Cal at IUP

[Fightingscot82]

The '02 game may have been the game Cal came in with star RB Wesley Cates (who I think was leading the country in rushing). IUP blasted them (and him).

Cates marked the beginning of the change. The tide turned in 05 with Ruggerio and Bagwell.

[Ship69]

The '80s were when IUP really became a contender in the PSAC. Up until then they had usually had above average teams, but didn't make all the many appearances in the State Game.

[iupgroundhog]

The '80s were when IUP really became a contender in the PSAC. Up until then they had usually had above average teams, but didn't make all the many appearances in the State Game.

Actually, IUP's resurgence after 1982 was a revival of the earlier heydays of the program. IUP was really good from around 1960-1974, highlighted by the 1968 Boardwalk Bowl against Delaware. They were seriously considering going big time in football in the late 60's (incidentally, West Chester had gone D1 at that time, as well.).

I guess when they decided in the early 70's that big time sports was not the way to go for them, the program plummeted to mediocrity.

In the early 80's, Frank Cignetti became the AD at IUP and the resurgence was on.

[Ship69]

Actually, IUP's resurgence after 1982 was a revival of the earlier heydays of the program. IUP was really good from around 1960-1974, highlighted by the 1968 Boardwalk Bowl against Delaware. They were seriously considering going big time in football in the late 60's (incidentally, West Chester had gone D1 at that time, as well.).

I guess when they decided in the early 70's that big time sports was not the way to go for them, the program plummeted to mediocrity.

In the early 80's, Frank Cignetti became the AD at IUP and the resurgence was on.

Oh, they had some good teams, but other than a couple of appearances in the mid-'60s were generally absent from the state championship game. Hard as it is to believe now, Clarion was actually one of the dominant teams from the mid-'60s into the early '80s. Certainly the most unusual championship pairing during that period came in 1979, when Lock Haven played Cheyney.

[IUPNation]

The '02 game may have been the game Cal came in with star RB Wesley Cates (who I think was leading the country in rushing). IUP blasted them (and him).

[IUPNation]

Oh, they had some good teams, but other than a couple of appearances in the mid-'60s were generally absent from the state championship game. Hard as it is to believe now, Clarion was actually one of the dominant teams from the mid-'60s into the early '80s. Certainly the most unusual championship pairing during that period came in 1979, when Lock Haven played Cheyney.

[iupgroundhog]

Oh, they had some good teams, but other than a couple of appearances in the mid-'60s were generally absent from the state championship game. Hard as it is to believe now, Clarion was actually one of the dominant teams from the mid-'60s into the early '80s. Certainly the most unusual championship pairing during that period came in 1979, when Lock Haven played Cheyney.

That doesn't really represent IUP's football history. IUP did win the state championship in '64 and '65. Then, from 1966-1973 IUP was not a part of the league. They competed as an independent. West Chester wasn't in the PSAC, either, and was actually part of the East Coast Conference during that time. When IUP returned to the PSAC there was a de-emphasis and IUP didn't win the PSAC championship until 1986. Then again in 1987. After that, there was no state championship game from (don't quote me) 1988-2012. Had there been a state championship game from 1988 to 2012 it isn't a stretch to say IUP would have won most of them.

[CALUPA69]

That doesn't really represent IUP's football history. IUP did win the state championship in '64 and '65. Then, from 1966-1973 IUP was not a part of the league. They competed as an independent. West Chester wasn't in the PSAC, either, and was actually part of the East Coast Conference during that time. When IUP returned to the PSAC there was a de-emphasis and IUP didn't win the PSAC championship until 1986. Then again in 1987. After that, there was no state championship game from (don't quote me) 1988-2012. Had there been a state championship game from 1988 to 2012 it isn't a stretch to say IUP would have won most of them.

Actually '88- '07 but point made since IUP won 7 and shared 6 West Division championships in those 20 years.

[Matt Burglund]

Had there been a state championship game from 1988 to 2012 it isn't a stretch to say IUP would have won most of them.

Actually '88- '07 but point made since IUP won 7 and shared 6 West Division championships in those 20 years.

It says a lot about the state of the PSAC that from 1985 to 2005, IUP went 112-13-1 in the PSAC West. I'm not sure that level of success will ever be matched.

Also, Frank went 46-3-1 in the West (190-52-1 overall) during his first 10 seasons (1985-95). Imagine a team today losing only three divisional games in 10 seasons. I mean, in Cal's heyday, (2005-14), they lost 12 divisional games.

[Ram040506]

It says a lot about the state of the PSAC that from 1985 to 2005, IUP went 112-13-1 in the PSAC West. I'm not sure that level of success will ever be matched.

Also, Frank went 46-3-1 in the West (190-52-1 overall) during his first 10 seasons (1985-95). Imagine a team today losing only three divisional games in 10 seasons. I mean, in Cal's heyday, (2005-14), they lost 12 divisional games.

Monte Cater at Shepherd (1987-2017) went 189-44-1 against the WVIAC/MEC over 31 seasons. 16 conference titles. From 2004-2017 conference record was 104-15 (take out 08-09 and the record is 96-7).

That is an incredible run in the first 10 seasons for Cignetti. Was the conference structured similarly to today or was IUP just essentially the big fish in the small pond and nobody could really compete? (thus the IUP rule I've heard about somewhere around the turn of the century?)

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Monte Cater at Shepherd (1987-2017) went 189-44-1 against the WVIAC/MEC over 31 seasons. 16 conference titles. From 2004-2017 conference record was 104-15 (take out 08-09 and the record is 96-7).

That is an incredible run in the first 10 seasons for Cignetti. Was the conference structured similarly to today or was IUP just essentially the big fish in the small pond and nobody could really compete? (thus the IUP rule I've heard about somewhere around the turn of the century?)

Frank set the bar for fundraising. Big money.

Big money bought big players.

And, que the infamous IUP Rule.

[Fightingscot82]

Monte Cater at Shepherd (1987-2017) went 189-44-1 against the WVIAC/MEC over 31 seasons. 16 conference titles. From 2004-2017 conference record was 104-15 (take out 08-09 and the record is 96-7).

That is an incredible run in the first 10 seasons for Cignetti. Was the conference structured similarly to today or was IUP just essentially the big fish in the small pond and nobody could really compete? (thus the IUP rule I've heard about somewhere around the turn of the century?)

Big fish. IUP was 2-3x the size of most of the other schools at the time. Like IUPbigINDIANS said, he was the first to harness big time fundraising. He absolutely saw how a network of working-class communities can rally around a football team while he was at WVU and built something like that at IUP.

Sad part for me is that I've seen where Edinboro had the equivalent of 25-30 scholarships during this time only to lose some when wrestling went D1 and fundraising stalled while tuition only went up.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Big fish. IUP was 2-3x the size of most of the other schools at the time. Like IUPbigINDIANS said, he was the first to harness big time fundraising. He absolutely saw how a network of working-class communities can rally around a football team while he was at WVU and built something like that at IUP.

Sad part for me is that I've seen where Edinboro had the equivalent of 25-30 scholarships during this time only to lose some when wrestling went D1 and fundraising stalled while tuition only went up.

Frank's teams weren't all choir boys, either. LOL.

During my time at IUP the football program at times resembled a (then) Big East roster -- layered with players from Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, WVU, etc.

[Matt Burglund]

That is an incredible run in the first 10 seasons for Cignetti. Was the conference structured similarly to today or was IUP just essentially the big fish in the small pond and nobody could really compete? (thus the IUP rule I've heard about somewhere around the turn of the century?)

Big fish. IUP was 2-3x the size of most of the other schools at the time. Like IUPbigINDIANS said, he was the first to harness big time fundraising. He absolutely saw how a network of working-class communities can rally around a football team while he was at WVU and built something like that at IUP.

FS82 is right. Frank had a vision of building a national program, while the rest of the PSAC played Small College Football and pointed to the league title as the ultimate prize. Eventually, IUP's success got to be an issue and the league board of directors (school presidents) instituted the so-called IUP rule, reducing the scholarship max to 25 (although it should be noted IUP was never fully-funded and the high-water mark was around 29 in 1993). Frank combatted this by filling holes with D1 transfers, which also rubbed a lot of other coaches the wrong way. The "IUP rule" was lifted when Gannon and Mercyhurst joined the league in 2008.

[Fightingscot82]

Frank's teams weren't all choir boys, either. LOL.

During my time at IUP the football program at times resembled a (then) Big East roster -- layered with players from Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, WVU, etc.

Back then FBS transfers were homesick kids or troublemakers kicked off their previous team.