THE IUP Football Thread

[IUPNation]

As someone who’s actually been to many DI stadiums across the country, if you think Beaver Stadium is a dump you need to get out more. I have been to nearly every BIG stadium as well as Notre Dame, Auburn, Louisville, and LSU. There isn’t a single one of them that I would say is “nicer” than Beaver Stadium. If it weren’t for the luster of Notre Dame football (to some), you could call it a dump. Have you ever been to South Bend? Yikes! The Horseshoe is not nicer than Beaver Stadium and neither is The Big House. That said, you won’t find a prettier campus than what you find in Ann Arbor.

In addition to Beaver Stadium, there’s the incredible ease with which one can get in and out of the place even though there are more than 100,000 people there. Yes, you’re parking in cow pastures, but who cares? I’ve gone to several Pitt games as well and one of the challenges is I can be sitting in my seat in Beaver Stadium faster than I can at Pitt even though it’s a much further drive. I’d go to more Pitt games if it wasn’t such a hassle and I think that’s part of the challenge with their attendance. I miss the old Pitt Stadium. That place wasn’t fancy but it was cool.

I’m getting off track here but had to point out that once again you are talking out your a$$.

No I'm not...you just disagree.

They are all dumps that have had some upgrades over the years.

Beaver Stadium is still mostly the erector set that it was the time I saw Frank bring West Virginia there in 1979.

They added a second deck over the end zones with some amenities and built a building of suites on the one side.

It still has the same old press box it's had for years.

This video of the concourse doesn't scream state of the art to me..

...and obviously others agree with me...the place needs a major renovation....especially the facade...nobody needs to see a mish mash of erector set meets blank concrete and none of it meshes together.

https://nittanysportsnow.com/2023/02...me-upgrade-ya/


My point was that most colleges don't have state of the art show palaces at every level. You can count on one hand the brand new stadiums in the Power 5 conferences that aren't schools playing in NFL stadiums like Real Pitt and Temple. Minnesota and Baylor are the only two I can think of off the top of my head. Some of the Group of 5 schools have newer, smaller stadiums (San Diego State comes to mind) but for the most part...the Power 5 plus Real Notre Dame play in the same lipstick on the pig dumps they always played in...

[Predatory Primates]

West Florida is a top program...go look at their field. It's no longer the baseball stadium and it's not what you would have expected. They have to be planning to build a real one.

West Texastan A& M has the best stadium in D2. It's really impressive.
Grand Valley has a nice facility. It's piecemealed and the large stands behind one end zone is odd...but it's way better than anything in the Pee Sack.
Fake Pitt in Kansastan has a nice stadium too. It too has been added on over the year but it looks good.
Northwest Misery had the facility that IUP should try to emulate because it has a track unlike the three above. The place looks good and if we had the exact same stadium it would be the best in the Pee Sack.

Pitt has a track.

[IUPNation]

Pitt has a track.

My bad.

[EyeoftheHawk]

My point was that most colleges don't have state of the art show palaces at every level. You can count on one hand the brand new stadiums in the Power 5 conferences that aren't schools playing in NFL stadiums like Real Pitt and Temple. Minnesota and Baylor are the only two I can think of off the top of my head. Some of the Group of 5 schools have newer, smaller stadiums (San Diego State comes to mind) but for the most part...the Power 5 plus Real Notre Dame play in the same lipstick on the pig dumps they always played in...

This I can agree with. I’ve never really liked Heinz…I mean Acrisure…for that matter. It’s just a weird vibe.

It’s also not all about infrastructure. The experience is part of the mix. Best overall game experience to me goes to Penn State and LSU. Notre Dame is its own thing and there is something to seeing the gold helmets take the field even if you’re not fan. I haven’t been to Clemson or Virginia Tech (in the hay day), but they’re supposed to be really good. You’d be surprised how boring Ohio State and Michigan are. Michigan State is in a nice setting and a decent experience, but the stadium isn’t great. I forgot to mention Georgia, where I’ve also been. It’s a really nice stadium and the campus is beautiful. The hedges are a bigger deal on television than in person, but still a neat amenity. Game day is just “okay” for me, but I saw a blowout. I’d love to go to the Rose Bowl someday.

[IUPNation]

This I can agree with. I’ve never really liked Heinz…I mean Acrisure…for that matter. It’s just a weird vibe.

It’s also not all about infrastructure. The experience is part of the mix. Best overall game experience to me goes to Penn State and LSU. Notre Dame is its own thing and there is something to seeing the gold helmets take the field even if you’re not fan. I haven’t been to Clemson or Virginia Tech (in the hay day), but they’re supposed to be really good. You’d be surprised how boring Ohio State and Michigan are. Michigan State is in a nice setting and a decent experience, but the stadium isn’t great. I forgot to mention Georgia, where I’ve also been. It’s a really nice stadium and the campus is beautiful. The hedges are a bigger deal on television than in person, but still a neat amenity. Game day is just “okay” for me, but I saw a blowout. I’d love to go to the Rose Bowl someday.

Game Day Experiences are another matter and we agree on that. Penn State is better than The Overrated State University and Meatchicken but they don’t dominate them. So I think getting the best players is just more than who has the nicest toys. They want to win. I think that’s why IUP stays good because kids know our stadium sucks but we have more money to offer and we don’t lose often.

[IUPNation]

I see the KCAC is hosting the state wrestling championships.

IUP has no wrestling program.

Seems odd..but good for Indiana to get this event.

[iupgroundhog]

I see the KCAC is hosting the state wrestling championships.

IUP has no wrestling program.

Seems odd..but good for Indiana to get this event.

It's not really THE state wrestling championships (The PIAA's were last weekend in Hershey). This weekend it's The Keystone State Championships which has 10 divisions, both boys and girls, ranging from under 6 years old to junior high. They will have hundreds of youth wrestlers, their coaches, families, and others. The KCAC has become a good venue for wrestling tournaments of this kind. In April, they will host the FloNationals for the 6th straight year, which brings in top HS wrestlers from all over the country. It's a big event.

[IUPNation]

It's not really THE state wrestling championships (The PIAA's were last weekend in Hershey). This weekend it's The Keystone State Championships which has 10 divisions, both boys and girls, ranging from under 6 years old to junior high. They will have hundreds of youth wrestlers, their coaches, families, and others. The KCAC has become a good venue for wrestling tournaments of this kind. In April, they will host the FloNationals for the 6th straight year, which brings in top HS wrestlers from all over the country. It's a big event.

But IUP won’t restart a wrestling program. Odd.

[EyeoftheHawk]

But IUP won’t restart a wrestling program. Odd.

In recent years the KCAC has hosted the high school regional wrestling tournament as well and it was always packed. This is a wrestling town, no doubt, and Pennsylvania is one of the top, if not the top wresting state in the country. There would be interest. That said, cheerleading and hockey aren’t varsity sports and should be so add wrestling to the list of wants.

[Fightingscot82]

But IUP won’t restart a wrestling program. Odd.

IUP restarting wrestling would be detrimental to IUP football and basketball. Wrestling has a large roster and in the 21st Century has become about tournaments rather than duals, making it expensive and an easy target for departments looking to trim expenses. The average PSAC school with D2 wrestling are giving out 3 1/4 scholarships. There isn't any fat left to cut from the lesser sports. Rich and mighty IUP only spends 4 1/2 TOTAL scholarship equivalencies for baseball, track, golf, and swimming.

[IUPNation]

In recent years the KCAC has hosted the high school regional wrestling tournament as well and it was always packed. This is a wrestling town, no doubt, and Pennsylvania is one of the top, if not the top wresting state in the country. There would be interest. That said, cheerleading and hockey aren’t varsity sports and should be so add wrestling to the list of wants.

They dropped it due to Title IX.

[IUPNation]

IUP restarting wrestling would be detrimental to IUP football and basketball. Wrestling has a large roster and in the 21st Century has become about tournaments rather than duals, making it expensive and an easy target for departments looking to trim expenses. The average PSAC school with D2 wrestling are giving out 3 1/4 scholarships. There isn't any fat left to cut from the lesser sports. Rich and mighty IUP only spends 4 1/2 TOTAL scholarship equivalencies for baseball, track, golf, and swimming.

We need a sugar daddy…

[Fightingscot82]

We need a sugar daddy…

Maybe IUP Athletics can sign up on that sugar daddy app

[IUPNation]

Maybe IUP Athletics can sign up on that sugar daddy app

It couldn’t hurt.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

By all reports, things were looking promising on the Karst Hunter recruitment.

Yesterday, however, South Dakota offered him.