Everyone has heard of quinnipiac, marist and Monmouth. Because they do polling and they have had sports teams do somethings special recently. Fairfield has not gotten this kind of press in recent memory and the school is no longer as well known.
I think the "polling" point is very valid for school recognition. Don't know how you get connected as a school to this system, but maybe Fairfield should get involved. You hear the names almost EVERY DAY on the national networks leading up to a big election. But as far as sports teams doing something special, not so much, at least at our level. Sure it's nice that Quinnipiac has made a Frozen 4 Final a couple of times recently. But that's a niche sport that not too many people really care about. Marist, I assume you mean the women's basketball success, but in the grand scheme of things does that really make a huge dent in the perception of the school? And Monmouth, of course a couple of great seasons for their basketball team, but yet in the end they didn't even win the MAAC tournament and make the big dance. I mean if a school has to depend on sending their basketball team to the NCAA tournament in order to be considered a great school, well then maybe there is something wrong with the system. Holy Cross under Willard went about 2-3 times in a row in the last decade I think, plus they had the surprise entry last season. Have they moved way ahead of the perception of Fairfield in these last few years because of this? I don't think so.
Well there is not one thing that makes a school known it is a collection of things. But mention in media counts. And the expansion plans of SHU, Marist and Quinnipiac have received widespread news coverage. The polling gets widespread news mention. The building of new arenas at monmouth and Quinnipiac received great mention. Upset wins by monmouth widespread media mention. The bench antic by monmouth made then national sports news. The quinnipiac appearance in the hockey championship certainly that was a huge regional story.
My point is that each of these things bolster the reputation of the school. Fairfield has done none of the above. I am not saying they do nothing, but their media mention pales in comparison to other institutions. I think its an issue.
And Fairfield University was the training camp of the NY GIANTS in 1961-69 and 1974. Former Executive VP, Rev. George S. Mahan, S.J. was responsible for bringing the NFL New York Giants football teams to Fairfield's campus where they conducted pre-season training for ten years. When he retired from Fairfield in 1980, the Giants presented him with a watch inscribed "A Giant at Fairfield." A warm and gracious Jesuit priest, he lived across the hall from us at SouthEast in 1972-73.
DB Carl "Spider" Lockhart across from Alumni Hall in 1966:
All I am pointing to is that it is the INSTITUTION that gets an invite to the Patriot League or the CAA. The TOTAL INSTITUTION... It is not all about Basketball. Paulie74's comment about a Patriot League official weighing Loyola points to just that. As JoeStag has said, we are definitely in the mix (whether expansion happens etc is another topic).
Btw, I don't think I have ever met someone in the Tri-State that thinks Fairfield U is in New Jersey.
I am not being arrogant when I talk about Fairfield. We have tons going for us as an institution. I simply disagree with a few on the board.
Post by Stagophile on Mar 14, 2017 19:56:36 GMT -5
The absurdity that is college basketball. We should be paying a coach no more than $250K and playing in the Patriot League where we can play with integrity and perhaps a better chance of making the NCAA Tournament.
All I am pointing to is that it is the INSTITUTION that gets an invite to the Patriot League or the CAA. The TOTAL INSTITUTION... It is not all about Basketball. Paulie74's comment about a Patriot League official weighing Loyola points to just that. As JoeStag has said, we are definitely in the mix (whether expansion happens etc is another topic).
Btw, I don't think I have ever met someone in the Tri-State that thinks Fairfield U is in New Jersey.
I am not being arrogant when I talk about Fairfield. We have tons going for us as an institution. I simply disagree with a few on the board.
Well this debate is all very unscientific but fun none the less.
Agree FU has lots going for it. But, IMO speak to anyone outside of Catholic school circles and Fairfield is not as renowned at you perceive. Yes, those familiar with Jesuit schools absolutely know FU. Most others have heard about it, but not familiar with FU's academic credentials. Go outside a 400 mile radius and recognition is oftentimes a challenge. I wear FU logo stuff in Florida and the Carolinas every year and it is not as well known as you might expect.
The very positive exception I would say is people associated with the big accounting firms as they are very familiar with FU.
But this is not surprising as compared to the schools with which we compete as we are relatively young compared to Fordham, Holy Cross, Providence, etc, who have been around a long time.
And as noted earlier, when you name is associated with national polling, the school is front and center every day nationally especially in an election year.
The absurdity that is college basketball. We should be paying a coach no more than $250K and playing in the Patriot League where we can play with integrity and perhaps a better chance of making the NCAA Tournament.
This is obscene for the one bid MAAC. But, this definitely points to the fact that Quinny wants out of this league too.
Seems like common sentiment among member schools. So, what are the presidents and AD's doing about it besides keeping the same guy in charge when many schools want out?
Quinnipiac is willing to pay a new basketball coach upwards of $800,000 a year and Fairfield can't even fix up/replace Alumni Hall.
The $52 million TD Bank Sports Center, two new on campus stadiums (lacrosse/field hockey) being built, both nationally ranked Quinnipiac Bobcat Hockey programs in the ECAC, Quinnipiac Field Hockey in the BIG EAST and also a larger endowment. The MAAC is a stepping stone for their President Dr. Lahey, their AD and those in charge with a vision and a plan up the Merritt in Hamden.
And as noted earlier, when you name is associated with national polling, the school is front and center every day nationally especially in an election year.....
BUT do they know where Marist College and Quinnipiac University are?
Quinnipiac is willing to pay a new basketball coach upwards of $800,000 a year and Fairfield can't even fix up/replace Alumni Hall.
The $52 million TD Bank Sports Center, two new on campus stadiums (lacrosse/field hockey) being built, both nationally ranked Quinnipiac Bobcat Hockey programs in the ECAC, Quinnipiac Field Hockey in the BIG EAST and also a larger endowment. The MAAC is a stepping stone for their President Dr. Lahey, their AD and those in charge with a vision and a plan up the Merritt in Hamden.
Quinnipiac, like Sacred Heart, has taken on a considerable amount of debt to build up their campus.
Quinnipiac paying 800K for a coach is the right thing to do.
When does the real madness end!
This clip is a must view. It is done as a satiric comedy piece but as you digest the real facts it will make you want to vomit.
If there was ever a case for the Patriot League or better yet, D3, this is it.
I have followed and loved Stags basketball for 45 years, but after viewing this and reading other articles, I say screw it as long as the NCAA and the big schools keep playing this phony student-athlete game. -- And you know, with the money involved nothing will ever significantly change.
Can we be an accomplice to this hypocrisy?
I know most on this board will vehemently disagree. But, if you truly believe in fairness and if you are honest with yourself, D1 NCAA athletics is not the space in which you will want to play.
-- Let's face it, at the mid-major level you lose money. Take the majority of the money pumped into athletics and put it into academic scholarships and programs. With the remainder you fund your D3 sports programs. Marist gets way more PR from its poll than it will ever get from its athletic programs as just one example of a better spend than MAAC athletics. We get NO media spin from athletics and never will.
Focus on education and forget about D1 NCAA Athletics. Many outstanding institutions do just that. The list is enormous: MIT, Johns Hopkins, Boudin, University of Chicago, Williams, Carnegie Melon, NYU, Tufts, Washington University, I could fill this page if I continue.
Sorry to be a downer gang, but the stark reality has hit me right in the gut on this one.
Last Edit: Mar 15, 2017 9:49:38 GMT -5 by paulie74
Thank you for articulating that Paulie74. When you consider the current absurdities in college basketball and the prospect of a MAAC basketball coach being paid $800K, I am of the belief that it is time for the University and the Board of Trustees to consider a different a path.
Post by stagshoops3 on Mar 15, 2017 9:58:02 GMT -5
I just want to point out that the conversations have turned from joining the A-10 to joining Division III in the last 6 years. This talk of how much money to pay a head coach is ridiculous. Iona is proof of this. We've all gone off the deep end.