Quick poll question (before hoops season resumes in full swing)
In 5-10 years the "flag ship" sport of Monmouth U. will be (and please offer reasons)....
1. Men's basketball
2. Football
3. Other
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
1. Men's basketball
2. Football
3. Other
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
posted by Tony Graham at 6:40 PM
18 Comments:
Men's basketball...Division 1 with full scholarships, history, dominance in the NEC, and a very solid and stable system offensively and defensively...
I'll go with football in 10 years. With 30 scholarships they will be putting more than twice the amount of scholarship money into football (although I realize you need more guys in football). The talent level should increase greatly. I don't think the recruiting wars for the kind of player MU is going after will be as difficult as in hoops.
On the basketball side without a MAAC and the NEC conference schedule it will be the same battle fought for the past 20 years. Even with MU's success in the past 6 years I don't see how it's helped recruiting. Not many kids are drooling to play against St. Francis Brookyn at Boylan Gym. There are also alot more DI basketball teams fighting it out for the pool of players on this level. Just within our state alone you have St. Pete's, Rider, FDU, Priceton, etc.
My thoughts:
Hoops likely to remain No. 1 at MU for the forseeable future though football is making a charge not deemed likely 4-5 years ago.
At most 1-AA football schools basketball seems to be No. 1 if only becuse it can advance to the NCAAs and potentionally make a splash, while 1-AA football doesn't quite pack the same wallop.
HOWEVER... variables at Monmouth include the relative success of the teams, Monmouth's commitment to further upgrade football (more scholarships, etc.) as well as the fate of the MAAC and possible refurbishing/expansion of Kessler Field.
Tony,The best program right now is Mens Soccer ...,the record and level of play puts them at the top.(Top 20 D-1) no other team has ever been rank . The football program will continue to win and recruit outstanding NJ players like Delaware has done in the past. The Mens basketball program is at a cross roads , just like it was 20 yrs ago (D-2) going (D-1).Do they move up (A-10) or stay at a low midmajor level (NEC) (MAC) ? It will take a bigger buget,four or five years of rebuilding and the MAC.
As we speak....Men's soccer IS coming off the most succesful season of an MU sport when you include the national ranking.
I would have to think last year's men's hoops (NCAAs and tough game with Villanova) still earned MU more notoriety.
The school's "flagship sport" though, as I noted in my opinion earlier, is men's basketball with football making a run.
I don't know that men's soccer will ever be a "flag ship sport" at MU or most anywhere in the U.S.. (maybe some exceptions somewhere), but at MU it certainly, and this is a major achievement, has placed itself on the map, locally and nationally.
Hey TG
Its Tim Walker Happy Holidays
I think Mens Golf. JK I had to plug a team that I played on. I would have to say Mens B-Ball. They need the MAAC built though to really compete at a high level.
My team is 4-3 and playing a X-Mas Tourney tonite in Maryland. HAve a good one TG
Tim Walker
Men's soccer may have had a very successful season, but anyone thinking it will surpass men's hoops or football as MU's top sport is dreaming. It won't even come close to surpassing baseball for that matter.
Basically MU will always, in my mind, be a basketball and or football school.. as is the case most everywhere.
I would say..right now..in the wake of their banner season....men's soccer might be No. 3?
Also - Hello Tim.... and Jason Krayl. Thank you for your blog holiday greetings and same to you.
Football. The University is trying really hard to get this team more attention. As the battle for the MAAC continues and the basketball team continues to tank, Hawks football is coming off a first place finish and an appearance in a bowl game. (I can definitely see a IAA playoff bid in the next couple of years by the way) With the new scholarships and players like Sinisi who still has 3 seasons ahead of him, MU football is well on its way to stealing the "flagship" sport from men's basketball.
Tony , Define Flag Ship.... Men's Soccer national results,All American Steven Holloway a first time honor at the D-1 level. NEC champions ,and coach Rob McCourt has recruited a High School All American for next season.The Fan base is growing quickly, and in five years they could be a top 4 D-1 team playing for a national championship.Now lets see any other programs have these results.
Flag ship sport - to me, is the sport which attracts the most interest, fans, and for which a school is most identified with.
Please don't get me wrong. Men's soccer has done a marvelous job and deserves all the credit in the world.
And if it's up to or challenging baseball for No. 3 at MU...that's quite a rise!
Football will BLOW past Basketball in five years,no question.Recruitig, Recruiting Recruiting,add a GREAT Coaching Staff and you have the outstanding MU Football Program!! all the way to the 1AA playoffs,with a few post season wins, add in a few more NEC Championships and we will have a TRAFIC JAM after every home game. GO Hawks!!!
Tony, Men's Soccer can and will attract more fans then Basketball per game,not Football however,in the next Five Years.Fans will come out to see the best college Soccer on the Great Lawn 2,000 plus all day long.The Avg Fan count at the Top 10 NCAA D-1 programs was 3000 plus at home matches and 20,000 at the NCAA tournment.It wasn't long ago sports writers didn't think Lacrosse would draw 30,000 in Phily for the NCAA weekend championship tournmet.So if you Tony have Soccer tied with Baseball for thrid,I am ok with that as a starting point.When MU plays Duke or UCLA in round one next season there will be more fans, more national news, because they will have a real chance of winning.Give Coach Rob McCourt half the budget Basketball has and the next five years will be a great ride for MU Soccer.
I, personally, would love to see 2,000 fans per game watching soccer on the Great Lawn ...Maybe if MU is ranked in Top 10 nationally?
Still.. MU vs. LIU or FDU..while they may be key games in the NEC, can they draw 2,000-3,000 for an afternoon contest.
Now, bring Virginia here, or other national powers, maybe. But what's the attraction for them to come to WLB? (and would they have to get parking permission from the WLB zoning board? - sorry (LOL), I can't help myself!)
Anyway..let's get MU in the top 10 and go from there!
Not saying it can't happen, though.
Men's soccer had a GREAT, GREAT year, but let's not get crazy. Basketball has been to three NCAA tournaments in 6 years, brings in tons of money, and wins year in and year out.
Yes Basketball has been to the NCAA three times in sixs years,but we are talking about the next five. Rob McCourt has been on the job two full seasons has fewer scholarships a much smaller budget then Basketball, and has put MU on the map in D-1 .He has recruited a High School All American for next season and has many of the top players in the east thinking about MU.So if Rob McCourt is at MU for five more years its a good bet to take.
I would have to say football will over take basketball in the next 5 - 10 years based on the overall sucess of the program and the increase in talent level and the added scholarships. Look for Mu to increase MU to increase scholarships to the 45-50 level in that time period.
MU will be like Delaware in the next 10 years. Football number 1 followed by B-Ball.
Baseball will be Number 3. Remember in the late 90's when MU was playing in the NCAA's in baseball in front of 6,000 at Florida and 10,000 at Texas AM. Every year they seem to be in the finals of the NEC looking to go to another NCAA.
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