I am sorry UNT fans, but this FIU fan can no longer be silent. I have seen quite a few remarks on this forum about how FAU is a better fit for "The Alliance," than FIU. How our facilities are second rate, how our fan base is non-existent, and even some disparaging comments regarding our academics.
Firstly, I'd like to point out that FIU has outdrawn FAU the last two seasons. We had comparable attendance to UNT this season, keeping in mind that you had one game that drew nearly 30,000 people. Remove the Houston game from the equation and we actually had better average attendance. As is neither FAU, FIU or UNT drew as well as ULL, and when the difference in attendance is 300-400 people it isn't worth mentioning.
All this talk about our facilities being second rate is absolute nonsense. Our stadium does have a pressbox, it has 20 skyboxes, is being expanded to just shy of 30,000 seats, and will eventually have even more extensive skybox and concourse level facilities. Neither your stadium or our's is Bryant-Denny, so let's not pretend that there is some huge gulf in the quality of either stadium. Thought I will say, your stadium is very nice.
Furthermore, our strength and conditioning facilities and athletic training facilities are second-to-none in the SBC and are on par with many AQ's.
Finally, as far as academics are concerned, with the exception of Denver, we have consistently been rated by multiple publications as the top university in the SBC. We have over 3,000 professors for nearly 48,000 students, a budget of over one-billion dollars, and over $42 million in annual giving versus $7.5 million for FAU.
It goes without saying that we are better positioned, both athletically and academically, than FAU for "The Alliance," and belong in the conversation just as much as UNT.
