadar in Clinton and whose parents have lived in Madison for over 20 years.

good luck getting anything done

[Go...gate]

This is all true. Unfortunately the "bottom four" can't decide either what the best solution is going forward. Dartmouth's president and admissions department seemed perfectly willing (in recent past, anyway) to let the whole thing drop down to D-III, join NESCAC and be done with it. Brown and Cornell clearly don't want to do anything like that, and it's hard to tell where Columbia stands.

The top four aren't exactly in lockstep either. Harvard and Princeton seem to enjoy the status quo, while Yale every once in a while talks about their "glory years" in big time (read: FBS) football, and you wonder if they have an eye in that direction. Meanwhile, it's hard to read Penn as well.

I mean, you have one member talking seriously about going FBS and another thinking about dropping to the NESCAC in all but name. That's not a recipe for decisive action going forward.

Sometimes I think those two schools WILL end up in the NESCAC. Dartmouth just doesen't care anymore and Columbia is betwixt and between.

[Ivytalk]

It's not a "Harvard Invitational" in the Ivies. The men's teams have been strong in football, improving in lacrosse, mediocre in basketball and ice hockey, and getting progressively weaker in baseball.

That said, I'm not optimistic either. There's no sense doing an 11th game unless you go to the playoffs. So far as Harvard is concerned, President Faust is clueless on the issue, and Coach Murph seems happy to leave things as they are. Doesn't bode well for a Harvard vote in favor of changing the status quo.xnonono2x

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

Sometimes I think those two schools WILL end up in the NESCAC. Dartmouth just doesen't care anymore and Columbia is betwixt and between.

Middlebury and Amherst would be shorter trips than to Harvard, their closest Ivy opponent. Tufts is pretty much the same as going to Harvard and Williams is just a few minutes longer than a trip to Cambridge. Trinity and Wesleyan look like shorter trips than Brown and Yale. Hamilton is closer than Cornell. Hotels on trips to Bates, Bowdoin and Colby would be cheaper than for their trips to Columbia, Princeton and Penn. Better hope the bean counters in Hanover don't get wind of your idea Go...gate!!!!! :p xrotatehx :D :D

[Go...gate]

Middlebury and Amherst would be shorter trips than to Harvard, their closest Ivy opponent. Tufts is pretty much the same as going to Harvard and Williams is just a few minutes longer than a trip to Cambridge. Trinity and Wesleyan look like shorter trips than Brown and Yale. Hamilton is closer than Cornell. Hotels on trips to Bates, Bowdoin and Colby would be cheaper than for their trips to Columbia, Princeton and Penn. Better hope the bean counters in Hanover don't get wind of your idea Go...gate!!!!! :p xrotatehx :D :D

Yeah, but this is the point. I just posted something about Marist increasing its profile and we PL people may all hate it but, for better or worse, they aren't resting on their laurels. They are trying to step up in class. In contrast, of all Ivies, Dartmouth IS resting on its laurels, and maybe at the end of the day it means NESCAC for them.

I keep hoping we get that Colgate-UNH series!

[TheValleyRaider]

Middlebury and Amherst would be shorter trips than to Harvard, their closest Ivy opponent. Tufts is pretty much the same as going to Harvard and Williams is just a few minutes longer than a trip to Cambridge. Trinity and Wesleyan look like shorter trips than Brown and Yale. Hamilton is closer than Cornell. Hotels on trips to Bates, Bowdoin and Colby would be cheaper than for their trips to Columbia, Princeton and Penn. Better hope the bean counters in Hanover don't get wind of your idea Go...gate!!!!! :p xrotatehx :D :D

So you're saying there might be an opening soon? xwhistlex xchinscratchx ;)

[Go...gate]

So you're saying there might be an opening soon? xwhistlex xchinscratchx ;)

Now, THAT would be interesting.....