OT - UVA Takes Baby Seal Scheduling to a New Low
UVA just announced the scheduling of a home-and-home series with the University of Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners. UTSA begins its life as a football program in the FCS in 2011 and will transition to the FBS before the second game of the series in 2014.
Virginia will be allowed to count both games played against the Roadrunners as contests against a FBS opponent in terms of the Cavaliers' bowl eligibility in those seasons.
In 2009 the Roadrunners hired former Miami head coach Larry Coker as the school's first football coach. UTSA signed its first recruiting class in February and will redshirt all incoming players during the 2010-11 academic year.
Of course, we shouldn't be too hard on UVA as they've been joined in scheduling home-and-homes with UTSA by fellow BCS conference teams Kansas State, Arizona, Arizona State and Baylor as well as Louisiana Tech, Colorado State, and Houston.
So if Delaware State was a baby seal I guess this makes the Roadrunners newborn seals whose eyes haven't even opened yet. Not a pleasant image.
Larry Coker - wow. Talk about a fall from grace.
He couldn't find a job so he just created a new college!
UTSA will be in its third year as a program for the first UVA game and be an actual FBS team for the second one.
Playing any FCS team two years in a row (which UTSA will not be) is worse than this. This is not a big deal, in any way.
I remember reading a good article about Coker taking this job a couple years ago, and its here.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=jn-coker070909
In short, b/c he was seen, fairly or unfairly, as just a caretaker at Miami (i.e., the great success he had his first three years weren't due to him), and then things slid downhill from there (including one of the epic brawls of all time, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNypDGoC_8M), he was let go. He wasn't getting an "elite" job any time soon, so instead of coaching at a mid-level school, he decided to go the Howard Schnellenberger route. With all the talent in Texas, he may be able to build something decent. Plus, he's from Oklahoma, so it's kind of local.
He says he likes a challenge. I think it will definitely be one, but good luck to him.
Looks like they're gunning to become a big time football school. I mean, when you plan to launch straight away into the FBS with barely any prep time in a lower class, you hire a WELL known former coach, that says you want to play with the big boys.
I see nothing wrong here.
its a little tounge in cheek. I think Shoe is just pointing out how ugly this game could be.
I have to imagine the line has to be the biggest in the last 20 years or so. We need Jamiemac to do some research.
They are planning to be an independent out of the gate, but they have already signed a few pretty solid Texas recruits to start with. Even starting out fresh, they'll still be able to compete with the likes of North Texas. That in and of itself is a victory.
is already demanding that University of Texas-San Antonio be a part of any conference that courts Texas/A&M/Tech.
Sure, we've seen a few minor league hockey and baseball teams with the name, but that mascot and/or name just doesn't seem to fit a football team... Even the Horned Frogs sounds tougher than a freakin' Roadrunner...
meep-meep!
I dunno what cartoon you were watching, but IIRC the roadrunner always (if indirectly) Kicked Wily E. Coyote's Ass
However, the Plymouth Road Runner was pretty bad ass (especially the super bird)
True story - the horn would go "meep meep!" and was the single most expensive not-critically-necessary accessory ever made for a car. Plymouth spent a ton of $$ developing the air horns to make that sound (Now it would be a chip, a speaker, and like $75... but this was analog)
Anyway... I think this mascot choice is OK
would not cost more than $7.00 especially if you are going to mass produce it.
Gotta factor in the engineering/development costs though....
Yeah I'm a mechanical engineer, I hate circuits/code/that kind of stuff. The original did sound sweet though
Four Words: Alabama verse Georgia State
Versus.
This game is pretty much status-quo for Kansas State, but it is a little surprising that they all are making return trips. All being within reach of Texas, maybe possibly looking for a little extra something to use in recruiting.
Deleware State hornets vs. Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners. Count on it.
I'd put money that East Stroudsburg could take one or perhaps either of these teams. Only slightly kidding.
I was kind of surprised to see that these games are all listed as home and home. Whatever happened to invite babyseal to your house, club him, and send him home never to be seen again?
Look at Rutgers' scheduling during their ascension to mediocrity...
"ascension to mediocrity"
Excellent!
is really too bad. I mean, everyone has to play these cupcakes with the 12 game schedule. Just take a look at the SEC, esp. Florida.
Actually, University of Houston will be playing a home and home with the Roadrunners, and all before they make the move to the FBS.
UTSA has actually scheduled several major players for home and home already including Baylor, Arizona, and Arizona State. They're playing in the Alamodome, so they are getting big name teams to come in early to boost attendance. It's a solid chance for big names to get some exposure in Texas.
To go along with the FBS jump, UTSA is also one of the Universities in the state of Texas that has a very solid chance of getting bumped to Tier One over the next ten years. The legislature passed a bill to boost 2-3 schools up to that level, with Tech and UH being the first two. UTSA is rumored to be the third choice, and they're hoping that their investment into several university projects, including but not limited to athletics, will help put them in a more favorable position.
wins in Charlottesville. The program didn't groh under Al.
I see what you did there...
In a larger sense, a bought win is a bought win. Delaware St had exactly the same chance of winning as UTSA does. At least UTSA comes from a football rich state.
Michigan would've really, really, really had to be at their worst for Delaware St to win that game. I mean, the first half of Wisconsin 2008 probably would've been a good enough performance to beat them, if only by a thin margin. Delaware St was no Horror.
This school, on the other hand, will be doing all they can to compete with the big boys, and Virginia is kind of a shell of its former self.
I just don't buy them having the depth to compete by then, and I like Virginia's new coaching staff much better than an aging Larry Coker.
Three years is more than long enough to shed the old shell. Of all people a Michigan fan should know that.