Brad Edwards Named New Athletic Director

[Vurbel]

I'd donate for a football start up.

two words: Old Dominion.

 

[Herndon]

two words: Old Dominion.

?

 

[psyclone]

?

My reading of the ODU reference is that Vurbel is pointing out that ODU has chosen to become a BCS program, joined C-USA which can qualify for bowls (but is certainly a step down from the A10 in terms of basketball but doesn't participate in DI football).

So they find themselves on the fringe of the BCS and have substantial travel costs to get to mostly no-name teams in the Southwest, having sacrificed what would have been best for their quality basketball program to chase an occasional lower tier bowl bid.

It seems clear that our AD and President have chosen to get the basketball program on track before even thinking of starting a football program. If we were to get a very major donation to the athletic program, my bet would be on a basketball practice facility first, not an investment in football.

 

[Herndon]

My reading of the ODU reference is that Vurbel is pointing out that ODU has chosen to become a BCS program, joined C-USA which can qualify for bowls (but is certainly a step down from the A10 in terms of basketball but doesn't participate in DI football).

So they find themselves on the fringe of the BCS and have substantial travel costs to get to mostly no-name teams in the Southwest, having sacrificed what would have been best for their quality basketball program to chase an occasional lower tier bowl bid.

It seems clear that our AD and President have chosen to get the basketball program on track before even thinking of starting a football program. If we were to get a very major donation to the athletic program, my bet would be on a basketball practice facility first, not an investment in football.

Gotcha. I gotta tell you, as a fan, I'd make the trade in a heartbeat. 6 home games a year and an occasional bowl game, plus getting to follow recruiting (and the added fun of Mason probably recruiting a lot of local kids) is totally worth a step down in basketball.

Just me, though.

 

[GMUgemini]

Gotcha. I gotta tell you, as a fan, I'd make the trade in a heartbeat. 6 home games a year and an occasional bowl game, plus getting to follow recruiting (and the added fun of Mason probably recruiting a lot of local kids) is totally worth a step down in basketball.

Just me, though.

There is no guarantee of even being invited to an FBS conference, let alone one that is halfway decent...would you downgrade your basketball to join the Sun Belt, for instance? Or how about being stuck in FCS, returning to the CAA or going to the SoCon for football?

Football is a pretty huge gamble, especially when you have the Big 10 in your backyard.

 

[Pablo]

There is no guarantee of even being invited to an FBS conference, let alone one that is halfway decent...would you downgrade your basketball to join the Sun Belt, for instance? Or how about being stuck in FCS, returning to the CAA or going to the SoCon for football?

Football is a pretty huge gamble, especially when you have the Big 10 in your backyard.

How about joining the CAA for football, only?

 

[Herndon]

There is no guarantee of even being invited to an FBS conference, let alone one that is halfway decent...would you downgrade your basketball to join the Sun Belt, for instance? Or how about being stuck in FCS, returning to the CAA or going to the SoCon for football?

Football is a pretty huge gamble, especially when you have the Big 10 in your backyard.

Me personally? Yeah, I would. College football is just the best. It's the single best live sports experience, and it's not really close.

 

[gmujim92]

So instead of actually committing resources to be excellent in one of the "major" sports, we're going to be mediocre in both?

I love football, but no thanks.

 

[Cedric Dempsey]

Went to a Towson vs William & Mary game once and nearly passed out at the excitement. If it's not the SEC on CBS you can keep it.

 

[Herndon]

So instead of actually committing resources to be excellent in one of the "major" sports, we're going to be mediocre in both?

I love football, but no thanks.

Like I said, it's just my opinion. But yeah, I'd rather have two mediocre programs than one excellent one, because even mediocre football is more fun than excellent basketball.

 

[KAOriginal]

Look, with the wave of microaggression that football would create at an otherwise utopia of cultural and international diversity that Mason prides itself on....I see no football coming to Mason anytime soon.

 

[Pablo]

I see no football coming to Mason anytime soon.

While I'm in total agreement with you, why did Mason hire a football guy as its AD?

 

[gmu05]

While I'm in total agreement with you, why did Mason hire a football guy as its AD?

He played football sure, but his AD experience at Jacksonville and his fundraising ability would help a lot of schools like Mason. You don't understand the university if you think that Cabrera brought him here for football.

 

[Pablo]

He played football sure, but his AD experience at Jacksonville and his fundraising ability would help a lot of schools like Mason. You don't understand the university if you think that Cabrera brought him here for football.

Actually, I never said that he was brought it for football. But, the fact of matter is that he's a football guy and would be invaluable if football is still on the table for Mason.

 

[Patriot Lawdog]

Actually, I never said that he was brought it for football. But, the fact of matter is that he's a football guy and would be invaluable if football is still on the table for Mason.

If all goes the way all of us would like it to go, he'd probably be long gone before football would even be a realistic option...

 

[gmujim92]

Edwards was hired for his acumen as a fundraiser and academic administrator.

While I imagine the connections he made while earning a Super Bowl ring for the Redskins didn't hurt his cause, he wasn't hired with the mandate to bring football to Mason.

There's just really no scenario -- other than the emergence of a T Boone level donor -- in which we will ever be able to afford an FBS football program.

 

[GiantKiller_Co]

Mason could go independent while it waits for a good invite. Football-only affiliations could also help; C-USA or the American. Mason's proximity to DC, a major market, could make it attractive for conferences wanting to raise their profiles. We'd never join a P5 unless we clone a Frank Beamer or something. I'd be okay with an FCS move and go Football-Only with CAA or Patriot League, but we shouldn't stay there for decades.

I agree that we should fix our Basketball woes before we can even start fundraising for Football.

 

[Pablo]

http://footballmatters.org/intervie...etic-director-brad-edwards-imafootballplayer/:

"It is very different. For the first time since being seven or eight years old, this is the first time I haven’t been playing football or having some type of administrative role, so that is different. One of the reasons I was hired is because I am an expert on the sport of football, having been an administrator at the highest level within the SEC.

Football here has been a big topic here (at George Mason) for a number of years. If the university decides to move in that direction, we have a guy who understands it and can put that together. At the same time, I can communicate what that would take in today’s environment, given the investments that the Power Five conferences have made.

So, it’s very different for me, but it is a place where I am involved in an active conversation every day. It’s either ‘here’s what it takes’ or ‘here’s what the future probably looks like’ from that regard."

 

[GMUgemini]

Like I said, it's just my opinion. But yeah, I'd rather have two mediocre programs than one excellent one, because even mediocre football is more fun than excellent basketball.

Are you basically talking about tailgating? Because I fail to see how a football game at UMass is better than a basketball game at vcu (I hate vcu, but they've got a pretty damn good home atmosphere).

But anyway, it's mostly subjective.

I for one would rather not see us sacrifice going to the NCAA tournament for the possibility of a bowl game once a decade against another college I couldn't care less about.

 

[Herndon]

Are you basically talking about tailgating? Because I fail to see how a football game at UMass is better than a basketball game at vcu (I hate vcu, but they've got a pretty damn good home atmosphere).

But anyway, it's mostly subjective.

I for one would rather not see us sacrifice going to the NCAA tournament for the possibility of a bowl game once a decade against another college I couldn't care less about.

Mostly, it's that as much as I enjoy hoops, I enjoy watching football a ton more. To me, nothing is as fun as being at a college game, and it sucks having to drive to Charlottesville to watch a team I can root for. If I had a local team I would ABSOLUTELY buy season tickets, because tailgating, college football, fall saturdays watching kids you saw in H.S. would be radical.

But yeah, it's totally subjective. To me, college football is the be-all and end-all.