Mason Football: Let's Discuss

[Ben Chwarmer]

And you can make counter examples by looking at non-CFP mid-major schools that have had deep runs in the NCAAs starting with:

Mason in 2006 (Final Four)
Butler 2010, 2011 (back to back national championship games)
vcu in 2011 (Final Four)
Wichita State 2013 (Final Four)
Dayton 2014 (Elite Eight)
Loyola-Chicago 2018 (Final Four)
St. Peters 2022 (Elite Eight)

I don’t know that one can make a causation argument for football and basketball spend at the mid-major level but it does seem like moving “down” for basketball is easier than “moving up” for a lot of schools.

Admittedly, I cherry picked examples in attempt to explain that football doesn’t necessarily hurt basketball programs.

 

[NewPatriot]

Maryland Bb should not be put in the same sentence as Rutgers or Penn State from a historical standpoint. College athletics has changed the landscape but MD seems to have a lot of money since they joined the Big Ten to spend around campus. I agree, the football part is a blunder but nearly every P5 team chases football glory for some reason.

The point is Maryland is not allocating enough resources to it's basketball program to compete on a national level with the upper echelon of the Big Ten.

Kevin Willard left for that very reason.

The end result is Maryland Basketball trending toward irrelevance. If you look at program over the last 8 seasons, they are have 2 or 3 NCAA appearance in a sea of .500 seasons. They trending the way of the hoyas very quickly

Last year, they went 4-12 in the Big Ten and by the looks of this years roster...Mason, vcu, SLU, Dayton and GW all have more experienced and talented rosters than the terps.

in.fact, Mason might have the best team in the DMV this year.

 

[KAOriginal]

I think we should go all in and become the top dog in NCFA--National Club Football Association......

We can own the Mid Atlantic South Conference we play in. Heck they actually have a full on National Championship bracket.

We have the club team. They already act like a team---a sponsor, travel, etc.

Just missing some extra money to ease their fundraising burden.

We don't need to goo all crazy on sanctioned NCAA football, esp when who knows what that's going to look like in 5 years....

We play at THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY in September. We have all we need!

 

[GMUgemini]

Now that’s quality offseason banter.

 

[mkaufman1]

I keep thinking we had some scheduling news lol

 

[jruby]

At what point does a university stop being a center for higher education and become a sports factory? When athletic departments lose tens of millions of dollars year after year while depending on student fees and institutional subsidies to survive, it's worth asking whether we've lost sight of why these schools exist in the first place.

James Madison University is a perfect example. The football program has elevated the school's national profile, and that's something alumni should be proud of. But according to recent research on Virginia's public universities, JMU continues to spend far more on athletics than it brings in. Meanwhile, its academic profile has slipped from where it once stood. I'm not saying one directly caused the other, but I do think it's fair to ask whether universities are investing in what they were created to do: educate students.

Somewhere along the way, we've accepted the idea that colleges need bigger stadiums, larger coaching staffs, NIL collectives, luxury facilities, and conference realignment just to stay relevant. JMU also isn't a university consistently producing professional athletes at a level that would explain or offset this kind of investment. If a university has to rely on students paying mandatory fees to keep its athletic department operating, are we building better universities, or are we simply financing entertainment?

 

[Jack Strop]

We don't need to goo all crazy on sanctioned NCAA football...

Ummm... I think that's Pikapp's department.

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

The point is Maryland is not allocating enough resources to it's basketball program to compete on a national level with the upper echelon of the Big Ten.

Kevin Willard left for that very reason.

The end result is Maryland Basketball trending toward irrelevance. If you look at program over the last 8 seasons, they are have 2 or 3 NCAA appearance in a sea of .500 seasons. They trending the way of the hoyas very quickly

Last year, they went 4-12 in the Big Ten and by the looks of this years roster...Mason, vcu, SLU, Dayton and GW all have more experienced and talented rosters than the terps.

in.fact, Mason might have the best team in the DMV this year.

It will be interesting to see what Buzz Williams does in year two. We better hope that UMD and Georgetown step up their game or they will be calling Skinn.

Skinn already admitted he interviewed at UMD when Willard left.

 

[Patriot Blue]

At what point does a university stop being a center for higher education and become a sports factory? When athletic departments lose tens of millions of dollars year after year while depending on student fees and institutional subsidies to survive, it's worth asking whether we've lost sight of why these schools exist in the first place.

James Madison University is a perfect example. The football program has elevated the school's national profile, and that's something alumni should be proud of. But according to recent research on Virginia's public universities, JMU continues to spend far more on athletics than it brings in. Meanwhile, its academic profile has slipped from where it once stood. I'm not saying one directly caused the other, but I do think it's fair to ask whether universities are investing in what they were created to do: educate students.

Somewhere along the way, we've accepted the idea that colleges need bigger stadiums, larger coaching staffs, NIL collectives, luxury facilities, and conference realignment just to stay relevant. JMU also isn't a university consistently producing professional athletes at a level that would explain or offset this kind of investment. If a university has to rely on students paying mandatory fees to keep its athletic department operating, are we building better universities, or are we simply financing entertainment?

JMU is getting ready to expand their football stadium.

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

At what point does a university stop being a center for higher education and become a sports factory? When athletic departments lose tens of millions of dollars year after year while depending on student fees and institutional subsidies to survive, it's worth asking whether we've lost sight of why these schools exist in the first place.

James Madison University is a perfect example. The football program has elevated the school's national profile, and that's something alumni should be proud of. But according to recent research on Virginia's public universities, JMU continues to spend far more on athletics than it brings in. Meanwhile, its academic profile has slipped from where it once stood. I'm not saying one directly caused the other, but I do think it's fair to ask whether universities are investing in what they were created to do: educate students.

Somewhere along the way, we've accepted the idea that colleges need bigger stadiums, larger coaching staffs, NIL collectives, luxury facilities, and conference realignment just to stay relevant. JMU also isn't a university consistently producing professional athletes at a level that would explain or offset this kind of investment. If a university has to rely on students paying mandatory fees to keep its athletic department operating, are we building better universities, or are we simply financing entertainment?

According to google’s AI search engine.

GMU: Tuition and Mandatory Fees: $14,676

JMU: Tuition and Comprehensive Fees: $14,768

If this is accurate, I’m sure JMU students are perfectly fine paying an extra $100

 

[jruby]

According to google’s AI search engine.

GMU: Tuition and Mandatory Fees: $14,676

JMU: Tuition and Comprehensive Fees: $14,768

If this is accurate, I’m sure JMU students are perfectly fine paying an extra $100

Really because I googled it and first thing that showed up was this. I don't know if it's correct or not.... Need to do some more but that was legit first thing that showed up on JMU student fees.

JMU charges a mandatory Auxiliary Comprehensive Fee of $6,222 per year ($3,111 per semester) for full-time undergraduate students. This fee is added to your base tuition and funds campus services, student activities, and a major portion of the university's intercollegiate athletic budget. [1, 2]
The fee covers several main areas:

• • Intercollegiate Athletics: $2,581
  • Auxiliary Services: $1,312 (funds campus well-being, safety, and operational support)
  • Student Activity: $991 (funds the Madison Union, student organizations, and the Marching Royal Dukes) [1]

 

[jruby]

Really because I googled it and first thing that showed up was this. I don't know if it's correct or not.... Need to do some more but that was legit first thing that showed up on JMU student fees.

JMU charges a mandatory Auxiliary Comprehensive Fee of $6,222 per year ($3,111 per semester) for full-time undergraduate students. This fee is added to your base tuition and funds campus services, student activities, and a major portion of the university's intercollegiate athletic budget. [1, 2]
The fee covers several main areas:

• • Intercollegiate Athletics: $2,581
  • Auxiliary Services: $1,312 (funds campus well-being, safety, and operational support)
  • Student Activity: $991 (funds the Madison Union, student organizations, and the Marching Royal Dukes) [1]

OK here's what the difference is, Mason is still more expensive but less goes to student fees vs 'Tuition' almost $2,200 more per student for student fees at JMU.

$14,808/year Mason

$14,768/year JMU

 

[hoopsjunkie75]

I am so sick of hearing about Mason football.

We would not properly support a football team. Too much in NOVA already, and that's why we can't even fill 1/2 of EBA for basketball, or ten rows at our sorry excuse for a baseball field/stadium.

Can this thread please be placed into the "Other Sports" category, instead of under "Mason Hoops" so I can rightfully ignore it?

 

[DRK331]

Mason does have a Club Football team for students

Learn more here:

Home - George Mason Club Football

www.georgemasonclubfootball.org

Football - Mason Recreation

If you would like to continue to play football after high school or if you are a great Intramural player looking for an added challenge, why not join the Football Club.

recreation.gmu.edu

 

[NewPatriot]

It will be interesting to see what Buzz Williams does in year two. We better hope that UMD and Georgetown step up their game or they will be calling Skinn.

Skinn already admitted he interviewed at UMD when Willard left.

. The second I wrote that post...I thought the same thing!!