Author Topic: 2012-2020: Future of SBU Football - Conference Affiliation, FBS Football, etc  (Read 25773 times)

Chairman of the Board

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Start out by conquering your own house first and then expand the marketing efforts to the rest of Long Island. You know why I go to games? Because I did while I was a student and I became a fan of College Football thanks to the Seawolves (Adam Peck, Chris Creamer, myself... we were the kids that used to facepaint or paint letters into our chest). That's why I'm willing to make that drive east every Saturday. But for me (alum) to follow now I had to cultivate the following before graduating. If you don't grab the attention of the students and turn them into fans before they graduate... Those alums will never come back for game

We have to build the next generation of Seawolves fanatics... and that starts ON CAMPUS. Nothing else will work as good as cultivating a good student and then alumni fandom. Those alumni will draw their parents, cousins, friends, and next thing you know you are packing the house and need further expansion.

It's not that difficult. Its just lack of effort. Plain and simple. There should be a USG-Athletics committe of student and administrators with the sole purpose of fostering student following and spirit.

Forget about the suitcase campus... forget about the lack of parties. Those are secondary issues. The primary and sole issue remains lack of marketing and unified effort between the Athletics department and other areas of the University.

The only marketing you see on campus right now is "Home of the Stony Brook Seawolves" banners in every other light pole. What the heck does that do for it if the students don't feel it?

Heck. Make a student club of promoters...

Or you know what. Make it college-credit course MKT101 and make the final project: Draw 1000 students to every game. LOL


maybe just my guess... but i dont think we will get significant crowds via train.  which means if no students show up, you're sitting in traffic on nicholls.  the more attendance we get, the bigger those delays become.

the other option is to get students to games.  i argue that not all fans are equal.  there is something about the student attendee that makes the college football atmosphere.  it's the reason why pundits use the term "hostile atmosphere".

but we can't get students to games if they arent even on campus.  why arent they?  we arent addressing the real issue here.

PS since we're talking bona fides here, yes i was there with a homemade piece of wooden fence (from leftovers building lofts in the dorms) before there was even a LaValle Stadium.  ;D
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ecasadoSBU

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Start out by conquering your own house first and then expand the marketing efforts to the rest of Long Island. You know why I go to games? Because I did while I was a student and I became a fan of College Football thanks to the Seawolves (Adam Peck, Chris Creamer, myself... we were the kids that used to facepaint or paint letters into our chest). That's why I'm willing to make that drive east every Saturday. But for me (alum) to follow now I had to cultivate the following before graduating. If you don't grab the attention of the students and turn them into fans before they graduate... Those alums will never come back for game

We have to build the next generation of Seawolves fanatics... and that starts ON CAMPUS. Nothing else will work as good as cultivating a good student and then alumni fandom. Those alumni will draw their parents, cousins, friends, and next thing you know you are packing the house and need further expansion.

It's not that difficult. Its just lack of effort. Plain and simple. There should be a USG-Athletics committe of student and administrators with the sole purpose of fostering student following and spirit.

Forget about the suitcase campus... forget about the lack of parties. Those are secondary issues. The primary and sole issue remains lack of marketing and unified effort between the Athletics department and other areas of the University.

The only marketing you see on campus right now is "Home of the Stony Brook Seawolves" banners in every other light pole. What the heck does that do for it if the students don't feel it?

Heck. Make a student club of promoters...

Or you know what. Make it college-credit course MKT101 and make the final project: Draw 1000 students to every game. LOL


maybe just my guess... but i dont think we will get significant crowds via train.  which means if no students show up, you're sitting in traffic on nicholls.  the more attendance we get, the bigger those delays become.

the other option is to get students to games.  i argue that not all fans are equal.  there is something about the student attendee that makes the college football atmosphere.  it's the reason why pundits use the term "hostile atmosphere".

but we can't get students to games if they arent even on campus.  why arent they?  we arent addressing the real issue here.

PS since we're talking bona fides here, yes i was there with a homemade piece of wooden fence (from leftovers building lofts in the dorms) before there was even a LaValle Stadium.  ;D

Chairman. Even with the students that go home on weekends there are at the very least 3000-5000 students left on campus. Not everyone goes home. Trust me. Stony Brook is more residential now than ever. Especially with the new fancy student dorms and the other activities that students can enjoy on their spare time (like the Rec center). Walk past the Rec Center on game time and you see plenty of students exercising which is a good thing (but not on gametime. lol)
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Chairman of the Board

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yeah but with 3-5k students remaining on campus, now you've got to get nearly 100% of them to show up to a game to fill over ten thousand seats.

college football atmosphere starts with the students.  not a mid 30s single guy driving in from huntington and driving home post game.  that's not what ESPN Gameday looks for when seeking locations.
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ibosbu

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Learnt something new. Can’t give tickets to high schools per NCAA rules.

ry1nik

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VA_Seawolf

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A good discussion of FCS affiliation vs. FBS, and how staying at playoff-level FCS has its advantages.

http://www.richmond.com/sports/dukes-coach-mike-houston-sees-only-the-perfect-opportunity-drawing/article_bfb79fcf-42e6-57e7-bdc9-1519c24292f3.html

This season definitely made me take a closer look at FCS vs FBS and what that would actually look like. As mentioned, unless we're like WMU last year and go undefeated plus a couple losses by the AAC and MWC champ, we're not getting the access bowl that UCF got and instead would at best get the Go Daddy bowl or something like that vs the Sun Belt. The MAC is the only realistic league in the next 5-8 years for us and outside of Buffalo and whoever there is in the western division, there really isn't anybody who I'm excited to play.

This season with our playoff run (though short) showed the benefits of staying FCS. We're an attractive enough school that FBS conferences will want us no matter what as us and UC Davis are the only public AAU schools with football in the FCS. The rest are all FBS or don't have football.

Hammertime

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A good discussion of FCS affiliation vs. FBS, and how staying at playoff-level FCS has its advantages.

http://www.richmond.com/sports/dukes-coach-mike-houston-sees-only-the-perfect-opportunity-drawing/article_bfb79fcf-42e6-57e7-bdc9-1519c24292f3.html

This season definitely made me take a closer look at FCS vs FBS and what that would actually look like. As mentioned, unless we're like WMU last year and go undefeated plus a couple losses by the AAC and MWC champ, we're not getting the access bowl that UCF got and instead would at best get the Go Daddy bowl or something like that vs the Sun Belt. The MAC is the only realistic league in the next 5-8 years for us and outside of Buffalo and whoever there is in the western division, there really isn't anybody who I'm excited to play.

This season with our playoff run (though short) showed the benefits of staying FCS. We're an attractive enough school that FBS conferences will want us no matter what as us and UC Davis are the only public AAU schools with football in the FCS. The rest are all FBS or don't have football.

5 years ago I was dreaming FBS, no more..Lets try to win the CAA at least once and maybe beat a really bad FBS team before we even talk about that move up..  If coach P gets another long term contract you can kiss goodbye any chance of winning the CAA.. I believe he just doesnt have it to take this program to the next level, FBS..

This football team needs a extreme makeover with all new coaches, top to bottom. Delaware did it, JMU did it and SB can do it. If SB can bring in an assistant from a power 5 conference or even from a well known team, ie. Washington, Oregon, UCF.... , who wants to make a name for himself, this program would grow be leaps and bounds. Just pay the man $700,000 a year plus bonuses and watch the 3 star players from around the country come flocking to this school. look at this as an investment.  It might sound expensive now, and it is, but it will reward the university with more students wanting to come to SB for their education and with national recognition.. I read an article on the internet yesterday about how JMU attendance has increased recently because of all the publicity the university is getting from Football..
« Last Edit: January 08, 2018, 08:19:40 am by Hammertime »

Chairman of the Board

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im with hammer and 97 on this.  dont forget, we were one hail mary away (maine!) from being sweaty on selection day, and potentially left out of the FCS tournament.  not exactly a case for jumping to FBS. 

in other news.  an anecdote, but relevant to hammer's post.  my cousin's son at xmas, i asked where is he looking at colleges.  clemson.  not exactly a school that LIers flock to.  we all know why it's on his radar though.
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Hammertime

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im with hammer and 97 on this.  dont forget, we were one hail mary away (maine!) from being sweaty on selection day, and potentially left out of the FCS tournament.  not exactly a case for jumping to FBS. 

in other news.  an anecdote, but relevant to hammer's post.  my cousin's son at xmas, i asked where is he looking at colleges.  clemson.  not exactly a school that LIers flock to.  we all know why it's on his radar though.

Both of my boys play football. One varsity the other JV this year and want to apply to Clemson to further their education. God help me my wallet if they get in. $50,000 a year.. My niece graduated from Clemson and I have been there a few times, so have my boys. It is an amazing school.. Your cousin son, when he visits there , will be hooked and will want to attend.
« Last Edit: January 08, 2018, 10:10:27 am by Hammertime »

VA_Seawolf

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I agree with virtually everything you said Hammer, though I will say that moving up to a higher level of competition often has little to do with how good you are on the field. It's just as much a decision regarding academics as well as an institutional one on how much to emphasize athletics. Rutgers is in the Big Ten for crying out loud and if we played them this year, we'd probably have won (not even joking).

I want to see how well Coach P does this upcoming season. If we win 6 or 7 games, Heilbron will have to look at giving him an extension despite all the issues we've had winning games in the past. It's hard to justify letting go of your coach coming off of a 10 win season and Coach P knows that. Getting a big time coordinator would be a great get for SBU, though I'd have been in favor of giving Hemphill the job before he left for Wake. If Coach P doesn't get his contract extended, I think we might be able to get Lyle back here. If not him, then go in a totally different direction and get someone who will hopefully stir up some excitement for the program and recruits. Someone who has had some FCS success in the past. Mike Houston from JMU won at The Citadel and beat South Carolina before heading to JMU. Someone with a record like that, preferably with some roots in the northeast would be a great get.


ry1nik

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Some good read on the Vandals moving down to the FCS.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/jan/08/college-football-title-pits-rich-vs-richer-idaho-v/
Very good read. There's a general bias towards "grow it" and "bigger is better," but there's no way SBU will reach power conference status in football in the foreseeable future. I'm not convinced that playing at the lower FBS level does a school any better than having a consistent FCS playoff team...much more achievable and affordable.

Hammertime

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Some good read on the Vandals moving down to the FCS.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/jan/08/college-football-title-pits-rich-vs-richer-idaho-v/
Very good read. There's a general bias towards "grow it" and "bigger is better," but there's no way SBU will reach power conference status in football in the foreseeable future. I'm not convinced that playing at the lower FBS level does a school any better than having a consistent FCS playoff team...much more achievable and affordable.

I dont see SB going into the FBS anytime soon, never mind a power conference.

JMU is light years ahead of us in every athletic category, mainly football, and they still haven't gotten an invite from any respectable FBS conference. Even though their stadium meets NCAA div1 standards, and crowds each game...

sbufan

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We're a flagship university of New York. It's crazy that we're NOT playing power conference football. We're not Idaho or James Madison. We have something like a 100k alumni living in the New York Metro area. Stony Brook is an absolute sleeping giant in college athletics, and the goal needs to be a power 5 conference affiliation by 2040 (hopefully a lot sooner). If it's not, I'm not sure I would continue to support the department.

Hammertime

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We're a flagship university of New York. It's crazy that we're NOT playing power conference football. We're not Idaho or James Madison. We have something like a 100k alumni living in the New York Metro area. Stony Brook is an absolute sleeping giant in college athletics, and the goal needs to be a power 5 conference affiliation by 2040 (hopefully a lot sooner). If it's not, I'm not sure I would continue to support the department.
And how do you get 60,000 +fans to pack the stadium each and every game. We cant even get 5k to each gane!!

Long Island never was and never will be a college town. We are a pro sport community and people could care less about college on long island