Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Top Stadiums List

Collapse

Support The Site!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Top Stadiums List

    Of no surprise, the PSAC had none in the Top 10 of this sites ranking. Some of those were pretty insane for the D2 level. Very nice.

    Ours, unfortunately, have fallen way, way behind. Obviously, in the current state of our schools, updating football stadiums is probably so far down the list that it's actually off the list.

    League-wide, I'm not sure we have a stadium that is nicer than many in the upper-tier of the WPIAL (Pine-Richland, Upper Saint Clair, North Allegheny, etc.). Shepherd, my opinion, is far and away the nicest stadium in the PSAC. Had that list gone Top 20, Rams Stadium probably makes it.

    Does it matter? That's up for debate, I suppose. Facilities go an awful long way in recruiting today's kids. Many visit our schools' facilities and they are a downgrade from what they have in high school. Most kids have never heard of D2 schools to begin with and when the recruiting process begins the first thing they do is look online at the stadiums, etc.

    IUP certainly has a bottom-half stadium and very out-dated football facilities (lockers, weight room, etc.). Intangibles have kept IUP winning over the years -- money, big campus, etc. With the exception of 2017, IUP Football hasn't been a legit national-level player in a very long time. Same with Slippery Rock.

    I'm not talking about recruiting a good WPIAL class but to attract the truly top transfer recruits, etc., ... having top-notch facilities goes a real long way. Joe Lombardi's basketball program is Exhibit A.

    Then again, I'm not sure it's really the goal of many in the PSAC to be a national-level football program. A few, sure, but most seem to like having a team and whatever happens ... happens.

  • #2
    There are still big plans with expanding Rams Stadium even more so with replacing the visitors stands. I'm sure they are on the way way back burner at this point considering what's happened. There was a plan for a athletic performance facility a year or so ago they started funding for as well, that I think said had a 50 yard indoor field in it. Chauncey really wants Shepherd to be the premier program in the Region and has backed that up with facility improvements across the whole program. Hopefully they can keep it up.

    Comment


    • #3
      Unfortunately I can't see any PSAC schools stadiums landing on the top 20 of D2 stadiums. Our best stadium when including views/seating capacity/atmosphere would have to be Rock, followed by Shepherd, Bloom, Cal, Ship and Millersville.

      Comment


      • #4
        If we're talking facilities, I think you just have to be better than a high school stadium or at least have it look better than a high school stadium. That's where ours tend to go off the mark. I counted three that had a track around the field - it doesn't seem to hurt Valdosta or those MIAA teams. RMU has a one-sided stadium but it has an impressive club level with team offices and a luxury box. It is noticeably small but its as nice if not nicer than most high school facilities. Its good enough to get them mid to upper tier WPIAL commits and FBS transfers every year.

        I don't think the PSAC schools have the capacity - internally and with donor support - to be a national level football program and they know it. IUP was able to in a different era but got close a few years ago. Cal flirted with it but it was proven to be only the will of the former president. We won't see support for the financial resources needed to have the facilities, the scholarship dollars, or the annual spending needed. I think every school would love to see it happen but they know its not in the cards.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post
          If we're talking facilities, I think you just have to be better than a high school stadium or at least have it look better than a high school stadium. That's where ours tend to go off the mark. I counted three that had a track around the field - it doesn't seem to hurt Valdosta or those MIAA teams. RMU has a one-sided stadium but it has an impressive club level with team offices and a luxury box. It is noticeably small but its as nice if not nicer than most high school facilities. Its good enough to get them mid to upper tier WPIAL commits and FBS transfers every year.

          I don't think the PSAC schools have the capacity - internally and with donor support - to be a national level football program and they know it. IUP was able to in a different era but got close a few years ago. Cal flirted with it but it was proven to be only the will of the former president. We won't see support for the financial resources needed to have the facilities, the scholarship dollars, or the annual spending needed. I think every school would love to see it happen but they know its not in the cards.

          It would take a 'build up' for a PSAC team to have a legit shot to ever win a National Title. The 2017 IUP team had a tremendous senior class and then added the final piece in Max Redfield. Does Max make the difference had he played in the Final Four game? Maybe. I still think losing him the week before was such a mental blow to the team and it really showed in the first half against West Florida.

          This past SRU team sure looked great all season until they ran in to an out-of-region team. The result was ugly. Shepherd got to the final several years ago (albeit not as a PSAC team). But, the Rams are here now.

          So, I do think it's possible, with the right build up, to have one of our teams make a serious run on a given year. But, as you said, the infrastructure to do it year after year isn't there.

          When you look at the 2017 IUP team or the 2019 SRU team, they both had incredible depth to go along with many stars. I often think our top teams' first 22 guys could play anywhere. It's those next 22 guys who drop our programs a notch below the elite teams of D2.

          Men's and Women's basketball is a different story. The PSAC is a very strong basketball conference -- a couple national-level programs and numerous very strong teams. The California ladies have won two national titles. IUP men have played in the final game twice in the past decade (and may have won the whole thing last year minus Covid). The IUP ladies have been to the Final Four in two of the past three years.

          Football is just a different animal. You need money -- and a ton of it.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post


            It would take a 'build up' for a PSAC team to have a legit shot to ever win a National Title. The 2017 IUP team had a tremendous senior class and then added the final piece in Max Redfield. Does Max make the difference had he played in the Final Four game? Maybe. I still think losing him the week before was such a mental blow to the team and it really showed in the first half against West Florida.

            This past SRU team sure looked great all season until they ran in to an out-of-region team. The result was ugly. Shepherd got to the final several years ago (albeit not as a PSAC team). But, the Rams are here now.

            So, I do think it's possible, with the right build up, to have one of our teams make a serious run on a given year. But, as you said, the infrastructure to do it year after year isn't there.

            When you look at the 2017 IUP team or the 2019 SRU team, they both had incredible depth to go along with many stars. I often think our top teams' first 22 guys could play anywhere. It's those next 22 guys who drop our programs a notch below the elite teams of D2.

            Men's and Women's basketball is a different story. The PSAC is a very strong basketball conference -- a couple national-level programs and numerous very strong teams. The California ladies have won two national titles. IUP men have played in the final game twice in the past decade (and may have won the whole thing last year minus Covid). The IUP ladies have been to the Final Four in two of the past three years.

            Football is just a different animal. You need money -- and a ton of it.
            I think its possible. If anyone could do it, its West Chester or IUP. They're surrounded by economies unlike anyone else in the conference. If First Commonwealth had an IUP alum and football fan, that might be enough. It takes an infusion of cash and a regional leader to legitimize the program in the murky middle between Pitt and Penn State. Gannon & Mercyhurst are in Erie but the Erie corporate economy doesn't have leadership beyond Erie Insurance.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post

              I think its possible. If anyone could do it, its West Chester or IUP. They're surrounded by economies unlike anyone else in the conference. If First Commonwealth had an IUP alum and football fan, that might be enough. It takes an infusion of cash and a regional leader to legitimize the program in the murky middle between Pitt and Penn State. Gannon & Mercyhurst are in Erie but the Erie corporate economy doesn't have leadership beyond Erie Insurance.
              I wouldn't rule out SRU. The one thing they have done phenomenally is raise money. Unlike IUP and WCU, SRU doesn't seem to give a rats a$$ about basketball (and it shows). They are attracting top-level football transfers (total opposite of the biblical Dr. Evil approach). They have become an event on campus and have an incredible following. Now, it could be they currently have a cycle of high-level individual donors. I'm not sure what their corporate-level donor money looks like.

              As for Indiana, I agree the football program should target First Commonwealth hard. Joe seems to have S&T in his pocket.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post

                I wouldn't rule out SRU. The one thing they have done phenomenally is raise money. Unlike IUP and WCU, SRU doesn't seem to give a rats a$$ about basketball (and it shows). They are attracting top-level football transfers (total opposite of the biblical Dr. Evil approach). They have become an event on campus and have an incredible following. Now, it could be they currently have a cycle of high-level individual donors. I'm not sure what their corporate-level donor money looks like.

                As for Indiana, I agree the football program should target First Commonwealth hard. Joe seems to have S&T in his pocket.
                I don't know any specifics, but looking at their last several announcements it seems like their big gifts have come from football alumni. The new weight room, the video board, etc. came from football alumni. Fusco hasn't played since 2018 and I've heard rumors that his relationship with Lutz is rocky. Slippery Rock has very little around it economically and even so they compete with Grove City & Westminster for community support. New Castle is YSU territory. Unless it comes from an influential alumni executive, I can't see Pittsburgh corporate supporting SRU.

                Comment


                • #9
                  At the risk of turning back to the original line of the thread ... ;) ... I've been to almost every PSAC stadium, and as far as eye appeal, it's clearly 1) Shepherd and 2) Bloomsburg to me.

                  First time I went to Shepherd, I thought the view coming off the iron bridge and looking down to the sunken playing field was pretty awesome. Still do.

                  Shippensburg is not very imaginative (although improving with the good-looking weight room behind one corner). I'd have preferred they install permanent structure behind home plate at Fairchild Field before they do anything to Seth Grove. But they are installing what should be a state-of-the-art locker-room/office area behind the home stands.

                  Soft honorable mention is Millersville, only because the Sugar Bowl is across the street from the main gate.

                  Comment


                  • #10

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      MFH is tricky. It's dedicated to war vets.

                      It does need spruced up ... it's an eyesore now.

                      You're right the gym is huge and could be converted. With the bleachers in they have three full courts in width.

                      That said all the non-revenue coaches have their closets in there (offices). Tort gets that whole field-side corner.

                      Tom and Joe have their presidential suite offices over at the KCAC.

                      The last project rumor was a tunnel from the lockerroom into Miller. But it had to go through massive fundraising.

                      If I had the spare money I'd pay for that dang new fencing. That prison chainlink is awful.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        There has been talk and speculation that East Stroudsburg will be building a brand new stadium in the very near future. Will it happen with this virus and our president retiring (she was a big athletic supporter and revamped many buildings/locker rooms on campus), who knows. The original plan was set to built where Eiler-Martin currently is. It was to be knocked down, and the project was to basically build a brand new one.

                        There is actually a fundraising campaign to build a brand new locker room that is supposed to be top notch. It should be ready for next "fall" season. Will these be considered top in D-2? Highly unlikely, but it will improve them tremendously amongst the PSAC.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Let's face it -- none of it's Grand Valley State.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by jrshooter View Post
                            Let's face it -- none of it's Grand Valley State.

                            Check out Pittsburg State. Crazy.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              For those of you who bag on The Cig being "so bad"....there are other schools out there who have it far worse.

                              Comment

                              Ad3

                              Collapse
                              Working...
                              X