Preseason Football Poll Time

[danefan]

The first one out is the Sporting News (print version only)

 

1. Richmond

2. Appalachian State

3, Villanova

4. Northern Iowa

5. Montana

6. Southern Illinois

7. Weber State

8. New Hampshire

9. Elon

10. James Madison

11. Central Arkansas

12. William & Mary

13. E. Washington

14. Maine

15. Cal Poly

16. UMass

17. Montana State

18. Wofford

19. McNeese State

20. Ga Southern

21. N. Arizona

22. Colgate

23. Samford

24. Jacksonville State

25. South Carolina State

 

No love for the Danes, but this poll is wacky anyway. Preseason polls usually are.

Fun to look at and see our upcoming schedule.

 

They did pick us to win the NEC again.

[danefan]

Any Given Saturday Poll Top 25

 

(First place votes in parenthesis), Points

1. Richmond (59) 2338

2. Appalachian St. (20) 2292

3. Montana (5) 2154

4. Villanova (11) 2152

5. Northern Iowa (2) 2011

6. James Madison (1) 1746

7. Southern Illinois 1703

8. New Hampshire 1695

9. Weber St. 1692

10. Elon 1398

11. Wofford 1326

12. Cal Poly 1159

13. William & Mary 1105

14. Central Arkansas 1034

15. Maine 841

16. McNeese St. 687

17. South Carolina St. 617

18. Massachusetts 602

19. Eastern Washington 538

20. Delaware 409

21. South Dakota St. 397

22. Furman 386

23. Texas St. 323

24. Georgia Southern 311

25. Montana St. 306

 

Others receiving votes (minimum of 5 votes): Jacksonville St. (54), Liberty (48), Colgate (46), Harvard (43), Albany (36), Eastern Kentucky (36), Holy Cross (30), Samford (26), North Dakota St. (24), Northern Arizona (24), Grambling St. (14), Youngstown St. (11), Florida A&M (10), Tennessee-Martin (8), Prairie View A&M (7), Western Illinois (7), Pennsylvania (5), UC Davis (5)

 

 

Pretty good poll IMO. We are as good as any PL, Ivy or Big South team and still a step behind most (or all) of the teams ranked.

[danefan]

FCS Now.com Poll

 

Team, (first place votes), total points

1. Appalachian State (29), 1760

2. Richmond (27), 1756

3. Villanova (15), 1669

4. Northern Iowa (1), 1615

5. Montana (2), 1589

6. New Hampshire, 1362

7. Weber State (1), 1308

8. James Madison, 1212

9. Southern Illinois, 1192

10. Elon, 1089

11. Wofford, 1079

12. South Carolina State, 1072

13. McNeese State, 961

14. South Dakota State, 898

15. Eastern Washington, 794

16. Texas State, 627

17. Maine, 610

18. Jacksonville State, 507

19. Cal Poly, 489

20. William & Mary, 410

21. Central Arkansas, 303

22. Holy Cross, 298

23. Albany, 178

24. Grambling State, 176

25. Montana State, 144

 

Others receiving votes: Massachusetts, Georgia Southern, Florida A&M, Eastern Kentucky, UC Davis, Delaware, Furman, Yale, Colgate, Liberty, North Dakota State, Tennessee-Martin, Harvard, Samford, Northern Arizona, Northwestern State.

 

 

http://fcsnow.com/poll.aspx

[Michigan_Dane]

FCS Now.com Poll

 

Team, (first place votes), total points

1. Appalachian State (29), 1760

2. Richmond (27), 1756

3. Villanova (15), 1669

4. Northern Iowa (1), 1615

5. Montana (2), 1589

6. New Hampshire, 1362

7. Weber State (1), 1308

8. James Madison, 1212

9. Southern Illinois, 1192

10. Elon, 1089

11. Wofford, 1079

12. South Carolina State, 1072

13. McNeese State, 961

14. South Dakota State, 898

15. Eastern Washington, 794

16. Texas State, 627

17. Maine, 610

18. Jacksonville State, 507

19. Cal Poly, 489

20. William & Mary, 410

21. Central Arkansas, 303

22. Holy Cross, 298

23. Albany, 178

24. Grambling State, 176

25. Montana State, 144

 

Others receiving votes: Massachusetts, Georgia Southern, Florida A&M, Eastern Kentucky, UC Davis, Delaware, Furman, Yale, Colgate, Liberty, North Dakota State, Tennessee-Martin, Harvard, Samford, Northern Arizona, Northwestern State.

 

 

http://fcsnow.com/poll.aspx

 

Well, I certainly like this poll much more than the previous one but the fact we're ranked and UMass and GSU isn't makes me a bit cautious. Nonetheless, we'll have a good team. I think we'll do real well. I have to believe if we 3-peat and we manage to be a UMass or GSU we have to get noticed? We have performed amazingly. Come on CAA, you want us :-)

[Michigan_Dane]

A bit off topic but was Wildcat80 completely wrong on AGS about the NEC allowing 40 schollies this year? I noticed he hasn't responded.

[danefan]

A bit off topic but was Wildcat80 completely wrong on AGS about the NEC allowing 40 schollies this year? I noticed he hasn't responded.

 

 

Yes. The rule is the limit will be increasing from 30 to 40, at the snale's pace of 2 per year. I believe we are now at 36 for this year.

[UAalum72]

I think it's only 32 this year - the increase was passed last year.

 

From last year's NEC Policy Manual (this year's isn't online yet)

 

Maximum Financial Aid Standards.

All NEC football playing institutions are permitted to award a maximum financial aid amount of 30

full athletic grants-in-aid on an equivalency basis. Beginning in 2009-10, grants-in-aid may be

increased by no more than two per year, capping at 40. There would continue to be no scholarship

minimum.

 

That means we'd max out at 40 for the 2013 season.

[danefan]

I think it's only 32 this year - the increase was passed last year.

 

From last year's NEC Policy Manual (this year's isn't online yet)

 

Maximum Financial Aid Standards.

All NEC football playing institutions are permitted to award a maximum financial aid amount of 30

full athletic grants-in-aid on an equivalency basis. Beginning in 2009-10, grants-in-aid may be

increased by no more than two per year, capping at 40. There would continue to be no scholarship

minimum.

 

That means we'd max out at 40 for the 2013 season.

 

I think you may be right.

 

I still don't get the point of only 2 per year. What are they worried about? The teams that would increase faster are the ones already at the top of the league.

[uofalbany]

I think it's only 32 this year - the increase was passed last year.

 

From last year's NEC Policy Manual (this year's isn't online yet)

 

Maximum Financial Aid Standards.

All NEC football playing institutions are permitted to award a maximum financial aid amount of 30

full athletic grants-in-aid on an equivalency basis. Beginning in 2009-10, grants-in-aid may be

increased by no more than two per year, capping at 40. There would continue to be no scholarship

minimum.

 

That means we'd max out at 40 for the 2013 season.

 

Wow, by the 2013 season, we'll be all the way up to 40 schollies.

Something to look forward to.

 

I hope the athletic department is just waiting for the right opportunity to jump on.

Complacency hasn't been UAlbany's attitude over the past 8 or 9 years.

I can't believe McElroy has become satisfied with mediocrity. We are only half way through the first stage of growth.

[danefan]

I think it's only 32 this year - the increase was passed last year.

 

From last year's NEC Policy Manual (this year's isn't online yet)

 

Maximum Financial Aid Standards.

All NEC football playing institutions are permitted to award a maximum financial aid amount of 30

full athletic grants-in-aid on an equivalency basis. Beginning in 2009-10, grants-in-aid may be

increased by no more than two per year, capping at 40. There would continue to be no scholarship

minimum.

 

That means we'd max out at 40 for the 2013 season.

 

Wow, by the 2013 season, we'll be all the way up to 40 schollies.

Something to look forward to.

 

I hope the athletic department is just waiting for the right opportunity to jump on.

Complacency hasn't been UAlbany's attitude over the past 8 or 9 years.

I can't believe McElroy has become satisfied with mediocrity. We are only half way through the first stage of growth.

 

Since no one wants to tell us what the actual plans are, we'll just have to wait until the NEC contract negotiation are done to find out what McElroy's vision for the program is. Our last season under this contract with the NEC will be 2010 and I suspect the negotiations will occur prior to that season.

 

If Fordham bolts from the PL (we should have a better idea of that this month) then where they end up will be a good predictor of what happens with Albany.

[uofalbany]

First of all, I like that last poll. I believe we earned to be on that list of top 25s!

 

 

It's actually astounding that we are only hitting 32 schollies this year. And more astounding, only 40 by 2013.

That AINT where I want to see this program go.

 

Two things that have been talked about a million times over are the CONFERENCE affliation and the STADIUM.

So why stop now!

 

Here's proof to any naysayer out there that a stadium is a GREAT thing for a university.

The suny school down on long island that was handed a stadium by lavalle is a good example.

Next year, they are hosting a quarterfinals event for the ncaa d1 men's lacrosse championship tournament.

That's the kind of exposure that's nothing but great for a university.

 

Let's get a stadium, and get it now!

[danefan]

First of all, I like that last poll. I believe we earned to be on that list of top 25s!

 

 

It's actually astounding that we are only hitting 32 schollies this year. And more astounding, only 40 by 2013.

That AINT where I want to see this program go.

 

Two things that have been talked about a million times over are the CONFERENCE affliation and the STADIUM.

So why stop now!

 

Here's proof to any naysayer out there that a stadium is a GREAT thing for a university.

The suny school down on long island that was handed a stadium by lavalle is a good example.

Next year, they are hosting a quarterfinals event for the ncaa d1 men's lacrosse championship tournament.

That's the kind of exposure that's nothing but great for a university.

 

Let's get a stadium, and get it now!

 

 

Another example for exposure and what SBU's football move has done:

 

In 2010 they play at South Florida in football. You want to talk about alumni and regional exposure. Play at a BCS school oustide of your immediate territory. 48,000 people from the Gulf Coast of Florida who have probably never heard of Stony Brook will certainly know they exist after Fall 2010.

 

And we don't need a stadium. We need 10,000 seats around University Field. I went to the NYPD/FDNY game at Hofstra yesterday. I don't get why what Hofstra has isn't sufficient for us?

 

[uofalbany]

Another good example df.

 

If we want high yield, we need to ante up.

 

Do we want to compete for FCS Championships?

Do we want top of the line FCS recruits?

Do we want UAlbany football to be universally recongnized?

Do we want to play FBS money games, and get that kind of exposure and generate significant revenue?

Do we want the exposure UAlbany football can bring to our other sports programs?

Will recruits in other sports be more attracted to the university if we have a stadium type facility?

Do we want to host Big Name events in a stadium like venue on campus?

Will the capital district football fans start coming if they can patron a stadium with comfortable seats and great views?

Will more alum come if they can sit in a beautiful facility?

Will the university attract higher quality students if all of these things do happen?

 

It's almost absurd not to increase scholarship, change conference, and build the stadium or stadium-like venue on the current field.

 

We have to go out and GET IT DONE.

We need a plan and we need to implement it now.

As said many times, Fordie is our biggest asset. The university would be foolish not to recognize this fact and utilize it.

 

We could be a perenial top 5 FCS football program... if that's what we wanted.

With equal facilities, our chances are 10x greater than sbu.