See it doesn't make sense just like we all say. <a href='http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/sportingeye/documents/04264509.asp' target='_blank'>Boston Phoenix - BC to the ACC doesn't make sense</a>

It's through the uprights....and it's good!
Seriously, if only UMass could move up, they would be such a good addition...a UConn-UMass rivalry would be awesome

It is amazing if you think about all the wealth, population that is in the northeast and yet...they have so few programs that play D1....NY state has 1 competitive high quality football program and little ole West Virginia has 2.....I don't think anything his more telling about D1 football in the northeast then that



Jackson

Jackson1011 Wrote:It is amazing if you think about all the wealth, population that is in the northeast and yet...they have so few programs that play D1....NY state has 1 competitive high quality football program and little ole West Virginia has 2.....I don't think anything his more telling about D1 football in the northeast then that



Jackson

Actually, I can understand this....

Growing up in North Carolina, my home MLB team was the Atlanta Braves. My home NBA team was the Washington Bullets (Wizards) and my home NFL team was the Washington Redskins.

Why is this important to know? Well, if I wanted to watch local sports, I had to watch college sports. I went to all the home ECU football games. I went to a fair share of Duke, UNC, and NC State games.

Growing up in Chicago (where I live today), Notre Dame and Michigan are really big up here Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers are the true rivalry in the area.

The Northeast has the New England Patriots, NY Giants, NY Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles. It is just as easy to follow the NFL as it is to follow college sports.

UConn is bucking the trend by trying to establish a southern/midwest program in the northeast. It's kind of like having a NASCAR race in upstate New York.

I know that the Ivy League is definitely all about academics, but one can only wonder how college football in the Northeast could have changed if Harvard, Yale, and maybe Columbia or Cornell (or both) decided not to go to non-scholarship football and stay in I-A as opposed to going to I-AA. Harvard and Yale have a very proud college football history and they won several national championships in the past. One can only wonder what those programs could have done in the current Big East.

DawgNBama Wrote:I know that the Ivy League is definitely all about academics, but one can only wonder how college football in the Northeast could have changed if Harvard, Yale, and maybe Columbia or Cornell (or both) decided not to go to non-scholarship football and stay in I-A as opposed to going to I-AA. Harvard and Yale have a very proud college football history and they won several national championships in the past. One can only wonder what those programs could have done in the current Big East.

Would they be "Notre Dame" or would they be "Duke"?

chess Wrote:

Jackson1011 Wrote:It is amazing if you think about all the wealth, population that is in the northeast and yet...they have so few programs that play D1....NY state has 1 competitive high quality football program and little ole West Virginia has 2.....I don't think anything his more telling about D1 football in the northeast then that



                                                 Jackson

Actually, I can understand this....

Growing up in North Carolina, my home MLB team was the Atlanta Braves. My home NBA team was the Washington Bullets (Wizards) and my home NFL team was the Washington Redskins.

Why is this important to know? Well, if I wanted to watch local sports, I had to watch college sports. I went to all the home ECU football games. I went to a fair share of Duke, UNC, and NC State games.

Growing up in Chicago (where I live today), Notre Dame and Michigan are really big up here Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers are the true rivalry in the area.

The Northeast has the New England Patriots, NY Giants, NY Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles. It is just as easy to follow the NFL as it is to follow college sports.

UConn is bucking the trend by trying to establish a southern/midwest program in the northeast. It's kind of like having a NASCAR race in upstate New York.

NASCAR in the "Northeast" is very successful.

Two of the largest Sporting Event crowds in the Northeast are the 2 NASCAR Races held in New Hampshire (105,000 each) and Delaware (140,000 fans at each race).

Throw in the 2 NASCAR Races in the Poconos of PA, 1 NASCAR race at Watkins Glen in Upstate New York, just shows that you put a product that many want to see (Good UCONN Football & Hoops), fans will follow.

Now are there more diehard College Football fans overall from the South then say the Northeast? Yes....easy...because there are WAY more many programs/games to see, etc...down South.

Now 10-20 years ago...many cities in the South didn't have many or even ANY Pro Sports....Pro Sports were dominated in most of the old Industrial Cities from the Northeast.

Until UCONN joined the Div I-A Football Ranks a few years ago...the ONLY Div I-A Teams that played Football in the Northeast (NY, NH, VT, Maine, MASS, CT, RI, NJ) were Syracuse, Army, Boston College, and Rutgers.

Probably the other largest followings from that area would of been for Penn State and Notre Dame.

Take that large 35 plus Million base....throw it almost anywhere in the South (especially 20-30 years ago), and that would cover a HUGE area where most of the SEC & ACC teams are located.

Heck, the entire State of Texas basically had their OWN Conference!!! (Throw in near-by Arkansas).

Most of the South grew up with College Sports...whereas most of the Northeast grew up with Pro Sports.

Bottom line...for many...more and more people who mostly followed Pro Sports...are finding College Sports to be fun as well.

KL

KnightLight Wrote:Until UCONN joined the Div I-A Football Ranks a few years ago...the ONLY Div I-A Teams that played Football in the Northeast (NY, NH, VT, Maine, MASS, CT, RI, NJ) were Syracuse, Army, Boston College, and Rutgers.

Probably the other largest followings from that area would of been for Penn State and Notre Dame.

I'd have to include PA, MD, and DE into the Northeast. Thus Penn State, Pitt, Temple, and Navy were the others. I don't include Maryland because they've been playing with Southern schools for decades.

Other than that highly minor disagreement, I agree big time.