Hofstra drops football program

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Didn't see this coming ...

Hofstra University is dropping its football team, citing high costs and low interest from the college community.
In a statement obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday, university president Stuart Rabinowitz says "the choice was painful but clear."
He says factors include the cost of running the football program and the team's inability to generate significant interest, financial support or attendance.
The decision follows a two-year review of sports spending at Hofstra. Rabinowitz says there are no plans to cut any other sports at the Long Island school.
Last week, Northeastern University in Boston dropped football after 74 years.

 

[JackReacher]

Um...wow.

Oh, and BYH...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!

 

[zagoshe]

TITLE IX advocates rejoice in the streets......

 

[Smallpotatoes]

I haven't kept up with how Hofstra has done lately, but the school has had some pretty good football teams in the past, hasn't it?
Oh well, at least they haven't cut wrestling...yet.

 

[forever_town]

No more Wayne Chrebets then.

Somewhere, Meshawn rejoices.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

Um...wow.

Oh, and BYH...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!

They should schedule a home and home with George Mason football.

Meanwhile, the Pride pride will live on through Marques Colston.

 

[Moose A. Moose]

That's absolutely crazy. Football pays for every other sport at that school. I knew Weeb Ewbank Hall was being turned into a Med School, but are we to believe that the Jets' rent footed the bill for everything?

 

[CHETtheJET]

wow, didn't see this coming, only because of all the effort the U. put in over the last decade. A mini-Rutgers effort. what's newsday going to do, stuff more Islanders in our stockings? But honestly, Long Island is not football country. It's lax, soccer, baseball, basketball, softball whatever, but it is not football. No one here is making a trek to Hosfta to see a mediocre college game on a Saturday. Leaves Stony Brook, and their new stadium as the only D1 program on the Island. Lets see what they do. Funny because SB has been trying hard to a rivalry going with Hofstra and the latter seemed to look down on SB. Now the Brook will probably be getting some decent transfers.

 

[Cosmo]

Rumors now that URI will be next to drop. That would be three in two weeks in the CAA.

 

[JackReacher]

Um...wow.

Oh, and BYH...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!

They should schedule a home and home with George Mason football.

Damn straight!! Now, we're on level playing fields.

 

[Moderator1]

Damn. I hate to hear this. Yes, Hofstra football has been pretty strong.

Football at that level kills you. UR, the defending FCS champion, drew like 6,800 for its playoff opener on Saturday.

 

[The Big Ragu]

Someone else said it, I think. But you have to think the Jets leaving killed the program. The Jets were probably bringing in the revenue to sustain a program. Once that was gone, there was nothing paying for it.

 

[nmmetsfan]

I remember seeing a study about 10 years ago that statistically supported that having a football program increased overall admissions. Even a ****ty, lower-level program that nobody went to watch. I wish I could find that study

 

[nmmetsfan]

That's absolutely crazy. Football pays for every other sport at that school. I knew Weeb Ewbank Hall was being turned into a Med School, but are we to believe that the Jets' rent footed the bill for everything?

Contrary to my previous post, football doesn't cover its own cost — much less pay for other sports — at 95 percent of all institutions

 

[Rumpleforeskin]

Northeastern and Hofstra? I guess Delaware needs to find two new patsies to beat up year after year.

 

[JackReacher]

If Rhode Island drops, that'd be three from the North Division. I'm guessing they'd dump the divisional format in that case, right?

 

[Mystery Meat II]

With every school that drops football, Old Dominion moves up the charts.

So with Northeastern and Hofstra gone, what will the CAA look like in a couple of years? Assuming they don't run out and grab Stony Brook and Fordham as a quick fix, as has been rumored:

NORTH: Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island (assuming they keep going), UMass, Delaware, Villanova
SOUTH: Old Dominion, William and Mary, Richmond, James Madison, Towson, Georgia State

Delaware and Villanova like the South Division, but they may not have a lot of choice. If they do add Stony Brook and Fordham (or Albany or someone else up that way), then those schools would go in the North and Delaware and Villanova return to the South.

Would the CAA consider adding southern schools? They need to find some travel partners for UNC Wilmington and Georgia State -- maybe suck in Elon and Georgia Southern?

EDIT: If Rhode Island drops football, put Georgia State back in the North as was the original plan, perhaps.

 

[JackReacher]

I keep forgetting about GSU.

If they keep the divisions after all this, wouldn't it make sense to put Nova in the North and maybe keep a rivalry or two from the South, whatever the schedule allows?

 

[old_tony]

What a looooooong fall from the days of "Hofstra beat us 900-0 ... in their street clothes."

 

[Mystery Meat II]

I keep forgetting about GSU.

If they keep the divisions after all this, wouldn't it make sense to put Nova in the North and maybe keep a rivalry or two from the South, whatever the schedule allows?

Everyone forgets about Georgia State, which is the problem. The CAA commish, I believe, even said that had they known they'd start football, they wouldn't have invited them. They're slated for the North now because I guess they're an airline hub, so it'd be easier for the Northeast schools to get there and vice versa, whereas they'd be a two-plane or long bus trip for the Virginia schools.

Of course, Georgia State is playing in the Georgia Dome and they have @Alabama on the first season's schedule, so they may be looking at going FBS in pretty short order anyhow.

Nova seems pretty insistent on being in the South, as does Delaware. Maybe that'll change with two (possibly three) of the weak sisters out. Or it could just be a New England vs. Mid-Atlantic thing, I dunno.

Dammit, BYH, wake up and log into SJ, we're waiting to make fun of your school!