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

[superman7515]

http://www.delawareonline.com/story/...e-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]

......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...................AWK!

[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.

[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.

[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]

...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...........:o.....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!