The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(12-07-2017 04:04 PM)FearTheLion Wrote:  Yea, not sure I'd use SMU as a comparison to ODU in any way except they both have classrooms in them.

On the point of underfunding one to benefit the other, I wonder what the giving levels would say about where the investments should go. In other words, did our giving go down or way up when we started football? And if we went back to basketball-only, could we sustain even close to the donations we get now?

The true answer would rise as evident if we could ask donors to designate how much of each gift goes to each area/sport. That would certainly do it. But that would surely put the Olympic sports in deep trouble, so ODAF (and every other athletic foundation) would have no interest in finding that one out.

Sure there are a lot of differences, but SMU is currently a G5 football program, and ODU is too. If we strive to be one of the best at the G5 level, and strive to one day get that elusive access bowl slot, we will have to be able to compete with the likes of SMU in facilities, coaches and fan support. As will any other school in the G5. If we don't at least try, and have that mind set, theres no point being in FBS. I don't think Rice, So Miss, Marshall, La Tech, UCF, USF, ECU etc look at SMU level success as some unattainable status even though the only similarities with those schools are likely classrooms as well.