Dixon Trophy Standings after Winter Sports

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Dixon Trophy Standings after Winter Sports

Those sound like excuses to me!

I don't know why the IUP crowd gets concerned with these rankings. The athletic program at IUP has publicly stated the three 'revenue' sports get all the funding -- or, a dramatic percentage of it.

A baseball player here told me last year that the men's basketball team has nicer practice uniforms than their game uniforms.

Minus the Big 3 sports, almost every team here stunk this year. Baseball and softball are off to their normal abysmal starts. I don't even know why they have a baseball program here. Even the all-Euro women's tennis team is having a .500 year after their big run last season.

Volleyball won the PSAC last year but went in to a total rebuild.

Football had a well-documented dud of a season at 8-3. Both basketball teams won the PSAC.

I've said for years all you have to do here to see the pecking order is visit some coaches' offices. Joe Lombardi has a presidential suite inside arguably the best basketball facility in all of D2. The soccer coach gets an old broom closet in the Field House (internet pending).

It's a decision the athletic department here has made and, unfortunately, the small sports pay the price. They field teams and keep kids coming here to play (enrollment). That's about all. Every once in a while one of the small sports has a good season.

It definitely adds pressure to the big three sports. They get a lot of money -- and they best win.

[Horror Child]

Re: Dixon Trophy Standings after Winter Sports

more costly to run sports like foosball, basketball, baseball and softball is highly bogus. There are too many track categories too.

IUP usually gets hosed but this year most of our ladies did not show up outside of basketball. IUP has already won 2 of the 3 biggest PSAC titles so far in sweeping basketball. IUP emphasizes the more costly sports so in my book that makes our sports program better than a school that takes the cheap easy route and wins badminton, hide n seek and tag and gets a higher ranking for this bogus trophy.

Football, baseball, and softball have larger rosters and more equipment, but what makes basketball more costly to run?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Dixon Trophy Standings after Winter Sports

Football, baseball, and softball have larger rosters and more equipment, but what makes basketball more costly to run?

His question can only be answered from an IUP view in this instance and that's simple: Both basketball programs are fully funded. Of course, that money doesn't come from IUP but rather its large amount of corporate and private boosters. They run both basketball programs like mid-majors. They don't eat at Subway after games ... put it that way. They get hotels the night before longer road trips, etc. All that stuff takes lots of money. The basketball players at IUP -- men and women -- are very coddled compared to other sports. Joe Lombardi has a bigger support staff than I think Tort does.

I think IUP gives about 1 baseball scholarship divided by 30 guys. He wasn't mentioning football as that is a 'revenue' sport.

[IUPalum]

Re: Dixon Trophy Standings after Winter Sports

Waste of a trophy... nobody cares!

[Fightingscot82]

Re: Dixon Trophy Standings after Winter Sports

Waste of a trophy... nobody cares!

They wouldn't do it if people didn't care.

[IUPNation]

Dixon Trophy Standings after Winter Sports

Football, baseball, and softball have larger rosters and more equipment, but what makes basketball more costly to run?

You are probably giving more Schollie money to a basketball player than say a kid on track and field. At least I would imagine that is how IUP does it.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: Dixon Trophy Standings after Winter Sports

You are probably giving more Schollie money to a basketball player than say a kid on track and field. At least I would imagine that is how IUP does it.

Yes because IUP puts 86% of its scholarship dollars in football and mens/womens basketball. $1.12 million versus $186k for all other sports.

[IUPNation]

Yes because IUP puts 86% of its scholarship dollars in football and mens/womens basketball. $1.12 million versus $186k for all other sports.

Because those three teams will be on Channel 4 news if they are making national runs.

An IUP Table Tennis team winning a national title might only get a blurb in the Indiana Gazette and totally ignored by the Yinzerburgh media.

[IUPNation]

[Fightingscot82]

Re: Dixon Trophy Standings after Winter Sports

Interesting stat: IUP men's golf has won quite a bit in spite of receiving just $8,200 in scholarship money.

[IUPNation]

[iupgroundhog]

Re: Dixon Trophy Standings after Winter Sports

They wouldn't do it if people didn't care.

I care. That's why I posted it. Of course, we have this conversation a couple times every year. Seeing many of the comments, I guess it comes down to either you have an appreciation for a well-rounded athletics program or you don't. Or, maybe since (let's face it) this board is 50% or more IUP it's just a little bit of IUP-centrism since we never seem to do well in the Dixon standings.

Personally, I think it's really impressive that WCU has won 6 championships through the fall and winter seasons. I can sit and watch college teams compete in virtually all of these sports. It's great competition. It's student-athletes. Like I said either you appreciate it or you don't. Requiring a lot of money to run doesn't make a program good. And at this level they aren't really "revenue" sports they just require more money.

Maybe it's just what you've been exposed to. As a youth growing up in Lock Haven I always went to a wide range of athletic events at Lock Haven and Penn State. I remember the first event I went to when I was about 7 was a synchronized swimming show that my swimming instructor was in at LH (ok, so I was pretty bored at that one but my mom liked it). When I was 8 my friends' dad took us to see Penn State Men's gymnastics. Back then men's gymnasitcs was a much bigger sport on the college level and PSU was at the top of the college rankings. Went to many LH and PSU wrestling matches as a youngster. Used to go to LHU men's soccer in the late 70's when they were at the top of D2.


So, I see it as a consciousness. It doesn't exist or isn't real strong at some of the PSAC schools (IUP?) but I don't see that as a reason to denigrate it.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: Dixon Trophy Standings after Winter Sports

I wonder if the programs were weighted by roster size (similar to Title IX) what the results would be.

As I showed, IUP puts its money in its revenue generating sports and I agree with that strategy. To my knowledge there aren't a lot of public complaints from the other coaches fighting for the scraps.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Dixon Trophy Standings after Winter Sports

Interesting stat: IUP men's golf has won quite a bit in spite of receiving just $8,200 in scholarship money.

I'll stereotype golfers and assume most come from well to do families so the scholarship money likely doesn't mean much. Not all. But, many.

[iupgroundhog]

Re: Dixon Trophy Standings after Winter Sports

I wonder if the programs were weighted by roster size (similar to Title IX) what the results would be.

I think this year WCU would still be at the top. For 2018-19, they are the dominant program all-around.