FB: Empire 8

[AUPepBand]

Hey all, it's football recruiting season! Will the Saxons find another Brenton Brady to step in and help AU pick up where they left off in 2005?

AU Football Banquet coming up at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18. Early start, rumor has it, is to allow for completion of the highlights film. Routinely a 15-minute video, the 2005 season highlights may push 2 hours! ...And here's betting that AU QB Paul Keeley completes every pass he attempts and the Saxon defense doesn't allow a single score!

Go AU!

[tecmobowler]

Heard from an indvidual today that was told Wilkes may be in the Empire 8 before too long.  I've now heard that Lyco and Wilkes may be in the E8 as early as two years from now from three totally separate and unrelated people. Looks like the MAC may be on its way to its demise.  Certainly nothing is for sure... but where there's smoke...

[AUPepBand]

There are 5 football schools in the Empire 8 (Elmira, Naz, RIT don't field teams) plus 2 football-only schools (Norwich, Springfield). If Wilkes and Lyco join as full-members, the Empire 8 would have 10 football teams in the conference. Yikes. If everyone played all 9 conference opponents, that would limit out-of-conference play to ONE GAME. Not a good idea, as there are some Upstate rivalries involving non-E8 schools that would be jeopardized. I.e. AU vs. Pumpkinheads, Cortaca Jug, AU vs. SLU, Brockport vs. Fisher, UR vs. Fisher, etc., etc.
AU had a long win streak snapped at Wilkes in the Yunevich era... and during that same era, Lycoming was often AU's pre-season scrimmage. Both are competitive programs and not a bad drive for the Saxons.

[Pat Coleman]

What am I missing in your math?

Five full members of the E8 have football
Two associate members play football
Two potential newcomers in Wilkes and Lycoming

Doesn't this add up to nine teams?

As long as you play 10 games (ahem Hobart), that leaves two dates to play with.

[tecmobowler]

AU was probably counting his own team in the nine.

I imagine that Ithaca would hold on to Cortland, and probably Buff State if all this goes down.

[dewcrew88]

AU was probably counting his own team in the nine.

I imagine that Ithaca would hold on to Cortland, and probably Buff State if all this goes down.

Utica would hold onto Husson and Becker, possibly Mount Ida for their non-conference schedule 

[AUPepBand]

Dang! I blew it! If only I hadn't lost that pinky to the lawnmower last summer, I'd have been able to figure it out.

Red-faced but Purple Proud!

[Jonny Utah]

Ithaca was #2 in the country in average attendence for football games in 2005.  (Cortaca helps that).  Lets hope this pushes recruits to the good side.

[TheICdubbz]

In regards to the elmination of out of conf. play, school officials from both Cortland and Ithaca would love nothing more than to have that game be discontinued.  And a fluke item such as not enough opportunities to play out of conf. games for IC would be the ideal excuse.  Football players, coaches, and fans would be angered but school officials would be celebrating as if it was christmas day.

[tecmobowler]

As a recent alumni, I wouldn't be heartbroken if it happened, though I'd be a bit bummed.  It's just so annoying to deal with the drunken, cell phone talking girl, who has never seen a football game before, and tries to start "Cortland Sucks" cheers right after they throw for an eighty yard pass.

I look much more forward to the Fisher game these days.

[Jonny Utah]

In regards to the elmination of out of conf. play, school officials from both Cortland and Ithaca would love nothing more than to have that game be discontinued.  And a fluke item such as not enough opportunities to play out of conf. games for IC would be the ideal excuse.  Football players, coaches, and fans would be angered but school officials would be celebrating as if it was christmas day.

what school officials told you they would love nothing more than to have that game be discontinued?

That game is one of the best d3 events in the country and sports illistrated articles have been written about it.  Ithaca would leave the empire 8 before they would get rid of this game. 

[TheICdubbz]

what school officials told you they would love nothing more than to have that game be discontinued?

That game is one of the best d3 events in the country and sports illistrated articles have been written about it. Ithaca would leave the empire 8 before they would get rid of this game.

You are correct on all the publicity and spectacle of the game.  What school officials from both universities state is the worry for drunkeness and yearly fights following the conclusions.

Apperantly students waking at 7am to down 18 beers before going to a football game is not acceptable.  weird.

if it were "just a game" there would be no problem.

[tecmobowler]

In fairness to the college, things have gotten better over the past few years.  The worst I saw was the last Chugger Davis game, which was just ugly. 

Cortland's new stadium makes it tough for on-field problems after the game.  The Ithaca fans stayed put at Butterfield both when they won two years ago, and when they lost last year (as Cortland fans egged them on). 

There's still a lot of drunken debauchery, but I think the event is heading in the right direction. 

[truebluefan05]

let's go bombers

can't wait until next season... the NFL on tv just isn't even close to watching a game at butterfiled

[AUPepBand]

Ithaca was #2 in the country in average attendence for football games in 2005.  (Cortaca helps that).  Lets hope this pushes recruits to the good side.

What was the attendance at the AU-IC game at Butterfield? I thought it was a decent crowd, but don't ever remember seeing the attendance announced.