Should the Stagg Bowl find a better site or stay in Salem, Va.

[labart96]

I really have to wonder if a school making a $25 million investment in a football stadium truly wants to stay in D3.   The whole idea of spending so much on a single sport - especially at a school with a relatively modest endowment like UMHB - doesn't align well with the classic D3 philosophy.

I agree with the above.  If this stadium gets done I'd look for UMHB to jump in the not too distant future. 

[Gray Fox]

I really have to wonder if a school making a $25 million investment in a football stadium truly wants to stay in D3.   The whole idea of spending so much on a single sport - especially at a school with a relatively modest endowment like UMHB - doesn't align well with the classic D3 philosophy.

I agree with the above.  If this stadium gets done I'd look for UMHB to jump in the not too distant future. 

They can't stand not playing McMurry.

[Ralph Turner]

I really have to wonder if a school making a $25 million investment in a football stadium truly wants to stay in D3.   The whole idea of spending so much on a single sport - especially at a school with a relatively modest endowment like UMHB - doesn't align well with the classic D3 philosophy.

I agree with the above.  If this stadium gets done I'd look for UMHB to jump in the not too distant future. 

They can't stand not playing McMurry.

I don't think that we have beaten them in 21st century.

Now HSU? That goes back to the Kennedy Administration.     (That is probably one of the reasons that HSU stopped football back in the 1960's.      )

[Toby Taff]

I wonder if teams like NCC, Wesley, St. Thomas, Linfield, etc., have an answer for THAT escalation?

UMHB's new digs will look great.  Maybe the new facilities will help develop quarterbacks that can accurately throw the forward pass? 

Maybe, but I bet it helps keep the running back machine in place.

I really have to wonder if a school making a $25 million investment in a football stadium truly wants to stay in D3.   The whole idea of spending so much on a single sport - especially at a school with a relatively modest endowment like UMHB - doesn't align well with the classic D3 philosophy.

I agree with the above.  If this stadium gets done I'd look for UMHB to jump in the not too distant future. 

I can't completely shake that feeling either, but over on the ASC board the Chancellor of the school is saying that's not in the plans. In fact all I have ever heard from anyone who would know is that the plan is to stay D3. However, it would be funny if UMHB went D2 and ended up in the same conference as McM.

[doolittledog]

I really have to wonder if a school making a $25 million investment in a football stadium truly wants to stay in D3.   The whole idea of spending so much on a single sport - especially at a school with a relatively modest endowment like UMHB - doesn't align well with the classic D3 philosophy.

I agree with the above.  If this stadium gets done I'd look for UMHB to jump in the not too distant future. 

A few things to note here... 

Unfortunately, $25million isn't all that much of an investment anymore to put up a structure of any kind.  A football stadium, like a science lab, is all part of what attracts students to a campus.  Gone are the days a school could just roll in some aluminum bleachers and call it good enough.

That drawing makes the stadium look a bit bigger than what the final product will really look like.  From pics that I saw, that lower level is 11 rows and the stated capacity is 8k - 10k.  That isn't all that much bigger than most D3 schools.  It would compare to most WIAC stadiums.

We could be seeing a "keeping up with the Jones" here.  With the recent anouncement that McMurry was moving to D2, maybe UMHB will want to follow.

As to the topic at hand...I think Salem has done a great job of hosting the Stagg Bowl.  It would be great to keep the game there.  But...it might also be fun to see the Stagg Bowl move for the same reasons it was fun to see the FCS championship game recently move from the eastern US to the Dallas area.  The east coast FCS fans were in a tizzy.  The majority of schools and fans were on the east coast...you can't move the game away from our area...Texas won't care about small college football...on and on.  In the end, the fans that attended the game thought Frisco, TX and Pizza Hut Park put on a great show and the newer stadium looked great on TV compared to the older facility in Chatanooga that previously had hosted the game. 

It might not be a bad idea to rotate the game every 5 years or so around the regions to increase awareness of the Stagg Bowl around the nation.   

[Ralph Turner]

I really have to wonder if a school making a $25 million investment in a football stadium truly wants to stay in D3.   The whole idea of spending so much on a single sport - especially at a school with a relatively modest endowment like UMHB - doesn't align well with the classic D3 philosophy.

I agree with the above.  If this stadium gets done I'd look for UMHB to jump in the not too distant future. 

A few things to note here... 

Unfortunately, $25million isn't all that much of an investment anymore to put up a structure of any kind.  A football stadium, like a science lab, is all part of what attracts students to a campus.  Gone are the days a school could just roll in some aluminum bleachers and call it good enough.

That drawing makes the stadium look a bit bigger than what the final product will really look like.  From pics that I saw, that lower level is 11 rows and the stated capacity is 8k - 10k.  That isn't all that much bigger than most D3 schools.  It would compare to most WIAC stadiums.

We could be seeing a "keeping up with the Jones" here.  With the recent anouncement that McMurry was moving to D2, maybe UMHB will want to follow.

As to the topic at hand...I think Salem has done a great job of hosting the Stagg Bowl.  It would be great to keep the game there.  But...it might also be fun to see the Stagg Bowl move for the same reasons it was fun to see the FCS championship game recently move from the eastern US to the Dallas area.  The east coast FCS fans were in a tizzy.  The majority of schools and fans were on the east coast...you can't move the game away from our area...Texas won't care about small college football...on and on.  In the end, the fans that attended the game thought Frisco, TX and Pizza Hut Park put on a great show and the newer stadium looked great on TV compared to the older facility in Chatanooga that previously had hosted the game. 

It might not be a bad idea to rotate the game every 5 years or so around the regions to increase awareness of the Stagg Bowl around the nation.    

I am extremely skeptical that any of the places that you mentioned will be able to enlist the huge cadre of volunteers and community support that makes the Stagg Bowl so successful!

Frisco Tx?  Community support for a D-III event?  Never happen!!! (with 3 exclamation points!!!)  Look at how much work goes into Dallas Cup, arguably the premier Youth Soccer tournament in the World if not Top 5!

[skunks_sidekick]

As someone who has had the privilege of attending most of the recent Staggs, I vote for "ANY PLACE FRICKIN' WARM"!  How about the Bahamas?  They are very big on tourism, and you can get a fairly cheap flight there.   

[hickory_cornhusker]

As someone who has had the privilege of attending most of the recent Staggs, I vote for "ANY PLACE FRICKIN' WARM"!  How about the Bahamas?  They are very big on tourism, and you can get a fairly cheap flight there.   

I think it would be a little weird to have our national championship game held in a foreign country.

[Raider 68]

Another site other than Salem would IMHO, have to more several advantages over Salem. I agree that a warmer climate location would be nice, but travel costs, fan support and city support are huge factors.

[etbu27]

You know as I read the comments on here and the arguments about where the stagg bowl should be I got to thinking....why not the west coast? Im obviously a Texas kid and im not ignorant enough to think that it would be a total pain in the *** for the participating teams to travel but I think it could sell the D-III game in a new market. California kids are very much more likely to go to community colleges and jucos then transfer. Why not take a national championship game and put it in their backyard? The game could show them that we arent such a bad option.
Not to mention the warmer weather, nice destination, and with cities with populations like San Diego, San Fran, LA ect. Volunteers would not be an issue IMO. 

[Pat Coleman]

I think it continues to be an issue of fan travel, not just team travel.

[etbu27]

I think another interesting solution could be regional playoff games. What I mean is fixed locations for the national semi-final and quarterfinals?
This will undeniably get negative attention but I have never been a fan of home playoff games.

[Ralph Turner]

I think another interesting solution could be regional playoff games. What I mean is fixed locations for the national semi-final and quarterfinals?
This will undeniably get negative attention but I have never been a fan of home playoff games.

How do you pay for it?  You have increased the number of plane flights by as many as 6.

For those who have seen the numbers, just how much more expensive is a plane flight trip for the NCAA?

[Mr. Ypsi]

I think another interesting solution could be regional playoff games. What I mean is fixed locations for the national semi-final and quarterfinals?
This will undeniably get negative attention but I have never been a fan of home playoff games.

How do you pay for it?  You have increased the number of plane flights by as many as 6.

For those who have seen the numbers, just how much more expensive is a plane flight trip for the NCAA?

Not to mention the possible embarassment of a semi-final game with 600 fans.

[wesleydad]

since i have attended the last 5 for no other reason than to hang out with great peopel, stone station, and enjoy a good game, i dont see any reason to change it.  warmer would be nice, but those of us who were there 2 years ago in the blizzard had a ball and will have stories to tell for years to come, dont get them in warm climate.  it is easy to get to from most of d3 and the city wants it which from what i hear is a huge advantage and they do a great job.  moving it just to move it makes no sense to me.