Bloomsburg football

[Bart]

Trying to figure out the senior class from Saturday. Twitter had 16 pictures pregame. Instagram had pictures of 18 players walking on game day. Jim Doyle said 17 in his broadcast. Looking at all sources, I came up with 20 graduates. No OL leaving. Hoping some R-Juniors come back for graduate school.

Seniors:
WR Griffen Batchelor #1
QB Riley #2
WR Brower #5
WR Landis #22 Graduate student
DL McLaurin #91

R-Juniors graduating:
DB Greene #4
DL Hazzard #5
WR Wojciechowski #8
DB Adams #10
WR Mackinder #10
DB Mitchell #20
LB Williams #24
K McGonigle #38
FB/TE Conway #45
DL Paul #53
DL Battaglia #67
TE Filoon #83
WR Marcinkevich #86
DL Corros #90
DL Diaz #98

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Bloom has had a few good transfers over the years, at least one who went on to the NFL. The good ones were around for more than a year. But I don't know of any Bloom players who transferred out and had better years anywhere else. Bloom lost TE Nas Jones in 2024 to SRU. Jones was All-PSAC East first team tight end at Bloom in 2023 with 409 receiving yards, but red-shirted at SRU in 2024, and transferred to Minnesota State for 2025 where he has 130 receiving yard, although they did make the playoffs.

When coaches are recruiting high school players they seem to have more of an investment of time and energy in having the players succeed. When they pick up players from the transfer portal they already expect the player to be ready to plug into a hole. Just my take.

Flip side is half the recruited freshmen class is gone by the next Spring session.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I've had somewhat of an 'issue' with the way the current staff has assembled the team. I remember in my days at SRU (here we go, the 'get off my lawn' generation has finally hit home with me) when it was a point of pride to 'home grow' your roster. Recruit, Develop, Retain, Repeat. To me, that's the way to build a culture. SRU followed the early IUP and 2000 CAL philosophy of bringing in recruits / transfers.

The Transfer Portal + NIL Era has changed the incentive structure: There used to be a 'bump down' from D1 to D2 without sitting out a year, but now it's basically exploded into universal free-agency. The guardrails are gone. Players no longer need to 'justify' transferring, coaches no longer have to live with their evaluation of a player for longer than a year, and the 'grass is greener' phenomenon created an environment where everyone is recruitable at all times.

Players want to be recruited, even when they're already on a team. this "honored and blessed" culture allows them to enter the echo chamber of social media, which awards attention and perceived value. Players like being chased/recruited sometimes moreso than playing where they are. I know a FB Player that was on a roster last year, after a game an opposing coach came up to them to congratulate them, and told them that they were being misused in his current role, and if he entered the portal, they'd love to have him on their team and use him properly. He entered the portal. That coach then told him that they didn't have any scholarship $$ for him, but he was welcome to 'walk on' in the spring. Coaches make promises, players enter the portal, suddenly the 'fit' disappears because the roster changed in the meantime.

Coaches have become Team Managers, not Culture Builders anymore. Instead of Recruiting, developing and building, they now look to fill gaps in their roster quickly, solve problems with outside talent and avoid long-term commitments. Teams that rely on transfers as their core foundation...their culture becomes transactional. Over-recruiting (especially transfers) erodes trust, team chemistry erodes, jealousy and insecurity rear their ugly head, buy-in (culture) collapses, entitlement and frustration grow and now we get into behavioral issues that become normalized. The 'building a family' concept is empty words.

I am not against Transfers, I am against a lack of identity. There's a big difference between a program that strategically plugs a hole with a transfer or two...but a program that replaces 30-40% of its roster annually is begging for an erosion of their identity and culture. The old model (recruit, develop, retain, repeat) builds leadership, creates emotional investment, produces consistent team behavior, gives fans and alumni connection, and keeps coaches accountable for who they actually bring into the fold.

Dr. Evil always looked down at transfers. He always preached SRU didn't want mercenaries.

But, that was his era -- and in fairness it was a much different world then.

Tort has gone about 85 percent home-grown and supplements immediate needs with the right (talent and character) transfers. He's also had incredible retention rates (even through their two shaky years).

[IUPFan69]

I've had somewhat of an 'issue' with the way the current staff has assembled the team. I remember in my days at SRU (here we go, the 'get off my lawn' generation has finally hit home with me) when it was a point of pride to 'home grow' your roster. Recruit, Develop, Retain, Repeat. To me, that's the way to build a culture. SRU followed the early IUP and 2000 CAL philosophy of bringing in recruits / transfers.

The Transfer Portal + NIL Era has changed the incentive structure: There used to be a 'bump down' from D1 to D2 without sitting out a year, but now it's basically exploded into universal free-agency. The guardrails are gone. Players no longer need to 'justify' transferring, coaches no longer have to live with their evaluation of a player for longer than a year, and the 'grass is greener' phenomenon created an environment where everyone is recruitable at all times.

Players want to be recruited, even when they're already on a team. this "honored and blessed" culture allows them to enter the echo chamber of social media, which awards attention and perceived value. Players like being chased/recruited sometimes moreso than playing where they are. I know a FB Player that was on a roster last year, after a game an opposing coach came up to them to congratulate them, and told them that they were being misused in his current role, and if he entered the portal, they'd love to have him on their team and use him properly. He entered the portal. That coach then told him that they didn't have any scholarship $$ for him, but he was welcome to 'walk on' in the spring. Coaches make promises, players enter the portal, suddenly the 'fit' disappears because the roster changed in the meantime.

Coaches have become Team Managers, not Culture Builders anymore. Instead of Recruiting, developing and building, they now look to fill gaps in their roster quickly, solve problems with outside talent and avoid long-term commitments. Teams that rely on transfers as their core foundation...their culture becomes transactional. Over-recruiting (especially transfers) erodes trust, team chemistry erodes, jealousy and insecurity rear their ugly head, buy-in (culture) collapses, entitlement and frustration grow and now we get into behavioral issues that become normalized. The 'building a family' concept is empty words.

I am not against Transfers, I am against a lack of identity. There's a big difference between a program that strategically plugs a hole with a transfer or two...but a program that replaces 30-40% of its roster annually is begging for an erosion of their identity and culture. The old model (recruit, develop, retain, repeat) builds leadership, creates emotional investment, produces consistent team behavior, gives fans and alumni connection, and keeps coaches accountable for who they actually bring into the fold.

Well said Rock Pride.

[Bart]

Bloom has had a few good transfers over the years, at least one who went on to the NFL. The good ones were around for more than a year. But I don't know of any Bloom players who transferred out and had better years anywhere else. Bloom lost TE Nas Jones in 2024 to SRU. Jones was All-PSAC East first team tight end at Bloom in 2023 with 409 receiving yards, but red-shirted at SRU in 2024, and transferred to Minnesota State for 2025 where he has 130 receiving yard, although they did make the playoffs.

When coaches are recruiting high school players they seem to have more of an investment of time and energy in having the players succeed. When they pick up players from the transfer portal they already expect the player to be ready to plug into a hole. Just my take.

[RockPride]

I've had somewhat of an 'issue' with the way the current staff has assembled the team. I remember in my days at SRU (here we go, the 'get off my lawn' generation has finally hit home with me) when it was a point of pride to 'home grow' your roster. Recruit, Develop, Retain, Repeat. To me, that's the way to build a culture. SRU followed the early IUP and 2000 CAL philosophy of bringing in recruits / transfers.

The Transfer Portal + NIL Era has changed the incentive structure: There used to be a 'bump down' from D1 to D2 without sitting out a year, but now it's basically exploded into universal free-agency. The guardrails are gone. Players no longer need to 'justify' transferring, coaches no longer have to live with their evaluation of a player for longer than a year, and the 'grass is greener' phenomenon created an environment where everyone is recruitable at all times.

Players want to be recruited, even when they're already on a team. this "honored and blessed" culture allows them to enter the echo chamber of social media, which awards attention and perceived value. Players like being chased/recruited sometimes moreso than playing where they are. I know a FB Player that was on a roster last year, after a game an opposing coach came up to them to congratulate them, and told them that they were being misused in his current role, and if he entered the portal, they'd love to have him on their team and use him properly. He entered the portal. That coach then told him that they didn't have any scholarship $$ for him, but he was welcome to 'walk on' in the spring. Coaches make promises, players enter the portal, suddenly the 'fit' disappears because the roster changed in the meantime.

Coaches have become Team Managers, not Culture Builders anymore. Instead of Recruiting, developing and building, they now look to fill gaps in their roster quickly, solve problems with outside talent and avoid long-term commitments. Teams that rely on transfers as their core foundation...their culture becomes transactional. Over-recruiting (especially transfers) erodes trust, team chemistry erodes, jealousy and insecurity rear their ugly head, buy-in (culture) collapses, entitlement and frustration grow and now we get into behavioral issues that become normalized. The 'building a family' concept is empty words.

I am not against Transfers, I am against a lack of identity. There's a big difference between a program that strategically plugs a hole with a transfer or two...but a program that replaces 30-40% of its roster annually is begging for an erosion of their identity and culture. The old model (recruit, develop, retain, repeat) builds leadership, creates emotional investment, produces consistent team behavior, gives fans and alumni connection, and keeps coaches accountable for who they actually bring into the fold.

[iupgroundhog]

I can't think of many or any that don't shake hands after a competitive event. Boxing, basketball, wrestling, baseball, fencing, Presidential debates, what else.

Chess, e-sports? Not sure. I always thought it meant there was something bigger than the competition and I think if you can't do it right you're less of a competitor. Maybe it needs to be coached.

Excuse me while I get back to my Hegelian philosophy studies.

[IUPFan69]

I understand that part.

However, I see these games in person every week. It's the same crap week after week.

NFL and D1 don’t do the handshake line for a reason. It’s a needless trouble spot.

[IUPFan69]

Looked like pushing, shoving, yelling, finger pointing, refusing to line up for handshake line, etc...

I do know bringing in 28 new portal players means SRU has the money to create a good team.

Why does Slippery Rock seem to have these kinds of incidents with virtually every opponent, week in and week out? This isn’t just an IUP vs Slip thing it’s happened against almost everyone they’ve played this year. At some point you have to ask does Lutz actually have control of his team? It’s gotten to the point where it’s embarrassing, not just for Slippery Rock, but for the entire PSAC.

And on the transfer portal point—Bringing in 28 new portal players in one offseason isn’t a flex, it’s a symptom. If Lutz had been able to retain his own core players, they never would’ve needed to rebuild the roster that heavily through the portal. Good programs keep their best guys. Needing that kind of mass infusion usually means something went wrong on the retention and culture side. That’s on the Lutz and the staff.

[Bart]

I can't think of many or any that don't shake hands after a competitive event. Boxing, basketball, wrestling, baseball, fencing, Presidential debates, what else.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

They've toyed with the notion of having each team line up on their sideline and the HC and captains (only) walk to mid-field and shake hands.

I like the idea.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I disagree with you on that. To me, it's just basic sportsmanship and I wouldn't want to take sportsmanship out of the games.

I understand that part.

However, I see these games in person every week. It's the same crap week after week.

[iupgroundhog]

D2 needs to do away with the handshake line. Nothing but problems. It's why D1 doesn't do it.


You know, talk smack and beat the hell out of each other for 3 hours. Then instantly shake hands.


BTW, SRU would never, ever misbehave in a handshake line. It's always the other teams fault.

In all seriousness, it's usually not the 'playing' players who start that crap. It's typically the pine riders and tracksuits.

I disagree with you on that. To me, it's just basic sportsmanship and I wouldn't want to take sportsmanship out of the games.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Looked like pushing, shoving, yelling, finger pointing, refusing to line up for handshake line, etc...

I do know bringing in 28 new portal players means SRU has the money to create a good team.

D2 needs to do away with the handshake line. Nothing but problems. It's why D1 doesn't do it.


You know, talk smack and beat the hell out of each other for 3 hours. Then instantly shake hands.


BTW, SRU would never, ever misbehave in a handshake line. It's always the other teams fault.

In all seriousness, it's usually not the 'playing' players who start that crap. It's typically the pine riders and tracksuits.

[Bart]

What exactly was this mysterious ‘post-game action’? You do realize Slippery Rock had to bring in 28 transfers because the coaching staff couldn’t retain their own key players, right? In my opinion, relying on 28 new portal guys doesn’t exactly scream program stability but hey, what do I know?

Looked like pushing, shoving, yelling, finger pointing, refusing to line up for handshake line, etc...

I do know bringing in 28 new portal players means SRU has the money to create a good team.