Patriot League 2018 - way way way to early

[Colgate Raider Redux]

It's true that both teams need to raise the game on the national level but that starts with the overall PL raising its level. Stiff ooc play is fantastic but having a equally competitive league is also important. There needs to be more parody top to bottom before you will see true national level recognition other than a random team here or there.

Agreed that Lafayette is a team to watch. Just not sure when they get over the hump!

Achieving PL versus Individual team "national stature enhancement" is more of an interdependent conundrum than a chicken-egg thing. Remember that Fordham, Lehigh and Colgate were the advocates for the transition to scholies, while the other PL schools were slower to adapt their fb programs initially. Through coaching changes and other initiatives, Holy Cross and Lafayette are now making more strategic commitments to upgrade the performance of their fb programs. They may close the gap, but it will be a gradual process, at best. It seems unlikely that Bucknell or Georgetown are going to change things significantly anytime soon. In aggregate, this variation is all fine--there's no way to compel intra-league performance parity. Adherence to league rules ( AI, redshirting, etc. ) may affect the character of the league. But, as one dimension of the bonds within the league, it is not a formula for raising the national stature of the league. And, relative to increasing the fb program's resources allocation, it has only a neglible impact on intra-league performance "parity" or comparative performance outside the PL.

One of the beauties of PL fb affiliation is that 5 of 11 games of the total annual schedule are o.o.c.. According to a school's srrategic vision for their fb program, they can "up-schedule" or "down-schedule" from PL competition. Intra-PL competition will only go so far in satisfying the institutional and/or competitive aspirations of all or each of the PL teams.

Although I expect some garadual improvement in intra-league parity, it's unlikely that the RPI improvement will contribute significantly to the stature of PL champs or the league itself on the larger stage.