Utah Valley Univ Football?

[TexasTerror]

Some things on UVU football from the Daily Herald in Utah...

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/?title=football-in-uvu-s-future&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#more1978


The announcement that Utah Valley University will join the Great West Conference surely must have sparked football dreams in the minds of some UVU students, alumni and administrators.

After all, sports and daydreams go together. How would Babe Ruth do against Sandy Koufax? Could the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers beat the 1990 San Francisco 49ers? And daydreams about football seem to have remarkable power.

True, UVU has never had a football team. On its Web site, the university says, “Sorry, but there are not any plans to start a football team at this time.”

[Lehigh Football Nation]

This is just more than idle talk:

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/?title=uvu-ad-football-next-big-step-for-utah-v&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1


“This is a special day for Wolverine athletics,” UVU director of athletics Michael Jacobsen said. “This will make the university greater. It’ll make it all come together like pieces in a puzzle.”

When Jacobsen came to work at the school 24 years ago, his vision for the school didn’t involve university status with Division I sports.

But, now that he sees what is possible, he says that UVU would be able to accomplish another big goal - adding football.

This deserves some discussion.

UVU and SUU would be logical travel partners for a GWC in football, and it would give the conference six football-playing members.

This would put the autobid in reach in football once UND, USD and UVU get out of their probationary period.

UVU, SUU, Cal Poly and UC-Davis are not outlandish trips, and make three perfect travel partners for conference games, so you'd be guaranteed one trip to Utah and/or one trip to the Dakotas and/or one trip to Cali every year.

This makes a boatload of sense, football-wise... and three full members playing football solidifies the conference, too.

[AmsterBison]

It'd be great to have another FCS program out West.

[TexasTerror]

And it's not too far away from Salt Lake City...so an airport about an hour away. That'll make it easy for teams to travel in to the place if they add football...

[89Hen]

I dunno. Title IX would keep a LOT of schools from starting football. Costs twice as much now. xoopsx

[RabidRabbit]

I dunno. Title IX would keep a LOT of schools from starting football. Costs twice as much now. xoopsx

The major downside of a D-I schollie team at UVU would appear to the saturation of D-I schools with football in Utah, so much of the recruits will likely come from CA.

This a LARGE, and rapidly improving school. If any one can start from scratch, UVU is well positioned. And they're right in middle of the Great West football conference footprint.

Here's a Rabbit that hopes that they'll bring it on, and soon. Tie right into the end of transition of UND/USD if announce a 2010 start, ramped up by 2012.

[89rabbit]

This is just more than idle talk:

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/?title=uvu-ad-football-next-big-step-for-utah-v&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1



This deserves some discussion.

UVU and SUU would be logical travel partners for a GWC in football, and it would give the conference six football-playing members.

This would put the autobid in reach in football once UND, USD and UVU get out of their probationary period.

UVU, SUU, Cal Poly and UC-Davis are not outlandish trips, and make three perfect travel partners for conference games, so you'd be guaranteed one trip to Utah and/or one trip to the Dakotas and/or one trip to Cali every year.

This makes a boatload of sense, football-wise... and three full members playing football solidifies the conference, too.


Agreed. I think UVU is the GWFC best shot at an auto-bid. xnodx

[Ronbo]

This is just more than idle talk:

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/?title=uvu-ad-football-next-big-step-for-utah-v&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1



This deserves some discussion.

UVU and SUU would be logical travel partners for a GWC in football, and it would give the conference six football-playing members.

This would put the autobid in reach in football once UND, USD and UVU get out of their probationary period.

UVU, SUU, Cal Poly and UC-Davis are not outlandish trips, and make three perfect travel partners for conference games, so you'd be guaranteed one trip to Utah and/or one trip to the Dakotas and/or one trip to Cali every year.

This makes a boatload of sense, football-wise... and three full members playing football solidifies the conference, too.

How long has UVU been Div I? They might not have to go through any probationary period.

[jcf5445]

Utah Valley will become a full DI member in July 2009. They are not in transition from another division; rather, they will be a brand new NCAA member altogether. They were a 2-year school a few years back, so I'm guessing their previous affiliation was the NJCAA.

[slostang]

I am keeping my fingers crossed. UVU would be a great football fit in the GWC. Now if we could get San Diego to make the jump we could get to 7 teams. UVU also has very nice facilities.

[Seawolf97]

looks like a nice campus-good for them

[mizzoufan1]

I am keeping my fingers crossed. UVU would be a great football fit in the GWC. Now if we could get San Diego to make the jump we could get to 7 teams. UVU also has very nice facilities.

I don't think that San Diego would go scholly to get into the Great West for football. Drake has a better chance of doing it and going to the MVFC.

[slostang]

I don't think that San Diego would go scholly to get into the Great West for football. Drake has a better chance of doing it and going to the MVFC.

Drake is more than welcome in the GWC.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Interesting...
http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/?title=great-west-to-stay-at-five-football-team&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1


Jacobsen, though, said hopefuls shouldn’t hold their breath.

“I came to this school 24 years ago, and I thought we would’ve been playing football long ago,” he said. “We do not have a timeline whatsoever.”

The cost of such an undertaking would be about $2.5 million, Jacobsen estimated.

While Utah Valley is in the process of building a track facility that would offer a field adequate for football, Jacobsen said, it would lack appropriate seating capabilities.

Utah Valley, which becomes active at the Division I level in 2009-10, grew quickly from a trade school competing at the community-college level seven years ago.

“Right now (adding football) is not on the agenda,” Jacobsen explained. “We’re trying to pay for the sports we have.”

Utah Valley assistant sports information director Dave Kimball reiterated the school doesn’t have “any plans right now,” but isn’t “shut off to the idea.”

IMO? Football isn't planned tomorrow for UVU... but the lack of a slam-dunk denial by school officials keeps the door wide open for the possibility soon.