letsgiveacheer

"Former I-AA colleagues Northern Illinois, Nevada, and Boise State have become bowl regulars over the past decade during their return to I-A: Nevada - 10 since their return in 1992, including the last seven - YES, SEVEN - seasons in a row. Northern Illinois - 6 since their return in 1996, including the last four seasons in a row, and six in the last eight. Boise State - 12 since their elevation to I-A in 1996, including the last 10 seasons, and 12 of the past 13." Your point is valid but I think we are the only IA team to have dropped back to IAA and then returned. The two schools you mention never played at the major college level until their entry to IA unless I am wrong. Does anyone else know of another school to play major college ball, drop back and then returned?

No surprise here as it is well-known that LBJ had his share of peccadillos!

I was in the Va Honor band and William Foster who was the long time director at FAMU was the guest conductor. This must have been 1968 or 69 before all the schools were integrated. Anyway, the band was almost all white but Dr. Foster quickly gained the respect of all the students. He was a great musician and I remember thinking what a kind and gentle man he was. Now I learn that the hazing started under his watch and he at least turned a blind eye. This is very disappointing to me even now. He is dead now but the director who replaced him and just retired should never have been allowed that option. He should have been fired.

I was thinking the same thing. Or either his head has gotten smaller?

This is awful and I understand it goes on in many bands. Unfortunately, unless the schools take charge and investigate, nothing will happen until the next time someone gets hurt. I hope people go to jail.

In the old MVC days, we used to consider "State" our rival. The trouble was that they always considered UTEP their rival.

In much of the print media, the reporters are already talking like CUSA is beneath ODU and could use this as a stepping-stone to the Big East. One called the new members, including us, a group of "wannabies". Who do they think they are? SMU?

I always enjoyed the Ponder Steakhouse. I see its still going!

We don't drink, nor smoke, Norfolk. First, it's pronounced "Naw-fuk". Tidewater natives talk funny and I first time I went to Denton, I needed an interpreter to make myself understood. I've enjoyed this thread. Being a Norfolk native, I will attempt to clear up some of the misconceptions. Someone said that 90% of the population were transients and that ODU does not receive support. This is news to me. My family first came to Norfolk in 1628 on the ship Lyon from England (as indentured servants) and has been there ever since. Thankfully, we are not servants anymore. There certainly are transients just as you would expect from an area that has the highest number of military bases than anywhere in the country but with a metro population of 1.7 million, there are many permanent residents as as well. You can look at ODU's attendance figures and see that their sports are well attended. Heck, women's basketball at ODU has similar attendance figures to our men's program. Someone else said that ODU did not have any skins on the wall. They won their conference after three years of playing football. For what it is worth, Sagrin often rated the CAA higher than the Sun Belt. ODU also made it to the second round of the IAA playoffs, something North Texas never did in all our years in football purgatory. Virginia is a fairly large state but only has two FBS schools, Va Tech and UVa. The Tidewater high schools play excellent football and it is a great place to recruit. the ACC has had it to their self for years. That can change now. In other sports, I suspect they have more national championships than any other CUSA school. Their athletic budget is higher than almost anyone in CUSA even without playing FCS football. They are serious about athletics. Let me close by saying it is a great place to visit. Within 45 minutes, you have Va Beach (and the Atlantic ocean), Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, and many other historic sites. Shoot, you are all invited to my home on the Chesapeake Bay and we will have some steamed blue crabs and beer, eaten on newspaper; preferably the Virginian Pilot.

You mean Eagles rather than Mean Green?

There seems to be a lot of discussion in Norfolk about this. I bet they do not join tomorrow but you never know. I hope they do for selfish reasons! Virginian-Pilot

Remember how WKU was talking about how they were going to be the best team in the Sun Belt before they joined? How did that work out?

Not impressed. Too many schools with green as their color in this conference! (joke) Congratulations to all!

Agree! When we opened the Super Pit, everyone thought that was going to be packed for each game. Attendance actually fell when we moved from the Pit to the new facility. When we were in the MVC and played Memphis, Louisville, Tulsa, etc on a regular basis, no one gave a flip. When we opened Apogee, people thought that was going to be the cure for our attendance problems and of course it did not. If we can get our FB program in shape, people will come but playing in our new conference will not do it alone.

I grew up in Norfolk and still have property there. Many in my family graduated from ODU. I suspect they hold more national collegiate championships than any new or existing CUSA school (they are THE field hockey power to reckon with!!). They participate in about 20 sports from wrestling to sailing. Their academics are no great shake and I would say this is the easiest public school to enter in all of Virginal other than the historically black schools. But the people of Tidewater are starved for sports and have always supported ODU. Over time, their new football program will become a player in D1 as in a few short years, they have already made the FCS play-offs. Something we only did once in all of our years in 1AA. Tidewater also has great scholastic football and the ACC recruits heavily from the region.

Do any of the old timers remember when a similar incident happened at North Texas outside of Kerr Hall? I think it was during Fry's first year here. The beatings were dismissed with the comment, "Boys will be boys". A friend of mine was on the receiving end. He is now a "big deal" attorney in Austin and I suspect the absence of justice in this case motivated him to enter the bar.

That was Fry's first season and the uniforms (and shade of green) were quite a sensation. It was also the only season of my four years at North Texas that we came close to have a winning season as we tied for the MVC championship that year. If I recall, we lost that game by a large margin but had a pretty good crowd.

Congratulations!!

Either one could be the next Boise St!

This is a huge decision. I understand the uniforms are about 500 each so we are speaking about a great deal of money here. A few things... first. like Sliver Eagle, I would like a return to the old days but that is not going to happen. Our colors are green and white but black is used because white fades easily and begins to look dingy after a few years as anyone from the 70's can readily attest. I don't know about you, but my white leisure suit just doesn't attract the girls like it did in 1973. Besides, who has time to go to the disco anymore? With a life-span of ten years plus, I would be careful about incorporating anything specific to our current branding as it will surely change. SOW, the distinctive font, the shade of green, etc. Given our track record for changing these things, I would bet that none of that will be in use in 2022. Does anyone remember the Winslow era uniforms? They were ordered while Fry was coach and used that distinctive apple green and the worm. Fry left and the school was on to another shade of green. I must say, they looked pretty silly. It seems that only at North Texas do we have these problems. About the moniker Green Brigade, it works as well as any. North Texas has never marched in a military style by the way. Also, the new trend is for marching bands in Texas to start calling themselves "Outdoor Performing Ensembles" Good grief.

WKU or Middle. Closest games to Durham.

Sir, you are in for a treat! First, I'd visit Tiny Town Trains If you can still handle the excitement, then Ride a Duck would be next. Finally, no visit to Hot Springs would be complete without a visit to the I.Q. Zoo I'm about to poop in my pants just thinking about it!

Hampton University is the only school in Hampton. Hardly ready for CUSA. I think you are speaking of Old Dominion in Norfolk. Anyway, I could never understand this feeling of superiority coming from ECU. They do have a great fan following and spend a lot of money on their athletics. On some years, they have the best football team in the state. But as a university, they have no great reputation in North Carolina. Their academics are considered to be on a par with schools like Western Carolina, App State and UNC Greensboro. I also know UNT is no Harvard but one argument I never see made on our behalf is the number of nationally ranked programs we enjoy. Without looking, I am fairly confident that you will not find these at ECU, Marshall, USM ( when I lived in Biloxi, I sent away for information concerning their MBA program...next thing I knew, I was accepted...no GMAT, application, nothing!) or even TCU or SMU for that matter.

I agree about the Arlington. It has seen better days but it is one of the last really grand hotels of that era still in business. Besides, you get all the free spring water you can drink!

At 140,000, it sounds like the University got its money's worth. Anyone growing up in the South will remember a similar tagline, only that was about 50 years ago!