THE IUP Football Thread

[Fightingscot82]

I think they teach IUP hate at SRU freshmen orientation. I never got the same sense from IUP students. Perhaps mostly because they don't care.

It's big among the athletes. In my era it was a game most looked forward to watching but it wasn't like it's perceived to be now. Of course, Frank owned Dr. Evil record-wise.

When IUP takes the field at SRU, it's (by D2 standards) a thunderous amount of booing and F IUP chants. When SRU comes out at Miller ... it's the same as Clarion coming out at Miller.

It's heated on here among IUP fans but I don't see it many other places.

I don't understand what's different at SRU but the students and alumni do seem to show up more than the other schools. I don't sense any hate directed at IUP outside of social media (student section & barstool accounts). Honestly, the week leading up to the IUP game was like any other week.

When I was at Edinboro, it was a little more fun to talk trash at IUP. Maybe like poking the bear? McComb would give Gary Edwards so much crap. I was at the first game with Tepper vs Edinboro and I'd describe it as a Bronx cheer (understandably so).

[IUPbigINDIANS]

You’ve stated it well, I think. The best way I can describe it to people is that Slippery Rock hated IUP and IUP didn’t care. That made Slippery Rock hate IUP even more.

I’ve heard stories of certain SRU coaches refusing to say the letters “I, U and P” and instead use some variation of the old Woody Hayes line, “that school down south.” The SRU paper has more than once over the years, I believe, called it the D2 version of Michigan-Ohio State. Hell, in most cases, Slippery Rock calls IUP “Indiana” just because.

But for all those years Frank had things humming, IUP never picked anyone as a rival.

I remember when Lou Tepper was hired at IUP. He said that at Edinboro, they used part of every spring practice to prepare for IUP that fall. The reasoning was that nobody could truly call themselves the best of the PSAC West unless you beat IUP. He called it their “Red-letter game.”

Well, I don't think you really get to 'pick' your rival. It kind of happens naturally. And, they don't all last forever.

I think back to the 90s when IUP and Cal had wars on the basketball court. They were both incredible programs. They both knew it. Both had eccentric coaches. The KCAC is grand and IUP is rocking and rolling, but the basketball games of that era are still my favorite. When Cal came to town in that era you couldn't move in the Memorial Field House. It was the same down there at Hamer Hall. Gary Edwards was hated down there. Bill Brown was hated here. It was the same in the years prior with Kurt Kanaskie and Jim Boone.

The KCAC gets larger crowds today, but comes nowhere close to the noise and atmosphere those games generated. But, when Angelo took over down there and shifted all the money to football, Cal's basketball program quickly became very mediocre. It's on the rise again after nearly 20 years of being average. The heated rivalry died as IUP dominated the series. It's kind of on its way back but the large following Cal once had down there is long gone. Maybe they can get it back.

These days, Mercyhurst is the big basketball rivalry.

I'd say, modern time, SRU and Cal are certainly the football rivalries. That said, I think most IUP fans think that more because they are just always in the way of IUP's chase to a division title. I don't think most 'hate' them the way IUP/Cal was back in the basketball days. They're just big games to the average IUP fan. Both equal in my mind. You get a sense of hatred on this board, sure, but there's so few of us on here -- and even fewer IUP fans who read this crap. I mean, Mercyhurst and SRU both had about the same gate at Miller Stadium this year.

Sure, there have been instances to draw hate between IUP and SRU. The 1999 Homecoming game. The 1999 Rock Dance. The 2000 Rock Dance Part 2 (sequels are never as good). But, that stuff was a long, long time ago.

[Matt Burglund]

Well, I don't think you really get to 'pick' your rival.

Sure you do. But it takes two to tango. When one side says "you're our rival" and the other one says "meh" it's more of a spat than a rivalry.

Exhibit A: The Civil Con FLiCT

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Sure you do. But it takes two to tango. When one side says "you're our rival" and the other one says "meh" it's more of a spat than a rivalry.

Exhibit A: The Civil Con FLiCT

Reminds me of when Penn State joined the Big 10 and wanted to form a rivalry with Minnesota and Michigan State. I don't think anybody bought in to it.

I suppose definitions of rivalries vary.

[iupgroundhog]

You’ve stated it well, I think. The best way I can describe it to people is that Slippery Rock hated IUP and IUP didn’t care. That made Slippery Rock hate IUP even more.

I’ve heard stories of certain SRU coaches refusing to say the letters “I, U and P” and instead use some variation of the old Woody Hayes line, “that school down south.” The SRU paper has more than once over the years, I believe, called it the D2 version of Michigan-Ohio State. Hell, in most cases, Slippery Rock calls IUP “Indiana” just because.

But for all those years Frank had things humming, IUP never picked anyone as a rival.

I remember when Lou Tepper was hired at IUP. He said that at Edinboro, they used part of every spring practice to prepare for IUP that fall. The reasoning was that nobody could truly call themselves the best of the PSAC West unless you beat IUP. He called it their “Red-letter game.”

There are traditional rivalries that are institutionalized (as described by FightingScot82) such as the Lehigh/Lafayette game, Army/Navy, etc. I think you could put The Coal Bowl in that category. There is something with a history that is on the line.

Rivalries all have to do with creating excitement and the pregame build-up. Back in the Cignetti late 80's and 90's, what was exciting was IUP going outside of the PSAC and playing against strong programs from other regions - his vision was more of a national D2 competitive level (regionalization of D2 made that obsolete, anyway). In those years, our rivals were schools like GVSU, SVSU, Towson, and New Haven. If you remember those series, it was a little more exciting than playing the SHU's of the world.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

There are traditional rivalries that are institutionalized (as described by FightingScot82) such as the Lehigh/Lafayette game, Army/Navy, etc. I think you could put The Coal Bowl in that category. There is something with a history that is on the line.

Rivalries all have to do with creating excitement and the pregame build-up. Back in the Cignetti late 80's and 90's, what was exciting was IUP going outside of the PSAC and playing against strong programs from other regions - his vision was more of a national D2 competitive level (regionalization of D2 made that obsolete, anyway). In those years, our rivals were schools like GVSU, SVSU, Towson, and New Haven. If you remember those series, it was a little more exciting than playing the SHU's of the world.

Those games were cool for the actual football fans. I remember when IUP played Catawba (when they were a power) and also Ferris State ... and 98% of campus and fans basically said "who the F are these guys" as they'd never heard of them. So, to many it was just another game on another Saturday.

[Matt Burglund]

98% of campus and fans basically said "who the F are these guys" as they'd never heard of them.

That's the existential crisis of Division II sports.

[IUPNation]

Sure you do. But it takes two to tango. When one side says "you're our rival" and the other one says "meh" it's more of a spat than a rivalry.

Exhibit A: The Civil Con FLiCT

It’s the same in the NFL.

Eagles fans will say the Cowturds are our biggest rival. Cowturds “fans” say otherwise.

Yet the Eagles have beaten the Turds more times than any other team in the NFL. So for them to say we aren’t their rival is kind of cute. Oh Yeah…Dallas sucks!

[Ship69]

Reminds me of when Penn State joined the Big 10 and wanted to form a rivalry with Minnesota and Michigan State. I don't think anybody bought in to it.

I suppose definitions of rivalries vary.

There was some attempt to promote the rivalry with Michigan State as two of the original land grant colleges — Minnesota not so much. Obviously the B1G rival that makes the most sense is Ohio State, a powerful program in a neighboring state, but Ohio State already had Michigan as a chief football rival. And Penn State hasn't done enough to emerge as the chief football rival to Ohio State. Maryland and Rutgers would be natural football rivals for PSU, but their football programs haven't been strong enough. Former Maryland and NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason hit the nail on the head years ago when he said you have to beat a team once in a while for them to consider you a rival. I think Maryland had won something like one of 35 games against Penn State at that point.

[EyeoftheHawk]

Reminds me of when Penn State joined the Big 10 and wanted to form a rivalry with Minnesota and Michigan State. I don't think anybody bought in to it.

I suppose definitions of rivalries vary.

Maryland would really like to have a rivalry with Penn State and it might be gaining some traction, but the Terps are going to have to be more of a threat in the bigger picture. Of course, Penn State is at best second but more often third or even fourth in their division so maybe it’s closer than it seems.

[jrshooter]

Why do you keep trying to insult a school that has beat “you’re school” 8 times in the last 10 years? All I have to say is 41-0 LOL… typical IUP hater.

Sigh. It always comes down to the same thing with you guys. Stop thinking you can win debates by being a bigger dick.

I fully expect a Shippensburg insult. Thankfully, our personal worth is not always dictated by how much our alma mater wins or loses football games.

[EyeoftheHawk]

Those games were cool for the actual football fans. I remember when IUP played Catawba (when they were a power) and also Ferris State ... and 98% of campus and fans basically said "who the F are these guys" as they'd never heard of them. So, to many it was just another game on another Saturday.

Loved those games. That Catawba game at Miller was unreal. It had it all from the disastrous start to the lightning delay to the huge IUP comeback win. It was a night game too, and I think it was a pretty late night by the time the dust settled. I remember watching Catawba walk out with looks on their faces like they had just seen a ghost.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Loved those games. That Catawba game at Miller was unreal. It had it all from the disastrous start to the lightning delay to the huge IUP comeback win. It was a night game too, and I think it was a pretty late night by the time the dust settled. I remember watching Catawba walk out with looks on their faces like they had just seen a ghost.

I remember the Nebraska-Omaha game like it was yesterday. Talk about a dramatic walk-off.

[IUPalum]

Those non conference games were the best. National spotlight games. Fun times!

[IUPNation]

Even if Torts wanted to travel beyond the region and play the big dogs in D2....the bean counters would squash it.