THE IUP Football Thread

[Fightingscot82]

Like all other years of Corvette production, the 1965 models were made with fiberglass bodies and fiberglass doesn't rust. Draw whatever analogies you like from that.

Then a Corvair.

[iupgroundhog]

Then a Corvair.

Corvairs were unsafe at any speed so that could apply.

[Iupgh]

I've always got the impression they don't have much of an athletic following -- despite not having much competition in Johnstown.

The UPJ campus is up on the hill and fairly far away from 'downtown' Johnstown. They are really two different worlds. UPJ is the only branch campus that is in D2.

That said, they've had a lot of success in wrestling and their men's basketball team is always competitive. I can't speak much on their other non-revenue sports.

The Sports Center (home of basketball and wrestling) is a nice enough facility for D2. It's the prototype, old school facility.

I can't see them ever adding football but you never know.

I know many people who went there and mostly liked it. Most said it's like a glorified high school experience.

They will NEVER HAVE FOOTBALL. End of discussion.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

IUP's D1 Club hockey team beat Duquesne last night in a sold out S&T Arena. It was seriously packed and that place holds a lot.

They play Robert Morris in their division championship today at 1:30 p.m.

[EyeoftheHawk]

I’m sensing that QB Karst Hunter is close to making a decision about where he’ll play next season based on his recent Tweet. He also just got an offer from West Texas A&M. They have a stunning DII stadium and it looks like their overall facilities are sweet. If IUP ends up landing this kid I’ll be shocked. As far as I can tell, IUP hasn’t offered another QB in the portal.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I’m sensing that QB Karst Hunter is close to making a decision about where he’ll play next season based on his recent Tweet. He also just got an offer from West Texas A&M. They have a stunning DII stadium and it looks like their overall facilities are sweet. If IUP ends up landing this kid I’ll be shocked. As far as I can tell, IUP hasn’t offered another QB in the portal.

Our best shot is he was here for the IUP/SRU basketball game -- which had a crazy atmosphere and 3,700 fans in the KCAC. Hopefully he thinks that atmosphere is what the football games must be like (lol).

I agree with you. I'll also be pleasantly shocked if they land him. Who knows. Maybe he wants to be a Yinzer.

[IUPNation]

I’m sensing that QB Karst Hunter is close to making a decision about where he’ll play next season based on his recent Tweet. He also just got an offer from West Texas A&M. They have a stunning DII stadium and it looks like their overall facilities are sweet. If IUP ends up landing this kid I’ll be shocked. As far as I can tell, IUP hasn’t offered another QB in the portal.

…as long as he is okay being stuck in depressing Canyon, TX.

Their stadium is pretty sweet. It’s probably by far the best one in D2.

[cwfenn]

I’m sensing that QB Karst Hunter is close to making a decision about where he’ll play next season based on his recent Tweet. He also just got an offer from West Texas A&M. They have a stunning DII stadium and it looks like their overall facilities are sweet. If IUP ends up landing this kid I’ll be shocked. As far as I can tell, IUP hasn’t offered another QB in the portal.

WT just graduated a long time starter at QB and they just hired a new coach. He could possibly start right away at WT.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

WT just graduated a long time starter at QB and they just hired a new coach. He could possibly start right away at WT.

He'd start from Day 1 here, too.

[EyeoftheHawk]

WT just graduated a long time starter at QB and they just hired a new coach. He could possibly start right away at WT.

Yes, he’d be the starter at IUP out of the gate. They wouldn’t spend the type of money it would take to get him here to be a backup. If he doesn’t sign at IUP, I’m not sure what Plan B is here. Maybe they think they have a guy on the roster now that could do it if they don’t bring someone in. Spring practice is right around the corner.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Yes, he’d be the starter at IUP out of the gate. They wouldn’t spend the type of money it would take to get him here to be a backup. If he doesn’t sign at IUP, I’m not sure what Plan B is here. Maybe they think they have a guy on the roster now that could do it if they don’t bring someone in. Spring practice is right around the corner.

The QB market floods again after Spring Ball. Perhaps that is the Plan B.

[iupgroundhog]

The QB market floods again after Spring Ball. Perhaps that is the Plan B.

Seems like they might have a plan B, C, D, E, and F.

[cwfenn]

He'd start from Day 1 here, too.

There’s a chance WT would be more run oriented than he would want-their new coach ran a lot of option at his previous jobs. IUP may be a better fit.

[EyeoftheHawk]

IUP really needs to up its game in terms of the “coolness” factor when it comes to bringing in top recruits and transfers. Seeing what some of these other schools at the DII and even DIII levels are doing shows how far behind IUP is. Like many of you other older folks on the board, I don’t like that you need to do that stuff to get a kid to play for you, but the reality is it matters to today’s athletes. Yes, an old school approach can work with some kids, but if you’re not blinging a kid out in a uni for a photo op, video clip, etc. these days, you’re behind. One thing IUP has is the KCAC experience, which is nice, but that doesn’t cover for the lacking facilities on the football side. So the question is, is it a budget matter or a leadership matter. Maybe a little of both? When I say leadership, I don’t mean the coaching staff by any means. Their job is to coach and sell the football program. I’m thinking more about PR, marketing, etc.

I remember when they had the “press conference” when they announced Kurt Cignetti as the new head coach and at the end they handed the guy a cheesy wrinkled tee shirt that said IUP Football on it. They would have been better off to have done nothing because it was embarrassing. Obviously that’s going back a few years but I’m not sure the way IUP athletics presents itself as a whole has gotten much better.

[Fightingscot82]

IUP really needs to up its game in terms of the “coolness” factor when it comes to bringing in top recruits and transfers. Seeing what some of these other schools at the DII and even DIII levels are doing shows how far behind IUP is. Like many of you other older folks on the board, I don’t like that you need to do that stuff to get a kid to play for you, but the reality is it matters to today’s athletes. Yes, an old school approach can work with some kids, but if you’re not blinging a kid out in a uni for a photo op, video clip, etc. these days, you’re behind. One thing IUP has is the KCAC experience, which is nice, but that doesn’t cover for the lacking facilities on the football side. So the question is, is it a budget matter or a leadership matter. Maybe a little of both? When I say leadership, I don’t mean the coaching staff by any means. Their job is to coach and sell the football program. I’m thinking more about PR, marketing, etc.

I remember when they had the “press conference” when they announced Kurt Cignetti as the new head coach and at the end they handed the guy a cheesy wrinkled tee shirt that said IUP Football on it. They would have been better off to have done nothing because it was embarrassing. Obviously that’s going back a few years but I’m not sure the way IUP athletics presents itself as a whole has gotten much better.

I think you can see the new era somewhat in what the coaching staff at Lock Haven is able to do. They are very present on social media and are fully bought in to what gets kids excited about visiting a small D2 school in central Pennsylvania. Lots of graphics, hashtags, and hype gets kids in the door even though they are such a doormat they're starting to sink into the floor. They must have hosted150 official visits this recruiting season. They started doing the monocolor lighting hype pic then everyone else in the PSAC followed suit. IUP with that amount of swagger, its performance, and history should be dominating everything. IUP should be every kid's first visit, not Cinderella giving the 11th hour offer. Every other kid in this region starts their college search with Pitt and Penn State. Every football recruit not already on the FBS train should be starting with IUP. In spite of everything they can brag about online and during visits, I think IUP football has become what men's basketball is at most other PSAC schools (#2).