Amusing tweet by Pat Fitzgerald
What is missing here?
Proud to be the #1 Academic Football School in the nation! pic.twitter.com/CjzH4gdcZt
— Pat Fitzgerald (@coachfitz51) September 21, 2015
(h/t Crimson Quarry)-
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:09 PM ^
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:34 PM ^
Someone corrected him
Although, it's possible Northwestern was only looking at private schools (a quick Google search told me they all were private).
September 22nd, 2015 at 5:12 PM ^
September 22nd, 2015 at 5:34 PM ^
Even if he was looking at private schools, it's still a misleading (and offensive) tweet.
September 22nd, 2015 at 6:00 PM ^
seems like something michigan would say (hopefully only if more it were more accurate)
September 23rd, 2015 at 1:11 AM ^
Very offensive. I've been triggered.
September 23rd, 2015 at 8:20 AM ^
It's like Fitz put a stake in our field. I demand an apology.
September 22nd, 2015 at 8:11 PM ^
According to academic rankings, Michigan and Northwestern probably are peer institutions. You could go program by program and I think both schools probably rank in the same "tier" on average.
– Our medical school, engineering school, and our social science/humanities programs are ranked higher.
– Their business school is ranked higher and they have the premier journalism school in the world.
– Our law schools are very comparable.
But what Michigan has that Northwestern doesn't is a reasonably diverse undergraduate population thanks to the extremely affordable in-state tuition (relative to quality of education), and a solid transfer policy from the community college system.
So, fuck it, we are not peer instutitutions. Michigan is the flagship public institution for the state (and arguably for the country); meanwhile Northwestern is still the academic little-brother of the University of Chicago.
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:10 PM ^
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September 22nd, 2015 at 6:56 PM ^
All unionized teams?
September 23rd, 2015 at 12:09 AM ^
Yeah, Stanford is in that truly elite top tier with Chicago, CalTech, MIT, and the Ivy League schools. No one else with a Division I (or whatever we call it these days) team is there.
September 23rd, 2015 at 8:22 AM ^
Express yourself
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:11 PM ^
I guess I do not understand why you would brag about this? Do they play in the Academic football league?
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:51 PM ^
Well he is going to need all the SCHOOL he can get now. He should have went pro after last season, his stock will never be that high again.
September 22nd, 2015 at 6:28 PM ^
Such a ridiculous tweet. "classes are pointless" Haha, the irony in this is great
September 23rd, 2015 at 12:41 AM ^
...if you had to take 100 level survey courses at Ohio State you might agree with him.
N.B. I taught there. That shit is garbage.
September 22nd, 2015 at 5:17 PM ^
September 22nd, 2015 at 10:17 PM ^
Exactly. I don't think ND is in the same boat in terms of academic requirements of football players (and is in a higher class talent-wise anyway), but I'm pretty sure NW, Duke, Stanford, and Vandy have tougher academic restrictions on players than even Michigan does. A lot of guys going to those teams really are in it for the education as much as football, so it seems like a legit recruiting tactic.
I actually thought that when NW played Stanford. Seemed like they could make a rivalry out of that. That'd be pretty cool as an annual thing.
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:12 PM ^
September 22nd, 2015 at 5:25 PM ^
That reminds me of the world's greatest highlight reel
September 22nd, 2015 at 7:56 PM ^
That was the greatest thing I've ever seen
September 22nd, 2015 at 8:45 PM ^
September 22nd, 2015 at 8:59 PM ^
September 23rd, 2015 at 1:10 PM ^
Could.Not.Turn.Away.
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:12 PM ^
Wow, that seems to be a pretty significant omission, eh?
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:13 PM ^
Pretty sure all of those schools are private so I think that is what they are going off of.
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:25 PM ^
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September 22nd, 2015 at 5:27 PM ^
You might be surprised...Stanford, Duke, Vandy do a fair amount of research.....Hopkins is far and away no. 1., many private schools are in the mix once you get past Michigan, Wiscy and a few other state U's.
September 23rd, 2015 at 10:53 AM ^
Ummm..
#2 - University of Michigan (1.375Bn)
#8 - Duke (993 million)
#11 - Stanford (946 million)
#35 - Vanderbilt (572 million)
...Purdue is #34 and Michigan State is #36
September 22nd, 2015 at 5:27 PM ^
As far as top private schools in Power 5 conferences that NW has played, that is the list. They've played Syracuse recently, but I wouldn't consider them an academic peer of NW. I have no problem with it. Not sure why other Michigan fans are getting their knickers in a twist over this.
September 22nd, 2015 at 5:57 PM ^
But why would a school need to be private in order to be an academic peer? It's a convenient categorization...
September 22nd, 2015 at 6:28 PM ^
Northwestern has been scheduling those schools because they consider them peers. They have more in common than strong academics and being private. They are also the smallest schools in their conferences, much smaller than the best public schools.
September 22nd, 2015 at 7:45 PM ^
Or maybe Pat Fitzgerald thinks Michigan is above this academic peer group...
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:13 PM ^
If there's one thing recruits love, it's a sterling record against academic peers.
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:13 PM ^
How cute. Let them have their moment
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:14 PM ^
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^
How do you go undefeated against Rich Rodriguez and winless against Brady Hoke?
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:29 PM ^
Greg Mattison.
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:30 PM ^
The same way you go 7-1 with Glenn Thistlethwaite and 1-7 with Pappy Waldorf.
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:48 PM ^
I thought you just made those up, but they really are former NU head coaches. Throw in Knowlton Ames, Jesse Van Doozer, W.H. Bannard, Walter Mcornack, and Elmer McDervitt, and Northwestern is a serious candidate for the all-time greatest football program for coach names.
September 22nd, 2015 at 6:23 PM ^
Tennessee couldn't win a national championship with Peyton Manning but won it with Tee Martin, the year after Manning left.
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:14 PM ^
arbitrary listing of schools and just silly.
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^
arbitrary listing of schools and just silly and arbitrary
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:50 PM ^
...and silly
September 22nd, 2015 at 5:05 PM ^
arbitrarily arbitrary
September 22nd, 2015 at 4:15 PM ^
I'll give you a hint
^23 minute highlight video of M00N