Brad Edwards Named New Athletic Director

[GMURaider]

1. Don't know, don't care.

2. Because if we do add football, we're going FBS as quickly as possible. We're not going to invest millions in starting up a football program to play on a level that's irrelevant to the vast majority of fans. We're especially not going to do that while trying to create a fan base in the DMV, which already has plenty of competition. That would be stupid as hell.

I have a question for you in return: Why would you compare Mason to Georgetown or Howard when we have next-to-nothing in common with either of those schools? Seems that your goal is to further an anti-football agenda.

I don't have an anti football "agenda". I'm going based on economic data. If we started out we would play at 1AA correct?

 

[GMURaider]

1. Don't know, don't care.

2. Because if we do add football, we're going FBS as quickly as possible. We're not going to invest millions in starting up a football program to play on a level that's irrelevant to the vast majority of fans. We're especially not going to do that while trying to create a fan base in the DMV, which already has plenty of competition. That would be stupid as hell.

I have a question for you in return: Why would you compare Mason to Georgetown or Howard when we have next-to-nothing in common with either of those schools? Seems that your goal is to further an anti-football agenda.

Let's say we use that mysterious plot of land on the western part of campus... Would you say 10K would be the limit? If not how big? What would be our ideal conference for football? CUSA?

 

[GMURaider]

My concerns are more fiscal orientated.

 

[Patriotfan49]

Let's say we use that mysterious plot of land on the western part of campus... Would you say 10K would be the limit? If not how big? What would be our ideal conference for football? CUSA?

Why set the bar low?

How about that plot of land on the moon? How about 115k? How about SEC?

 

[gmujim92]

My concerns are more fiscal orientated.

If the money isn't there, it's obviously not going to happen.

But if Edwards can find the dough to launch football at Jacksonville University, I'm pretty sure he can do it as a former Redskin Super Bowl hero in the shadow of the nation's capital.

 

[GMURaider]

Why set the bar low?

How about that plot of land on the moon? How about 115k? How about SEC?

What's your point wise a**?

 

[Patriotfan49]

What's your point wise a**?

I understand hypotheticals are your thing, but point being the cart is way in front of the horse.....

How would anybody outside of Edwards and even he probably doesn't, have a glimmer of an answer to any of those questions?

 

[MasonFanatic]

But if Edwards can find the dough to launch football at Jacksonville University, I'm pretty sure he can do it as a former Redskin Super Bowl hero in the shadow of the nation's capital.

Actually JU's football program was already over 10 years old when Edwards arrived. And they play in the non-scholarship Pioneer League, so it's a cheap place to be.

But I agree with you and others -- it can and will happen if/when Edwards finds the dough. I just don't see him finding the dough anytime soon. 5-10 years maybe.

 

[gmujim92]

Actually JU's football program was already over 10 years old when Edwards arrived. And they play in the non-scholarship Pioneer League, so it's a cheap place to be.

Thanks for the correction. Don't know why I thought Edwards started the program there.

 

[gmujim92]

I agree that it's most likely not on the fast track. 5-10 years is fine by me, just as long as we get it started so I can attend a game or two before I die.

Tailgating on a fall Saturday, then watching a Mason football game would be great fun. It also would be a wonderful way to bring the campus community together and help create the residential atmosphere Merten started several years ago.

Finally, we'd no longer have to explain why a university with a prime location and enormous student body can't field a football team. A win-win-win from my perspective.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

I think Brad will work hard first to get all our existing sports programs in good working order an increasing financial resources to the AD. Also get mens and womens basketball back on track. Once that is done - he may look at strategic options for football at Mason.

 

[gmujim92]

I think Brad will work hard first to get all our existing sports programs in good working order an increasing financial resources to the AD. Also get mens and womens basketball back on track. Once that is done - he may look at strategic options for football at Mason.

Here's the thing: If you have even decent FBS football, you're getting enough TV money (CUSA gets $1MM per school, IIRC) and other revenue (tickets, sponsorships, donations, etc.) that you can afford to help out your "minor" programs.

If I had my way, Edwards would get MBB straightened out and figure out his coach for the long term, then immediately start using his Redskins connections to shake loose funding for Mason football.

 

[GSII]

In the richest county in America and we wanna play vs UMASS, Richmond types? TOC said our program would start out in the FBS level or be there quickly i.e. ODU, if we had money start it and maintain it.

 

[sigmanorm]

To the pro-football folks:

1. How many fans do Georgetown or Howard draw for their teams?
2. What makes you think we wouldn't see similar fan apathy?

Apples and Oranges
GT - 7590 undergrads
Howard - 7144 undergrads
GMU - 20,782 undergrads
Towson - 17,272 undergrads (averaged 9233 home att in the regular season last year)

 

[GMUgemini]

In the richest county in America and we wanna play vs UMASS, Richmond types? TOC said our program would start out in the FBS level or be there quickly i.e. ODU, if we had money start it and maintain it.

My goal would be the AAC, not CUSA.ich better football and basketball

 

[GSII]

Apples and Oranges
GT - 7590 undergrads
Howard - 7144 undergrads
GMU - 20,782 undergrads
Towson - 17,272 undergrads (averaged 9233 home att in the regular season last year)

Can you list endowments and athletic budgets. Im too lazy.

 

[99 Patriot]

Taking a step back, isn't this a pretty bad time to consider starting a football team? Concussion lawsuits, big 4 conferences threatening to freeze everyone else out, UMD unable to fill half their stadium (geography being the apples to apples), Title IX, etc.

I have zero dog in the fight, but considering half the people on here are threatening to pull donations/season tickets after a few bad seasons in basketball, I'm not sure our donor base is trustworthy enough to build a multi-million dollar football program around.

 

[gmu05]

Taking a step back, isn't this a pretty bad time to consider starting a football team? Concussion lawsuits, big 4 conferences threatening to freeze everyone else out, UMD unable to fill half their stadium (geography being the apples to apples), Title IX, etc.

Well they are not considering it, which they have made pretty obvious...

 

[Walter]

The only reason I would ever want to see Mason start football is to watch the riots in Harrisonburg and the burning to the ground of the JMU campus by their fans when they hear we would be going from no football to FBS. And by FBS I don't mean the Slum Belt.

 

[GMUgemini]

I agree with everyone who is wary of starting football at Mason. More than the startup costs is the barrier to entry into a conference that would be worth moving from the A10 to join.