News Journal - Has Time Come For Delaware To Move To FBS?

[superman7515]

http://www.delawareonline.com/story/sports/college/ud/2014/04/24/tresolini-time-come-delaware-move-fbs/8125459/


A former University of Delaware football player who has had a continued association with UD recently posed a question that was beyond rhetorical.
It was thought provoking and, frankly, somewhat unsettling.

"Are the glory days over?" he asked me, in relation to Delaware football.

The query was rooted in Delaware's recent struggles in games and at the gate, areas in which the last three years have not been up to par.

But it had a deeper intent, too, and was worth pondering in relation to the speculation that has swirled about for the last several months:

The possibility of a Delaware move up to the highest competitive classification of NCAA football – Division I FBS – may be as strong now as it's ever been.
Has Delaware's time come?

The Blue Hens have certainly had glorious days in football, dating back to the middle of the last century, when coach Bill Murray guided his 1946 team to a small-college national championship. Five more national titles would follow (1963, 1971, 1972, 1979, 2003), with many more close calls, including as recently as the 2010 FCS title game loss.

Delaware has long been a big fish in college football's smaller pond. That notoriety has long been the school's athletic trademark.

Just ask any high school coach in California who runs the Delaware Wing-T offense. Or stand among of group of former Blue Hen players, whose pride and camaraderie exudes from them.

Or check the pulse of a visiting player who, with those concrete stands rising behind him on an autumn afternoon, has been engulfed by the noise that can make a Delaware Stadium game day such a treasure.

But perhaps, as the aforementioned question implied, that all isn't enough anymore.

UD officials are, at least, dipping their toes in the bigger pond, despite its murky waters, trying to gauge FBS' potential appeal. This is, of course, nothing new.

"With the landscape the way it is and has been, there's always talking and ongoing analysis of what we are, who we are, who we're with, where we want to be," said Eric Ziady, in his second year as Delaware's athletic director. "It's all done in an environment that changes every day."...

Much more at the link...

[citdog]

nope....who is going to replace the thousands of 97 year olds who maneuver their walkers into The Tub each Saturday when they all croak?

[MR. CHICKEN]

18944......DAT'S WHAT....KIDS ZONE....FAMILY TICKET PACKS.......BEER........IS DESIGNED...TA DO....GET DUH WHITTLE WONS.....HOOKED ON CHICKEN FEVER.......O'COURSE.....MOST IMPORTANTE.......JES' WIN BABY...........xhypedxxhypedx........AWK!

[bluehenbillk]

The same writer penned a piece six years ago now about stadium expansion, horseshoeing in the Tub, premium seating, a new press box, and a state of the art Athletic Performance Center.

What do we have to show for it in 2014? Handrails.

[superman7515]

.......BEER........

I really hope that the beer wasn't supposed to get the little ones hooked on Delaware football, haha. We almost didn't renew our tickets this year because the group behind us in my little piece of real estate in Section L this past season were drunk all game, every game. They had the campus cops & CSC security called on them by different folks at least once at every single home game and they almost got into a couple of fistfights with different people walking up the stands and such a few times last year.

[bluehenbillk]

I really hope that the beer wasn't supposed to get the little ones hooked on Delaware football, haha. We almost didn't renew our tickets this year because the group behind us in my little piece of real estate in Section L this past season were drunk all game, every game. They had the campus cops & CSC security called on them by different folks at least once at every single home game and they almost got into a couple of fistfights with different people walking up the stands and such a few times last year.

In fairness to the people sitting behind you, considering the home schedule last season (Jacksonville, DelState, Wagner & Albany) the common person needed a few stiff drinks to sit through that slop.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

Maybe UD should schedule home and home series and get better OOC opponents rather than insisting on all OOC games be home games except for FBS games. When you buy home games, you get OOC schedules like JU, DSU and Wagner, just saying.

Didn't Albany actually beat the Hens a couple of years ago? They're a conference opponent now so you guys need to get used to playing them. Once they ramp up to full scholarship, they will be a formidable FCS opponent. Travel up there to see a game and you'll see they're serious about full scholarship FCS Football.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Maybe UD should schedule home and home series and get better OOC opponents rather than insisting on all OOC games be home games except for FBS games.

I think a certain team whose colors are Brown and White might be interested in that.

[bluehenbillk]

I think a certain team whose colors are Brown and White might be interested in that.

Lafayette already scheduled for a 2:1.

[MR. CHICKEN]

18945...S-MAN.....BEER IS FO' MOMMA'S/PAPA'S......TUH...LA-LA....DUH....GRASS GROWIN'......PAINT DRYIN'.....MONOTONOUS OFFENSE/SWISS CHEESE DEE.....DUH PECKERHEADS....HAVE COME....TA UNDERSTAND AS "QUALITY" PIGGY.....HENCE DUH SHEDDIN' & SHREDDIN'...UH SEASON PASSES......HANDRAILS...INSTALLED PRIOR TA SUDS SALES.....SEE....ADMIN...DOES HAVE VISION..;)...DESPITE NO ELEVATOR..TA PRESSBOX.....BOWLED IN ENDZONE....MAYBEAH...PARTIAL DECKS IN CORNERS....LIKE IN MISERYOULA.......OWN-LAH SO MUCH DUCATS.....RULY.....SET ASIDE......FO' BLUE 'N GOLD WANTS...........xsmhx:(:o:(xsmhx.....DOODLE-DOO-DOO!!

PS....DUH BIG BIRD....STILL PINES....FO' DUH THUNDERIN'/CRISS-CROSSIN'....WING-T......WHEN OPPOSIN' PLAYERS...WOOD....LOOK TA SIDELINES...FO' HELP...ALA ....TERRY BOWDEN'S SAMFORD...SCHMUCKERS!

[Sammy94]

Maybe UD should schedule home and home series and get better OOC opponents rather than insisting on all OOC games be home games except for FBS games.


I think a certain team whose colors are Orange and White might be a bit interested in that also.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Maroon & Silver fan checking in with some interest as well.

[citdog]

We KNOW the Blue Hens don't want to visit Charleston again.


The Citadel has as much interest in returning to NewARK.

Neutral field in Frisco, Texas perhaps?

[frozennorth]

with GSU and ASU gone, I think Delaware and NDSU have taken their spots on the FCS Mount Rushmore. Would be a big blow for them to leave. In fact that would be a re-evaluation moment for a number of program.

[frozennorth]

We KNOW the Blue Hens don't want to visit Charleston again.


The Citadel has as much interest in returning to NewARK.

Neutral field in Frisco, Texas perhaps?
you can scrimmage before NDSU wallops UNI for the 4-peat.

[caribbeanhen]

Not many Hen fans happy about that home schedule again this year, Supe I think you should consider moving your seats ..haha

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Delaware is in a tough spot. There's definitely a culture of winning football. But, it's also smack dab in the middle of the I95 corridor so competing for relevancy isn't the easiest thing. If Blue Hens were able to play Temple, Navy, UConn, Marshall, ODU, Ohio, Buffalo, ECU etc. on a regular basis it could be a success. However, if they're stuck in the SBC or something similar, they're better of competing for national titles in FCS imo.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

I think a certain team whose colors are Brown and White might be interested in that.

How about a certain team in Cherry and White? Temple and Lehigh are arguably UD's two biggest historical rivals. A Temple-UD game at the Linc would draw a solid 30-35k early in the year....

[DFW HOYA]

How about a certain team in Cherry and White? Temple and Lehigh are arguably UD's two biggest historical rivals. A Temple-UD game at the Linc would draw a solid 30-35k early in the year....

That assumes Temple is still playing in the Linc.

[superman7515]

...Supe I think you should consider moving your seats ..haha

Yeah, Superwoman is pretty adamant that we move the seats next weekend at Fandemonium.

[Ivytalk]

xrolleyesxxscanxDoesn't Kevin Tresolini dig that article out of the archives every year?

[MplsBison]

The MAC is a closed shop. Unless teams leave, they're not going to add anyone. They meet the 12 team requirement to have a championship game (which isn't even going to be the requirement much longer, because the Big XII wants a championship game without having to add anyone else).

No, I'm afraid there is no more room left in FBS for additional FCS move-ups unless the PAC or Big XII expand. In the mountain and pacific time zones there's no one that moves the needle for the PAC (Boise, New Mexico, Nevada and Hawaii don't add enough TV's). The Big XII could add BYU and Colo St. or Air Force, but that's probably the best they could do.