Portal Season '24

[Chuck Norris]

I wonder how much longer he'll coach. He's older than he looks. I think he's in the back half of his 60s.

This is his 22nd year at Mercyhurst and he had several stops (including a 9-year stint) before arriving in Erie.

Can’t find anywhere that states his age but he graduated from Vermont in 85 which would put him in his early 60s provided he was a traditional college student. I would guess if he’s willing to start this process he’ll want to see it through for awhile.

[Chuck Norris]

One and done

That’s ok. It would still be an incredible moment for the university and the program.

[IUPalum]

That’s ok. It would still be an incredible moment for the university and the program.

Negative! The tournament takes one **** school from that conference bc they have to. They always get blown out! What’s so special about that crap?

[bballfan03]

Can’t find anywhere that states his age but he graduated from Vermont in 85 which would put him in his early 60s provided he was a traditional college student. I would guess if he’s willing to start this process he’ll want to see it through for awhile.

If we assume he was 18 when he graduated HS and 4 years in college would but him at 22.. my guess would be he's 60-61

[bballfan03]

If we assume he was 18 when he graduated HS and 4 years in college would but him at 22.. my guess would be he's 60-61

Nov 29, 1962. He'll be 62 this year

[bballfan03]

Negative! The tournament takes one **** school from that conference bc they have to. They always get blown out! What’s so special about that crap?

Hey you make it to the brackets once and it's huge for a school. Publicity for school and recruiting. Win a few games and you're infamous - FAU, Loyola, etc

[Chuck Norris]

Negative! The tournament takes one **** school from that conference bc they have to. They always get blown out! What’s so special about that crap?

Fairleigh Dickinson literally beat Purdue last year.

What would be special about making the NCAA Tournament for a school like Mercyhurst? Is that a serious question?

[IUPalum]

Fairleigh Dickinson literally beat Purdue last year.

What would be special about making the NCAA Tournament for a school like Mercyhurst? Is that a serious question?

You guys can dwell on beating the likes of Stonehill, LeMoyne and St Francis. I'll stick to playing tougher competition at the D2 level with chances at National titles. I'd be willing to bet none of those teams would schedule IUP.

[IUPHawks24]

You guys can dwell on beating the likes of Stonehill, LeMoyne and St Francis. I'll stick to playing tougher competition at the D2 level with chances at National titles. I'd be willing to bet none of those teams would schedule IUP.

Of course they wouldn’t. But when the Division II semifinals are being played at 3pm on a Thursday in front of 350 people in Evansville, and FDU is all over the national headlines because of the Purdue win, it’s not hard to see why schools are looking to move up.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Starting to get a little surprised some of the available Atlantic stars haven't signed yet.

As for the rest, they better find homes quickly. Recall last year nearly a third never found a new team.

This is when reality starts to set in for many. The grass isn't always greener. In fact, sometimes there is no new grass.

[Chuck Norris]

You guys can dwell on beating the likes of Stonehill, LeMoyne and St Francis. I'll stick to playing tougher competition at the D2 level with chances at National titles. I'd be willing to bet none of those teams would schedule IUP.

That’s all fine. I mostly feel the same way. But outside of this tiny bubble we live in, the D2 national champion is forgotten by the time the next D1 tournament game tips off later that day. Seeing your school’s name pop up on Selection Sunday for the first time is a huge moment. To pretend it isn’t is disingenuous.

[IUPalum]

Of course they wouldn’t. But when the Division II semifinals are being played at 3pm on a Thursday in front of 350 people in Evansville, and FDU is all over the national headlines because of the Purdue win, it’s not hard to see why schools are looking to move up.

One fluke win... no thanks!

[IUP24]

Of course they wouldn’t. But when the Division II semifinals are being played at 3pm on a Thursday in front of 350 people in Evansville, and FDU is all over the national headlines because of the Purdue win, it’s not hard to see why schools are looking to move up.

I'm with you on this. I think it is very unique to see the number of schools attempting to move up at an increasingly high rate. Now... I'm also of the mind that if everybody moves up, the allure of being D1 means less. But I will stop there on the subject. Everybody doing this shares the singular goal... Just get to the dance.

It needs no discussion regarding where D2 ranks in the eyes of the NCAA. D2 isn't where any money at all is at. It has a limited number of fans. And when it becomes a big stage, the NCAA has taken every opportunity to squash the simple hope of there actually being any bright lights. Elite 8 and Final 4 games that are at 3 pm. The entire tournament being a pay per view event. The football playoffs requiring a cost to view them. Absurd.

One fluke win... no thanks!

I don't think it's just one fluke win that's the conversation. Many of these universities believe just getting there is successful marketing. You can disagree with that all you want, but that's simply not the view shared by so many of these administrators, ADs, presidents, etc. We can argue about the validity of it, but that's just how they view it.

FDU maybe only had "one fluke win," but FAU was a 9 seed that I don't think ever won an NCAA Tournament game previously (I could be wrong) and they beat FDU and went on a run to the Final Four. I don't think it's about winning anything, as much as it is about just getting there and having that shot, having your name read on selection Sunday, etc. There's a valuation that these schools do for when Charles Barkley talks about them on TBS, when they show the cutaway to the watch party in the student union, etc.

I think a good example of this all is Florida Gulf Coast. They grew significantly after they made their run to the Sweet 16. How long that growth was sustained, I have no idea. But I remember reading back then about how they were turning down applicants because they had overbooked dorms, etc. Nobody knew they existed previously, but because of the NCAA Tournament, people learned they could go to school on the beach. Not a bad gig.

[IUP24]

Regarding the discussion of moving up to D1. I believe that we're seeing a seismic shift with how I will say MOST schools are going to eventually prioritize their athletic programs. We are soon reaching a day where 30 teams will be what makes up major college football. That day is coming extremely rapidly - sooner than many think. And I wonder what that does to the other 100 schools playing FBS football when that day eventually comes.

I think Beano Cook's belief that the Athletic Department is the front door to the university comment still holds true. But I think many schools are going to start shifting their emphasis into focusing on basketball. Football has always been the real money maker, but what is actually going to happen at 90% of FBS schools when their fans realize that the token few ADs in the B1G/SEC, along with their media partners, could not care less about the VAST majority of colleges/universities playing football around the country? Once you have it officially formalized that Ohio State and Alabama are playing a different "level" of football - officially - I tend to think that a large number of fans will become pretty apathetic in terms of their football interest at that point.

Which is why I think athletic departments - and fans alike - are going to start shifting more emphasis to basketball. It's far cheaper to heavily invest into a program with 13 scholarship players versus a program with 85. There's far more randomness in a sport in which 5 players are on the floor for each team. There's far more luck and flukiness involved in winning a tournament in which you are required to win 6-7 games. More teams can compete legitimately in basketball. Almost none can compete legitimately in football. Using local examples... Neither Pitt nor West Virginia can ever win a national championship in football based on the current landscape. But to say they can never make a legitimate run in the NCAA tournament for basketball.. I wouldn't say that at all.

I think a ton of these schools are just identifying that the real path for potential success athletically at that level - and to generate buzz for your school - is actually through basketball now, not football, which is why many are starting to move up. And schools like Mercyhurst or Le Moyne have different goals than others. I can argue (and I think this was IUPHawks24's point), that Mercyhurst pulling a big upset in the NCAA Tournament over Kentucky would move the needle significantly more than it ever would if they won a Division 2 national championship.

I understand IUPAlum's point regarding competing legitimately to win a national title at the D2 level (and I am mostly with him on that), but I'm just not sure the decision makers at many of these schools see it that way.

[IUPHawks24]

Regarding the discussion of moving up to D1. I believe that we're seeing a seismic shift with how I will say MOST schools are going to eventually prioritize their athletic programs. We are soon reaching a day where 30 teams will be what makes up major college football. That day is coming extremely rapidly - sooner than many think. And I wonder what that does to the other 100 schools playing FBS football when that day eventually comes.

I think Beano Cook's belief that the Athletic Department is the front door to the university comment still holds true. But I think many schools are going to start shifting their emphasis into focusing on basketball. Football has always been the real money maker, but what is actually going to happen at 90% of FBS schools when their fans realize that the token few ADs in the B1G/SEC, along with their media partners, could not care less about the VAST majority of colleges/universities playing football around the country? Once you have it officially formalized that Ohio State and Alabama are playing a different "level" of football - officially - I tend to think that a large number of fans will become pretty apathetic in terms of their football interest at that point.

Which is why I think athletic departments - and fans alike - are going to start shifting more emphasis to basketball. It's far cheaper to heavily invest into a program with 13 scholarship players versus a program with 85. There's far more randomness in a sport in which 5 players are on the floor for each team. There's far more luck and flukiness involved in winning a tournament in which you are required to win 6-7 games. More teams can compete legitimately in basketball. Almost none can compete legitimately in football. Using local examples... Neither Pitt nor West Virginia can ever win a national championship in football based on the current landscape. But to say they can never make a legitimate run in the NCAA tournament for basketball.. I wouldn't say that at all.

I think a ton of these schools are just identifying that the real path for potential success athletically at that level - and to generate buzz for your school - is actually through basketball now, not football, which is why many are starting to move up. And schools like Mercyhurst or Le Moyne have different goals than others. I can argue (and I think this was IUPHawks24's point), that Mercyhurst pulling a big upset in the NCAA Tournament over Kentucky would move the needle significantly more than it ever would if they won a Division 2 national championship.

I understand IUPAlum's point regarding competing legitimately to win a national title at the D2 level (and I am mostly with him on that), but I'm just not sure the decision makers at many of these schools see it that way.

Athletics is marketing for the university. For Division I schools, getting to the NCAA Tournament is a way to effectively market the university. Playing guarantee games for a $100,000 check is marketing the university. Case in point- what is better marketing for Oakland- being a perennial power in Division II? Or upsetting Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament?

From what I understand, IUP doesn’t have the resources to commit to Division I. But you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think the marketing reach of IUP Athletics would be vastly different in low Division I versus high Division II. Now, is it worth the financial investment required? Would it help enrollment? I don’t know that to be the case, but I can see why in an ever changing higher education landscape, schools are willing to roll the dice. There’s an investment necessary to be a high level Division II program, and without the financial windfall and ancillary benefits even being a low Division I school provides, it’s hard to justify that type of investment.