Originally Posted by
LehighU11
Again, the argument isn't that the NEC is a terrible league. I give you a lot of credit for carrying the NEC banner well, but this is a pretty easy situation to understand.
If given a choice, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, or Lehigh alumni would prefer to see us play Ivy opponents rather than Bryant, CCSU, or Wagner. PL schools have historic ties and many institutional similarities to the Ivies. Fair to say that we are not true peers, but no other conference has a closer relationship to the Ivy League that the PL. Heck, the PL was basically formed to round out the Ivy League schedule.
We've had rivalries spanning over 100 years. PL members--and FCS programs in general--have a tough enough time bringing fans out to games. If a Holy Cross or Lehigh fan is going to make the trip back to their alma mater for a game, who would they rather see: Princeton or Bryant? That's a pretty easy decision to make, especially with the number of truly casual fans at this level. PL alumni are going to be more interested in attending a game against an instantly recognizable and historic opponent from the Ivy League, rather than some small school in the Northeast who they've never heard of. The fact is that many people would rather see Princeton than Bryant, Drake, Western Carolina, or Weber St. The latter are all the same to many. Besides, the Ivy League has historically been and still remains a stronger conference overall than the NEC.
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