THE IUP Football Thread

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I really hope IUP can land this guy. Seems to me like he is poised to break out in a good D2 program.

Did a google search on Martin. Turns out Dayjure Stewart is one of his best friends, "like a brother" to him.

He had a big year at Bobby Mo last year on a horrendous (0-11) team.

Imagine this fancy new QB with Lockhart, Ridley and Martin as big targets and Omar Stewart and Houser as the burner WRs. Not to mention the TEs. Add in the RBs and OL and they will be a nightmare to defend.

Not to mention a mobile QB.

It's going to be a fun season.

[iupgroundhog]

IUP has offered Demonte Martin (6'5" WR from Robert Morris).

I really hope IUP can land this guy. Seems to me like he is poised to break out in a good D2 program.

Did a google search on Martin. Turns out Dayjure Stewart is one of his best friends, "like a brother" to him.

[ShoNuff]

What a huge get for Tort!!! Tort continues to show year in and year out he is the best recruiter in the whole region if not the whole country. Tort and the Hawks beat out (D1 FBS) Northern Illinois and West Texas A&M who have the best stadium and facilities in the country at the D2 level. Looks like the Hawks are going to have a great chance to repeat the PSAC Championship again.

Tort is a straight-up honest guy. And I believe your average person (young or old) appreciates that. I am not surprised the QB Transfer is coming to IUP over those other schools.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Tort's WR target from Bobby Mo picked up an offer from the Mon Valley this week (in addition to many others from D2).

[Iupgh]

Perhaps, but nobody has any idea what is going on at Spring Ball. So, other than transfers, there isn't much going on. Next week should get interesting with imports and exports.

Could be some big time surprises on the import end, recent portal entry from a PSAC East OL could be a massive addition, we shall see.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Spring camp is happening now so there should be other stuff to talk about.

It would be ideal to retain all of the QB's and both who are participating in spring drills have a lot of versatility so one could get some exposure at other positions. We shall see.

Perhaps, but nobody has any idea what is going on at Spring Ball. So, other than transfers, there isn't much going on. Next week should get interesting with imports and exports.

[iupgroundhog]

The moment 'two most important sports' was mentioned ... Pandora's Box.

Oh well. Not much else to talk about this time of year.

I do suspect a rash of transfer news in the coming days as Spring camps are breaking.

I'll be curious if both of IUP's Spring QBs are still here when Fall camp opens. Obviously one of them knows they'll be third string come August now that Karst has officially signed. Having all three would be a great luxury but said luxury is pretty rare in the portal era.

Spring camp is happening now so there should be other stuff to talk about.

It would be ideal to retain all of the QB's and both who are participating in spring drills have a lot of versatility so one could get some exposure at other positions. We shall see.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The moment 'two most important sports' was mentioned ... Pandora's Box.

Oh well. Not much else to talk about this time of year.

I do suspect a rash of transfer news in the coming days as Spring camps are breaking.

I'll be curious if both of IUP's Spring QBs are still here when Fall camp opens. Obviously one of them knows they'll be third string come August now that Karst has officially signed. Having all three would be a great luxury but said luxury is pretty rare in the portal era.

[iupgroundhog]

Again, have zero interest in talking about the Dixon trophy or how you value the efforts of other athletes. If I did, I would participate in the other thread.

Then don't comment on it.

[IUP24]

I want IUP to win at everything. But does a track star have to train as hard as a foosball player? I mean thry have to learn play books, go to camps practice everyday and get smack around in a game. All sports are not equal. Sorry.

That's your opinion, and yours only. Each and every athlete works just at hard at their craft to be elite in their level of competition. At the end of the day, the maximum allowable practice time for organized team activities at the college level is the same for every sport at every level.

Again, have zero interest in talking about the Dixon trophy or how you value the efforts of other athletes. If I did, I would participate in the other thread.

[IUPNation]

Bro if you want to talk about the f’n Dixon trophy, do it on the other thread. My goodness.

My only reasoning for my choice of words was because those are the two sports that generate revenue and I was responding to a comment about fundraising efforts and support. There are plenty of other student athletes, at IUP and at all other schools, playing non-revenue sports who work just as hard as basketball and football players. Not giving them their due because IUP doesn’t choose to create a balanced athletic department is off-putting.

I want IUP to win at everything. But All sports are not equal. Sorry.

[IUPNation]

Sure but I don't know if Frank started the fundraising and community support or if the fundraising and community support came first.

Bringing Frank in as AD was the first building block in the process. We had widespread community support that wanted to bring IUP Football back to the 1964-1974 heyday.

After about '74 or so the program had dropped off so far and the people who were around from the earlier period got the ball rolling. They had a willing University President in John Welty, no insignificant thing. They brought Frank in as AD, who brought George Chaump in as HC, who brought Rich Ingold in as a transfer QB and it was off and running.

Frank, of course, spearheaded it all, but it was a university-wide effort. And, let me tell you, there were a lot of people in the IUP community against the new emphasis.

As AD, Frank cut some sports and shifted internal funding towards football which resulted in IUPNation complaining about IUP's performance in the Dixon Trophy standings.

It’s still bogus. Lock Haven should forfeit theirs by not having a winning season in foosball since the Carter administration.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Bro if you want to talk about the f’n Dixon trophy, do it on the other thread. My goodness.

My only reasoning for my choice of words was because those are the two sports that generate revenue and I was responding to a comment about fundraising efforts and support. There are plenty of other student athletes, at IUP and at all other schools, playing non-revenue sports who work just as hard as basketball and football players. Not giving them their due because IUP doesn’t choose to create a balanced athletic department is off-putting.

No matter how it's spun, the sports are not equal at IUP. Not even close, in fact.

Joe Lombardi has the equivalent to a presidential suite for an office. His teams' film room rivals a small, modern movie theater. His team is decked out in more apparel than a Foot Locker store. His team often travels to games the day before and stays in hotels (when most games are two hours or less away). The baseball coach has a converted broom closet in the field house and may have to buy his own shag balls for BP.

Ironically, however, the most dominant (by far) program at IUP isn't football and it isn't men's basketball. It's Men's Golf. They are on a run for the ages the past 25 years (not that anybody knows).

The up-and-coming program is women's volleyball. They landed a home run coach last year. The trick, obviously, will be keeping her. She's young(ish) and will surely be on the D1 radar very quickly. Under the radar, they (well, somebody) is pumping money in to the volleyball program. They are taking recruiting trips across the country and also signing international players. Injuries derailed their big start last season, but they will be stacked this Fall. There also isn't a team on campus better at using social media than the volleyball program. Unfortunately, my guess is the coach is here one more season.

Baseball is the other sport that all the sudden has money pumping in to it. Steve Kline was a tremendous hire. He's also proving to be a very strong fundraiser. Money buys better players. And, that program never had any money.

The overall athletic department is really on the rise under Todd's control (he hired both the baseball and volleyball coaches). The previous regimes used every sport not named football or basketball as simply enrollment fillers. Baseball and Softball are both now tough outs -- no longer the team others look forward to playing. Swimming has quietly become a contender. Field Hockey and Lacrosse are respectable.

The next big question is how long can IUP keep AD Garzarelli in Indiana. He's certainly building a very strong resume.

[IUP24]

The Home Office in Lock Haven like sports programs that comes in second or third across the board like Gannon or sweep the track categories like Ship.

IUP Ladies in Tennis and Softball are making noise. The baseball team is doing better now that it’s in league play but I doubt they make a ton of noise.

If the ladies win both titles that would be 5 Pee Sack titles and we still won’t crack the top 5 for the Useless Trophy.

Bro if you want to talk about the f’n Dixon trophy, do it on the other thread. My goodness.

My only reasoning for my choice of words was because those are the two sports that generate revenue and I was responding to a comment about fundraising efforts and support. There are plenty of other student athletes, at IUP and at all other schools, playing non-revenue sports who work just as hard as basketball and football players. Not giving them their due because IUP doesn’t choose to create a balanced athletic department is off-putting.

[iupgroundhog]

I was talking more about the fundraising and community support system he built. IUP had big-time corporate sponsors, car leases, etc. before anyone else.

Sure but I don't know if Frank started the fundraising and community support or if the fundraising and community support came first.

Bringing Frank in as AD was the first building block in the process. We had widespread community support that wanted to bring IUP Football back to the 1964-1974 heyday.

After about '74 or so the program had dropped off so far and the people who were around from the earlier period got the ball rolling. They had a willing University President in John Welty, no insignificant thing. They brought Frank in as AD, who brought George Chaump in as HC, who brought Rich Ingold in as a transfer QB and it was off and running.

Frank, of course, spearheaded it all, but it was a university-wide effort. And, let me tell you, there were a lot of people in the IUP community against the new emphasis.

As AD, Frank cut some sports and shifted internal funding towards football which resulted in IUPNation complaining about IUP's performance in the Dixon Trophy standings.