Annual Plea for SLU Football

[Bay Area Billiken]

I've posted previously about my experiences at Fordham football.

On Saturday night I attended the Iowa Wesleyan v. Quincy University football game at Flinn Stadium in Quincy, QU's first ever football night game. I'm told the crowd was bigger than QU Stadium (the former Q-Stadium) would have held. The Hawks won 14-12, breaking a losing streak.

Quincy started a marching band last year, in part so it could teach future music teachers. It has about 20 members, but the band played the QU Fight Song well. Quincy has cheerleaders, a small flag team.

SLU is really missing out.

If Quincy, with enrollment of 1,292 can have a football team, then why can't SLU? By my count, Quincy listed 93 players on its roster.

With the current landscape of college sports, with the renewed conference shuffling, wouldn't SLU be in a much, much stronger position athletically with a real D-1 football team?

I know all the hurdles, the facts cited by all the naysayers, Title IX, finances, etc., et al. But Boston College has D-1 football. Fordham has FCS football, and is in the process of going full scholarship. Fordham rings the Victory Bell after victories and still celebrates the Seven Blocks of Granite, including one Vince Lombardi.

The SLU Billikens football team reportedly threw the first forward pass.

And with all due respect to soccer, it is just not the same as American college football.

[Bobby Metzinger]

I've posted previously about my experiences at Fordham football.

On Saturday night I attended the Iowa Wesleyan v. Quincy University football game at Flinn Stadium in Quincy, QU's first ever football night game. I'm told the crowd was bigger than QU Stadium (the former Q-Stadium) would have held. The Hawks won 14-12, breaking a losing streak.

Quincy started a marching band last year, in part so it could teach future music teachers. It has about 20 members, but the band played the QU Fight Song well. Quincy has cheerleaders, a small flag team.

SLU is really missing out.

If Quincy, with enrollment of 1,292 can have a football team, then why can't SLU? By my count, Quincy listed 93 players on its roster.

With the current landscape of college sports, with the renewed conference shuffling, wouldn't SLU be in a much, much stronger position athletically with a real D-1 football team?

I know all the hurdles, the facts cited by all the naysayers, Title IX, finances, etc., et al. But Boston College has D-1 football. Fordham has FCS football, but is in the process of going full scholarship.

And with all due respect to soccer, it is just not the same as American college football.

I'm going to send that post to my Dad, who played baseball there from 73-76. When I was living closer to home, we would go to the Gem City at least two or three times a year for games or alumni events and stop by Larry's or Tower of Pizza. I was heading to QU myself until SLU came in with a great academic scholarship package and it was too good to turn down. God bless the Franciscans for at least trying to get another Bobby Metz to campus.

I agree with you, BAB -- SLU has the resources to at least get a club football team (like Marquette) together.

[billiken_roy]

geez, majerus just told us he had to give up salary to pay for our marquee sports program, men's basketball, to go on a few day trip to canada. we need to be able to fund the programs we got first before we take on a money eater like football.

[Bay Area Billiken]

geez, majerus just told us he had to give up salary to pay for our marquee sports program, men's basketball, to go on a few day trip to canada. we need to be able to fund the programs we got first before we take on a money eater like football.

How do these other schools manage?

Where there is a will, there is a way.

Start slower, maybe a Patriot League or Pioneer League non-scholarship model, although I'd prefer scholarships, at least partial scholarships.

When Fordham resurrected its storied football program, it started in D-3, then moved to the D-1 FCS non-scholarship Patriot League. This year's Fordham freshmen will be the second scholarship class.

Quincy will be moving from the NAIA to NCAA D-2 in football, as Quincy's D-2 Great Lakes Valley Conference is starting football.

There is money to be made with college football. There are also collegiate memories to be made, and alumni to return to campus in the fall.

Whenever I see these college football games, even at levels like Fordham and Quincy, I think we missed out at SLU, and are missing out.

[billiken_roy]

How do these other schools manage?

Where there is a will, there is a way.

Start slower, maybe a Patriot League or Pioneer League non-scholarship model, although I'd prefer scholarships, at least partial scholarships.

When Fordham resurrected its storied football program, it started in D-3, then moved to the D-1 FCS non-scholarship Patriot League. This year's Fordham freshmen will be the second scholarship class.

Quincy will be moving from the NAIA to NCAA D-2 in football, as Quincy's D-2 Great Lakes Valley Conference is starting football.

There is money to be made with college football. There are also collegiate memories to be made, and alumni to return to campus in the fall.

Whenever I see these college football games, even at levels like Fordham and Quincy, I think we missed out at SLU, and are missing out.

when you take everything into consideration, i dont think a lot of schools make big bucks on football. bcs schools indeed rake it in due to tv contracts and shared bowl revenues, but beyond that, title IX additional coaches, scholarships, insurance, facilities, etc eat it up quickly.

all i know is that saint louis university doesnt even fund their current sports to the highest degree so why add the most expensive sport in college sports? just doesnt make sense to me. we would be doomed to mediocrity deluxe forever (wait a minute our sports programs have pretty much been that forever). oh well you get my point.

unless saint louis university makes a decision to raise their athletic support concerns across the board i just cant see it.

now if you are talking club level where 100% of the expenses and administration are shouldered by the student athlete, there is nothing stopping slu students from forming that club now.

[Bobby Metzinger]

This should be one of the first 10 items of new business upon the departure of Fr. Biondi and the arrival of a new University president.

I'm just waiting for the white smoke out of DuBourg Hall.

I talked to one of our top admissions reps last night at an alumni event in Dallas, and he said that Fr. Biondi's goal after leaving Loyola was to be a University president for 25 years. He is approaching that Silver Anniversary, so maybe we will see a changing of the guard soon.

Reinert was president for exactly 25 years, then became "chancellor" and "chancellor emeritus" during the later years of his life. Perhaps that would be a great advisory role for Biondi to do when he steps down from being our CEO.

[Taj79]

Before the bashing starts on roy, let's be realistic ..... what he says is true: if the administartion doesn't commit, forget it.

I remember standing with a certain Larry Biondi at Blueberry Hill in Cincy during the Legend's freshman CUSA tournamnet where he said he "was committed to a Top 50 men's basketball program." And how has that played out? While I would love to have a college football team at my alma mater, I, like roy, do not see it happening.

All for it, but in no position to control, exhort it virtues, or otherwise.

To me, soccer sucks. Always has.

[Pistol]

I'm putting on my "Roy is Right!" button for this one.

I'd also favor an "Annual Plea to End the Annual Plea For SLU Football" thread.

[BACKHANDtheRICAN]

And with all due respect to soccer, it is just not the same as American college football.

With all due respect to soccer...YAWN.

[waldo027]

I'm putting on my "Roy is Right!" button for this one.

I'd also favor an "Annual Plea to End the Annual Plea For SLU Football" thread.

+1

Find someone willing to donate however many millions it will cost for helmets, pads, other equipment, practice facilities, renting/building a stadium, scholarships, women's scholarships, a coaching staff, and so on, then maybe we can have a football team. In other words, we're not getting a football team.

I also seriously doubt that Fordham and Quincy make money off their football programs. There is lots of money to be made, if you're Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma, ect.

[For-DaLove]

I'd take our soccer team over a lower-level football. I would love to have a powerhouse BCS football team but it simply isn't going to happen.

[bonwich]

I also seriously doubt that Fordham and Quincy make money off their football programs.

Nor do I believe that Fordham or Quincy get a lot of student-recruiting mileage out of having football. "Hey, be sure to be here on the weekend, we've got our big game with Iowa Weasleyan!" (Well, maybe a few of the freshman girls would like to meet Ron, but that's a different trick altogether.)

On the other hand, I guess my daughter and Roy's daughter might have been at the big showdown between DePauw and Rose-Hulman last weekend and will remember it for the rest of their lives. Go Tigers, way to outcalculate the Engineers!

And the Monon Bell is only a few weeks away -- what a barn-burner that one always is! How will my Lily ever be able to forget last year's epic battle at Hollett Little Giant Stadium?

Our student days at SLU were deprived.

[Box and Won]

Bay Area, you know I'm on board.

Perhaps the best way to start would be to organize an effort to form a club football team, a la Xavier and Dayton. The effort needs the backing of alums with money and influence, of which I have neither.

[Box and Won]

Nor do I believe that Fordham or Quincy get a lot of student-recruiting mileage out of having football. "Hey, be sure to be here on the weekend, we've got our big game with Iowa Weasleyan!" (Well, maybe a few of the freshman girls would like to meet Ron, but that's a different trick altogether.)

On the other hand, I guess my daughter and Roy's daughter might have been at the big showdown between DePauw and Rose-Hulman last weekend and will remember it for the rest of their lives. Go Tigers, way to outcalculate the Engineers!

And the Monon Bell is only a few weeks away -- what a barn-burner that one always is! How will my Lily ever be able to forget last year's epic battle at Hollett Little Giant Stadium?

Our student days at SLU were deprived.

Wabash-DePauw is a great rivalry. That game is on TV every year - not bad for a couple of DIII schools.

[bills10]

+1

Find someone willing to donate however many millions it will cost for helmets, pads, other equipment, practice facilities, renting/building a stadium, scholarships, women's scholarships, a coaching staff, and so on, then maybe we can have a football team. In other words, we're not getting a football team.

I also seriously doubt that Fordham and Quincy make money off their football programs. There is lots of money to be made, if you're Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma, ect.

It would probably not be a money-maker, at least for the first many years, but I do think that some sort of football would really help recruiting, esp. male, students. As a tour guide, I was constantly being asked "Is there a football team?" or "How do you think your experience has been affected by having no football?" I would reply with "We have so much fun at the basketball games," or " I get to stay a huge Ohio State fan, and everyone watches games together on Saturday." It would be so much better to be able to reply, "We don't have a big name program, but our games are still a blast to go to and so many people get behind our Billikens in the fall."

[Bobby Metzinger]

Wabash-DePauw is a great rivalry. That game is on TV every year - not bad for a couple of DIII schools.

I get the Wabash Caveman recruiting mailer sent to me...they've got some studs on the offensive line.

[bonwich]

Wabash-DePauw is a great rivalry. That game is on TV every year - not bad for a couple of DIII schools.

HDNET is not "TV" (except, of course, for that show that Jimbo produces for them. This gal is from Cincinnati, so I guess she probably goes to Xavier.)

[jimbofive]

HDNET is not "TV" (except, of course, for that show that Jimbo produces for them. This gal is from Cincinnati, so I guess she probably goes to Xavier.)

that chick looks like, flat out, THE BIGGEST poorat (though my definition is more that of an anally advanced hoodrat) imaginable. just some turbo dick warrior (TDW) supreme being idiot girl. oh well, good for her.

[bonwich]

that chick looks like, flat out, THE BIGGEST poorat (though my definition is more that of an anally advanced hoodrat) imaginable. just some turbo dick warrior (TDW) supreme being idiot girl. oh well, good for her.

I'd almost guess that you'd read her profile. (With such literary skills, I'm also thinking she's more U. of Cincinnati than XU.)

[dlarry]

The only way football would even stand a chance at SLU was if they got awesome helmets like Maryland

The helmets are so awesome they would attract players and fans from around the globe.

Hell if the basketball team would agree to wear them for a few games the fetz would be sold out every night and Jessie and the Rippers would be calling and asking to play the national anthem.

[jimbofive]

I'd almost guess that you'd read her profile. (With such literary skills, I'm also thinking she's more U. of Cincinnati than XU.)

hahahaha too funny. i had no idea what that was. i just have this sense. i can spot bros and poorats from miles away. they reek of indiscretion and sodomy.

[moytoy12]

hahahaha too funny. i had no idea what that was. i just have this sense. i can spot bros and poorats from miles away. they reek of indiscretion and sodomy.

She does more talking with her eyes than her mouth. I have some thoughts on why this is.

[davidnark]

It seems to me that trying to build a football program from scratch in a non-BCS conference without an on-campus facility would be an enormous waste of time, money, and resources. It would take decades and tens to hundreds of millions of dollars to build a respectable program, if it could even be done.

I would much rather see those dollars invested in once again getting our soccer program among the elite programs in the country and establishing our basketball program as a regular NCAA tournament participant.

I am also anxiously awaiting definitive reassurances that the Rams will permanently remain in St. Louis. The NFL is so much better than college football anyway.

[jimbofive]

It seems to me that trying to build a football program from scratch in a non-BCS conference without an on-campus facility would be an enormous waste of time, money, and resources. It would take decades and tens to hundreds of millions of dollars to build a respectable program, if it could even be done.

I would much rather see those dollars invested in once again getting our soccer program among the elite programs in the country and establishing our basketball program as a regular NCAA tournament participant.

I am also anxiously awaiting definitive reassurances that the Rams will permanently remain in St. Louis. The NFL is so much better than college football anyway.

Yurp. I mean they say the best stories happen when people overcome the odds and never say never and blah blah blah. But this isn't some white dude with no legs fulfilling his lifelong dream of deep-dicking one of the Kardashians. This is bigtime football at SLU and we should just focus on what we're good at. The level of meathead applying to SLU would run the Jesuits out the door, even if we ever could build a team worth a damn.

[GOSLU68]

Yurp. I mean they say the best stories happen when people overcome the odds and never say never and blah blah blah. But this isn't some white dude with no legs fulfilling his lifelong dream of deep-dicking one of the Kardashians. This is bigtime football at SLU and we should just focus on what we're good at. The level of meathead applying to SLU would run the Jesuits out the door, even if we ever could build a team worth a damn.

In Saint Louis we are constantly threatened with the loss of our NFL team. The city would be wise to have a college team play in the dome or even Busch Stadium saturdays in fall if we aren't going to the playoffs, anyway.