Where Does Football Stand???

[professor]

Harvard is beating Brown 45-14 early in the 3rd Qtr. Our football has a long way to go when it can't compete with the Ivy League!!

[Ruler]

Football stands where it stands. We get very good players for our level, which is equivalent to mid tier Division 2. We should be able to compete for the NEC on a consistent basis. When they finally push our program to full scholarship football we will be able to compete with the Montana's and Northeastern's of the big time and all IVY league/Patriot League teams.

 

FYI we will NEVER be 1A in football. We are only looking to move to 1AA scholarship football. So for all the guys from the hoops program that are comparing us to Oaklahoma and Miami....STOP! We are not saying we will be at that level. Just as Albany hoops will never be at the Syracuse level(I know you played them and got abused...which means you should not be playing at that level...just do it for the $)

 

So a win over an inferior Sacred Heart opponent does not mean much...but a win is a win! The team we need to focus on is next weeks opponent. The qb's have got to improve...I hear Delgado made great strides on Sat. he had 2 TD passes dropped. I watched SBU and Monmoth on Sat night, All everyone was talking about at the game is that Albany is a wrecking machine! i think we have a mental advantage...SBU DOES NOT IMPRESS ME AT ALL. Monmoth IS THE REAL DEAL! Great D as always and a transfer from Rutgers at QB. Both of these teams we can run on, but not with the ease of SHU. Both have better Defenses, but they are on the same page as Brown...neither were as good as Northeastern. If memory serves me correctly we ran on Brown with some success.

[Albany Fan]

Football reaching 1A level may never happen due to financial committment needed but I think it is wrong to think basketball program would never be able to compete with the big boys some day. A move to a better conference in the future & some solid recruiting would bring UAlbany up to that level. Valpo & Gonzaga came out of nowhere & look at them now. Yes top level football would be a pipedream but top level basketball is not impossible.

[DaneFan2k3]

Albany Fan, I like your dream sequence. Now please, come back to reality.

 

The reality of the situation is, look at the Big Boys. Now look at UAlbany. It's not a matter of a couple good recruiting classes. The bench warmers at schools like Cuse would be absolute studs for the Great Danes.

 

It's never going to happen. Just like IA football will not happen.

[Albany Fan]

I don't think second teams on major teams would be all that much better as would probably be a bit better. For example, Siena did not have that much trouble w/ Villanova's 2nd stringers in last years NIT game. My point was that the way college basketball is now with major stars bolting for NBA after a couple years has opened the door for Mid-Majors to reach next level as have better team chemisty being together for longer period. Also never say never. Who thought Buffalo University would have risen to 1-A in football. Yes they have been terrible but eastern schools are now lucky to get any blue chippers as mainly stay south. Also they play in a city that could care less about college sports. At least UAlbany has very little competition in this market as could become top dog in short time in my opinion. 10,000 plus fans for Siena/UAlbany. Niagara/Canisius would be lucky to reach 2,000 fans. I feel there's a potential great market for college sports in this area. If it will ever be tapped into remains to be seen.

[Patch]

To be honest if the seven footer pans out as a good player it will help recruiting tremendously, if we are a consistent winner starting in 04/05, and if Coach Brown stays - which is highly likely his wife is from the area. The Danes in less then 5 years will be considered a "Solid" Mid Major(able to compete with some mid to low Big East and ACC schools and making a push upwards looking to be a "Gonzaga of the East").

 

And if the Siena/Albany series is still on the Pepsi will be sold out annually for that game and you'll have 3-5K at all home games.

 

A lot of "ifs" but I believe all possible.

 

This may all be a pipe dream but I truly feel this is the direction the program is headed.

 

It would also be smart to probably extend Coach Brown's contract to give him a feeling of security. He has done an outstanding job reorganizing the program in a year and a half after - it was left in shambles by the previous administration.

[Dane Pound]

It's been a long week so I really enjoyed seeing Patch's enthusiasam. I would have to think Zoellner was a good recruiting tool as soon as he transferred. It's got to be great to be able to tell a potential recruit that next year he'll be playing next to a Big East transfer.

In terms of where the program is going I think just about everyone on this board would agree Brown is the guy to get us where we want to go. I don't know how the contracts are handled there but I'm pretty sure he is in the second year of a four or five year deal. I would imagine they wouldn't be talking about an extension until the final two years or so but who knows? I hope Brown is here at least as long as Doc Sauers

[Patch]

Dane Pound - for some reason I thought Brown was signed for 3 years with an option for a 4th year.

 

If I am correct this is his second year - announce that the school is happy with him extend his contract into that 4th year and when Brown is out recruiting and the question is asked "Coach will you be around for my son's 4 years at UA"? Brown can say - "they just gave me an extension and I see no reason that I won't be around".

 

You know when recruiting other people from other schools will be whispering some others rumors in recruits ears.