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2011 Ball State Season Rewind: Cards Go to the Movies Part 1.

Posted on January 2, 2012 by nathanpace

Rather than just do a standard year in review I looked at the 12 games this season and matched them to movies that came out in 2011. Hope you find it entertaining.

Captain America: Ball State 27 Indiana 20

Who knew Hollywood got their ideas from Ball State football in 2011?

I must confess I was unhappy the game was moved to Indy but this night could not have gone any better for Ball State. Beating IU had a “patriotic” feel to it as the “cupcakes from Bloomington,” as Coach Pete Lembo labeled the Hoosiers, were sent packing.

It was amazing seeing the Ball State offensive line that had been pushed around by the likes of New Hampshire and Liberty under Stan Parrish open up a can on a Big Ten Conference team. Granted, Indiana is the high school dropout turned drug addict member of the Big Ten but that does not take anything away from this win.

Transformers Dark of the Moon: South Florida 35 Ball State 7

Expectations were out of control as some people I knew actually thought Ball State would win this game. Reality hit us all as we were reminded that South Florida is bigger, faster, and playing their home opener after defeating Notre Dame.

It was kind of like my expectations for the recent Transformers movie. I was pumped to see the battle scenes but then remembered that Shia LaBeouf was the star, Megan Fox had been replaced with someone with even less talent and Michael Bay was still the director. The high expectations came crashing down.

Lincoln Lawyer: Ball State 28 Buffalo 25

Ball State came out swinging in this game and built a lead going into half. Then things started slipping away as Buffalo took 25-21 edge in the fourth quarter. Ball State faced a fourth and 13 but Keith Wenning channeled Tim Tebow and pulled it out. The Cardinals then converted on a fourth and seven and scored the touchdown to win. It was the moment where we all knew Keith Wenning was growing into something special.

Wenning’s performance on the drive was similar to Matthew McConaughey’s role in “Lincoln Lawyer.” McConaughey made a late comeback in the courtroom while Wenning made a late comeback on the field. That fourth quarter drive was probably the most thrilling series I saw Ball State make. After so many failures, many in the stands expected Ball State to fold. The offense would not let that happen.

X-Men First Class: Ball State 48 Army 28

This was a complete team win as Ball State dominated every aspect of the game. Seeing Ball State blow out a FBS school that beat Northwestern took me by surprised. I took pictures of the scoreboard just to make sure what I was seeing was real.

Everything came together just as each player brought something to the table like each of the mutants having their own distinct power in X-Men. Wenning had his best game. Barrington Scott and Jahawn Edwards were great running the ball. Willie Sneed had his coming out party at Wide Receiver. The defense shut down Army’s triple option and Sean Baker had another interception. Army did not earn a single yard passing. This was the best performance Ball State has had since Nate Davis was chucking the ball to Dante Love.

scoreboard

We support our troops in Muncie. Just not on the football field.

Harry Potter: Oklahoma 62 Ball State 6

Ball State needed some magic to beat then No. 2 Oklahoma but Harry Potter was nowhere to be seen. I wish Ball State did not schedule this game. Fans pay more attention to you when you play a top team in the country but at what cost? Students kept saying “Didn’t we lose 62-6” for weeks afterword as the Oklahoma game became the only score a majority of the student body could recall. The Army win and momentum from it was virtually erased.

The following Monday safety Joshua Howard gave a doctor’s excuse to my professor for being late to our class and told her he was being tested for a concussion. Losing was bad enough but the injuries on defense were worse. I fail to see how the $900,000 Ball State was paid to take the beating made up for it. The game did not even provide much media exposure either.

If you are still convinced this game should have been scheduled picture what might have happened if Ball State played a Sun Belt conference school like Florida Atlantic and got the win. With seven wins Ball State probably would have played a bowl game. Hope that money buys something nice. If you thought this was bad enough…

Paranormal Activity 3: Temple 42 Ball State 0

A three hour horror movie on a football field. I will try to focus on the positives … uh, Ball State only played Temple once.

What is really damaging is this game discouraged many students from going to another game this season. Finding a buddy to go to a Ball State game with became like trying to find a Republican in California. The defense was depleted with injuries so I guess that is a good excuse. I guess?

The school has to do their homework in the future when it comes to scheduling a homecoming opponent. Ball State students are 95 percent casual fans who only pay attention to the home opener and homecoming. If the Cardinals lose either of those games badly students are not coming back next time. The casual Ball State student does not know the difference between Temple and Eastern Michigan. They just know the Cardinals lost 42-0 to a MAC school at home and therefore Ball State must be terrible. All MAC schools are the same to them. Get a cupcake next year Tom Collins. One with vanilla icing and sprinkles please.

Part 2 of the year in review will come out next week. With the Temple game out of the way I guarantee it will be more upbeat.

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Cards Close ’11 on High Note in Classroom

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Alan

Way to go in the classroom, Cards

As the final week of 2011 winds itself down, I would think that most Cardinals fans are geeked beyond belief at the way the season went. While the Cardinals didn’t go bowling, the on-field successes of this year’s edition of the BSU football squad was not only unexpected by many, it could also prove to be a turning point for the football program should the successes continue. This particular season could lay not only the groundwork for the Lembo era and subsequent career in Muncie and beyond but perhaps be the turning point for Tom Collins era in Muncie as well. I would say no other MAC athletic director has suffered more direct and scathing criticism from the fanbase than Collins over his tenure, so to see him land the right hire and reduce the vocal majority’s yelling to no more than a murmur has been refreshing.

In addition to the on-field successes, the Cards put up a fair share of success in the classroom as well. From Coach Lembo’s most recent newsletter, the academic prowess for the Cards was exemplary in this fall 2011 semester, with four Cards achieving 4.0 GPAs. Having never gotten a 4.0 myself in college (I can’t speak for Edge or RV) I am keenly aware of how difficult that is. To be able to hit that mark while going through the schedule and work for FBS football is amazing. 34 Cards ended up with a 3.0 or better, and while not the gold star that a 4.0 is, hitting that mark with the rigors of football is impressive.

It isn’t all sunshine and roses for the Cardinals though, as Coach Lembo references there are more than a few that need to pick it up academically to continue to be able to play. As he puts it there are a “handful of players did not reach their potential and will have to put forth a much greater effort this spring in the classroom in order to be in good standing.” Whether that “handful” is a couple or a couple dozen isn’t known, but I’d say it’s much more likely to be on the low end of that scale.

Perhaps most ominous in his most recent newsletter was the strangely cryptic, “Only one freshman is in jeopardy of not returning for the spring due to his academic results from the fall semester.” Hopefully that won’t be an issue and things will get themselves corrected via finals and final grades. It’s troubling that that seems more about being able to remain in school as opposed to being able to play football, and that’s a far more serious issue as well as a significantly steeper hill to climb. Worst case scenario and this doesn’t work itself out by spring session and I doubt there will be any official release or news about it. Eventually we’ll just notice that Player X (or Player F as the case may be) isn’t on the roster anymore and that will be a shame. Academic issues and retention or some of the most pressing issues facing higher education today, doubly so in the athletic realm. To lose a member of the squad for academic issues in the face of the various systems of support in place is just sad.

Filed under: Academics, BallStateFootball | Leave a Comment »

Merry Christmas from OTP

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Alan

Merry Christmas! Shitter's full!

Judging by the marathon of A Christmas Story on TNT and the return of the NBA, that means it’s Christmas. Tomorrow we’ll be back with some news from the nest about all things BSU football related, but for now, the OTP team is going to be enjoying the company of family and friends as we hope all of you are as well. Wherever your Christmas travels take you we hope you make it their safely, and get to enjoy some time with those closest to you. Christmas is all about family, and outside of your actual family, there’s always the Ball State football family of a committed and passionate bunch of Cardinals. Consider OTP the intoxicated uncle who just never really knows what not to say.

Merry Christmas to all and we’ll see you back here tomorrow.

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Merry Christmas BSU Fans!

Posted on December 24, 2011 by nathanpace

This is only my second post with OTP and with Christmas it is time to bring out the big guns. I recorded this video from the stands with my roommate during Ball State’s 31-27 win over Central Michigan, and yes it is personally embarrassing. Especially the last three seconds. Making fun of myself is one of the few skills I am an expert at.

The quality is shaky but you can clearly see Sean Baker’s interception. You can also see Ball State Athletic Director Tom Collins celebrating on the sideline of the end zone.

If this video does not bring a smile to Ball State fans I do not know what will.  It is the best Christmas gift I have to offer. “Take that Chippeawas. That’s what you get for having an offensive Indian nickname.”

Filed under: BallStateFootball, FeelGood | Leave a Comment »

Dreams For MAC Teams Do Come True

Posted on December 20, 2011 by nathanpace

Who'd have thunk Frank Solich and Steve Addazio would be responsible for stoking the fires of hope

I have the seen the light. The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (that is actually the name) showed us that a MAC team can have their one shining moment on the football field.

Watching Ohio’s win over Utah State made me realize two things: my lack of a social life on a Saturday night, and that should have been Ball State.

It was hard to visualize what Ball State missed out on by not going to a bowl game. I saw it once Coach Frank Solich was nervously trying to answer questions in an interview while his players held a Gatorade bucket with his name on it.

The Ohio Bobcats won a bowl game for the first time in school history. They won during primetime TV on ESPN. On a Saturday with little else happening in the world of sports.

Ohio’s win is easy to downplay. The only fans there were the marching band and cheerleaders. The title of “Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Champions” is not something fans can be proud of with a straight face.

For a Ball State fan I am happy to see a MAC school like Ohio and Temple win a bowl game. It is great for the conference especially if it is a win over BCS team (Get it done Western Michigan).

But for Ohio, a team Ball State beat on their field, I felt jealous. I did not think the Cardinals win over the Bobcats was even among its top three performances of the season (Army, Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Ohio in that order) as the offense sputtered in the Ohio game.

Watching Ohio players splash their coach just made me picture Ball State in the same spot. Imagine Sean Baker and Joshua Howard trying to dunk Coach Pete Lembo after an amazing bowl win. Travis Freeman and Briggs Orsbon holding up the trophy while wearing “Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Champions” hats.

Before Ball State fans start spiking the eggnog it’s important to note Ohio threw away the MAC Championship game in the same way Congress trashes tax dollars. They bounced back in a smaller scale of what Ball State did from two years of Stan Parrish. It took Solich seven years to build the program in Athens to where it is now compared to one year for Lembo in Muncie.

I am still in college and I know for a fact that Ball State will win a bowl game in my life time. It may be some crazy sounding title that does not exist yet like the “Waste Management Bowl,” but Ball State will win a bowl game. No matter the name it will be a glorious moment where students, alumni, and random people in Muncie will say “That’s my school.” What Ohio and Temple fans felt Saturday is coming towards Ball State.

For God sakes I hope it is sooner rather than later.

(Note: The first column by Nathan Pace as a staff writer. If they only get better from here we’re all in for a treat – Ed.)

Filed under: BallStateFootball, BowlWeek | Leave a Comment »

OTP Expands the Roster, Welcome Nathan Pace

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Alan

The newest member of the OTP staff... Nathan Pace

I struggle to think of OTP as a small business. Granted, it’s a hell of a lot of work, but for something to be a business that would require things like a balance sheet and profits, and I think Dr. Shivaswamy from BSU would attest to the fact that my accounting skills paled in comparison to not only my love of sports but also my ability to bullshit. Hence, why I graduated as a sales major. Despite what I classify OTP as, the fact remains that sometimes the staff you have can’t meet the requirements that are in place. Granted, those requirements are self-imposed, but as I (and probably you the reader) have noticed over this season, real life is beginning to get in the way of this here happy fun time.

Edge has commitments like work, a music career, and a little thing called a family. RV is… well…. he’s RV. And as for me, while the ball and chain around my ankle isn’t a wife and kid, the real job is eating up a significant portion of the time and since the bank and Ford Credit doesn’t take “Love of Ball State” as a way to pay bills, sometimes that takes the priority. So what’s a BSU fansite to do? I’ll tell you what we do… we expand the ranks and pick up a tremendous free agent.

Some of you may remember the name “Nathan Pace” as the contributor of a guest column back before Thanksgiving about the dollars and cents of football at the FCS level. It was a great look at financials and generated a fair bit of discussion on many FCS sites. But that wasn’t just a cup of coffee here in the big leagues for Nathan. That article has parlayed into a full-time gig here at OTP as a staff writer.

Nathan brings an interesting perspective that frankly Edge, RV, and myself have long since abandoned, and that’s the student perspective. Aside from being a talented writer and BSU fan, Nathan is a current undergrad. Which means he’s not only significantly more connected to the ground level of support and atmosphere, he can also walk into Dill Street without seeming like the creepy weird old guy. Both those things are no longer true for any of the Founding Three, though the latter is probably even more noticeable than the former. You can read about Nathan on the About page and to answer your question in advance, “Yes, the fact he is from Kentucky like myself may have been what we call a ‘kickass sidebenefit’”.

The set details of Nathan’s various scheduled interludes with the OTP readership is still being hammered out and may change a bit as we dredge through the offseason, but it’s always nice to have a new person aboard with a fresh perspective and a unique ability to see and hear the things that we cannot. That student perspective may have been the piece missing on OTP for the last several years and it’s nice to finally have it. Welcome to Nathan and feel free to do so yourself via the comments.

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Briggs Orsbon Named Academic AllAmerican

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Alan

While ESPN is airing its college football awards show and the Heisman is this weekend, BSU got its own taste of award awesomeness today as senior wide receiver Briggs Orsbon was named a 1st Team Academic All American. Per the BSU release…

Briggs Orsbon, a senior member of the Ball State 2011 football team, has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Orsbon, who owns a 4.0 grade-point average on Ball State’s 4.0 scale as a risk management and finance major, is the first Ball State football player selected to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team since Travis Barclay was named to the squad in 2002 and 2003. Orsbon becomes only the eighth football student-athlete in school history to earn first-team honors.

“We could not be happier for Briggs to be the recipient of this prestigious honor,” Ball State first-year head coach Pete Lembo says. “He is a model student-athlete and a tremendous competitor. Briggs was a great leader and a major contributor to our team’s success this year. We are confident he will continue to be an asset to the University as an alum of our football program.”

A 2011 All-Mid-American Conference Second-Team selection, Orsbon was also a candidate for the 2011 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award. He is a two-time Capital One Academic All-District choice and a two-time Academic All-MAC recipient.

Orsbon, one of Ball State’s team captains in 2011, led the Cardinals with 66 catches for 649 receiving yards and four touchdown catches this season. In addition to his pass catching skills in 2011, Orsbon tallied a 19.9 yards per kickoff return average.

With his five catches at Northern Illinois this season, Orsbon became only the second player in Ball State history to tally 200 or more career receptions. He completed his career with 204 catches and ranks second in the Cardinals record books behind only Dante Ridgeway’s 238 receptions from 2002-04. With his 103 receiving yards at Western Michigan, Orsbon became only the sixth player in Ball State history to post over 2,000 yards receiving in a career. He completes his collegiate career with 2,218 receiving yards, which ranks fifth all time in Ball State history. Orsbon set MAC Championship Game records with a career high 13 catches for a career best 141 yards vs. Buffalo in the 2008 league title game.

Ball State entered the 2011-12 academic year ranked 32nd in the country all-time in Capital One Academic All-America selections.

The Cardinals finished the 2011 season with a 6-6 overall record and a 4-4 MAC mark. Ball State was bowl eligible for the first time since the 2008 season and won six games for the fourth time in 10 seasons.

The Cardinals may have closed the books on the ’11 season, but it’s nice to see Briggs get some love from the nation’s SIDs. I would venture a guess that if there were an award for a senior that has been through the most chaos in his career Briggs would be near the top of that list as well. Always nice to see a student-athlete get recognized for the “student” portion of that  moniker. Congrats, Briggs!

Filed under: Awards, BallStateFootball | Leave a Comment »

Hard to Believe It’s Actually Over for 2011

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Alan

No bowl for the Cards, but still a highly successful premier for Pete Lembo in Muncie

I know it’s been a couple of weeks since OTP has had anything Cardinal related. After a whirlwind of Thanksgiving travel, a trip to Muncie for the season finale, and then catching up on the actual job that pays for the bloggy goodness around here I think it’s time to finally come out of our shell and admit that yes, the season is officially over. And more importantly, the Cardinals are not going bowling despite their eligibility and 6-6 record, one of only two teams to reach eligibility and be left home. It’s a sinking feeling that these players and coaches aren’t rewarded for their work, it’s a punch in the stomach to see the program and institution that you love be left out and deemed not worthy compared to others, but to say that I’m not aflutter with optimism about the Ball State football program would be ignoring the overwhelming positive horizon for the short-term sting of bumpy seas.

When Pete Lembo was hired, both Edge and myself opined that 6-6 would be a banner first year. While I can’t speak for Edge, that prediction was far more optimism than reality. Realistically, after the last few years, there was no rational reason why .500 should be expected. 4-8 was far more reality, and with a few breaks, perhaps 5-7. But amazingly enough, the Cards ended 6-6, with 7-5 entirely in reach considering how close the NIU contest was. It’s amazing to me that despite the chaos and turmoil around Muncie the last few seasons in which the only consistency was the inconsistency from the top to the bottom, as of two weekends to play in the regular season the Cardinals were still in the hunt for the MAC West and the trip to Detroit for the MAC Championship that would deliver. Let’s not forget that this time last year people were ready to collectively freak right out that Tom Collins had been unable to hire a new head coach after giving Stanimal the old pink slip. The Cards were 4-8, the fans were in a tizzy, an FCS coach gets hired, OTP breaks the story, we get linked to by everyone from Fox 59 in Indy to the Ft. Wayne News-Sentinel to ESPN, BSU’s hand gets forced and they confirm the story. Suffice to say, it was strange days around Muncie, OTPManor, and really the entire Cardinal football nation.

That was roughly one year ago. And now, Cardinals fans, myself included, are grumbling about being excluded from the bowl festivities and the players being robbed of whatever goody bags sponsors are giving away. (Ed. Note: One year participants in one bowl got a recliner. How friggin’ cool is that?!) But can any substantive argument really be made for the Cardinals to extend their season? Has this BSU team done what needed to be done for a MAC team to be selected? Aside from my impassioned argument which would sound something like, “But I really love this team!!! And clearly that’s important you bowl-running money-hungry douchenozzles!” there isn’t an argument based in any semblance of reality that counters the real reality of the bowl season. It’s about money. It’s about fans. It’s about marketability. And frankly, unless a MAC school is required to be chosen, they won’t be. A 6-7 UCLA team is unfortunately a better selection in the dollars and cents of bowl season than a 6-6 Ball State club. Aside from the morality and principle of a sub-.500 team making a bowl, those 6-7 fans will still buy tickets, fill restaurants, sell merchandise, and book hotels at a greater clip than that .500 team fighting the good fight based not only in justice but also in high passion but low volume fandom. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but that’s a pill that by this point should go down smoother and smoother each time it’s forced down your gullet as the fan of a non-automatic qualifying conference team.

So what now for the Cardinals? It’s on to things like our annual senior send off, a glimpse of the ever evolving landscape of recruiting, and taking an extremely early look at next year’s depth chart. Maybe if I can persuade Edge to take a break from rocking facials in the East Central Indiana region we’ll have a podcast for your enjoyment before we officially close the books on the ’11 season. It’s been a hell of a ride, and I hope you enjoy the next few weeks between now and the national championship. It’s all we have between our current situation and the long cold offseason of college football.

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For BSU Fans, Loads to be Thankful For

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Alan

I'm sure the history books just forgot to mention that the pilgrims were BSU fans.

It’s Thanksgiving in case you haven’t noticed. And if you haven’t, good luck finding a turkey and the fixings this late in the game. You’d be better off to find some neighbors or a distant relative and crash into their gravy boat. It’s Thanksgiving and more likely than not, they’ll keep their disdain for your existence to themselves. It’s the nice thing to do, after all.

And on this day of thanks, it’s important for BSU football fans to also feel some sense of thankfulness for the current way of things in Muncie. Considering how the last two seasons unfolded, thankfulness wasn’t always the dominant emotion for Cardinals fans. So while unexpected and more than a little new, thankfulness is the order of the day here at OTP. Here’s some things we’re thankful for…

  • Pete Lembo: I think it goes without saying that Coach Lembo has done a tremendous job in his first eleven games in cardinal and white. Whether it continues and if it does how long he stays are issues for another day. Right now, I’m just thankful to be excited about BSU football again.
  • Tom Collins: I never thought I would write that. And frankly, there’s still a truckload of work to do, but Collins has nailed his last two hires in Billy Taylor and Pete Lembo. Kudos to Tom and I’m going to put a one-month moratorium on any Collins related digs here at OTP.
  • The Seniors: This senior class has seen more than any players should have to during a four-year career. Three different coaches, an undefeated regular season, a humbling MAC Championship, two years of Parrishian chaos and turbulence, a grumbling fan base, peaks and valleys of attendance, and a revolving door of coordinators and position coaches all colored their time here. Those that have persevered, in my mind, should go down as one of the reasons BSU football has been able to bounce back and they should all be considered legends in the annals of program history.
  • The Parents: I’m consistently amazed when I get feedback or a note from a parent of a current or former player. It’s a tangible reminder that underneath that helmet and shoulder pads is someone’s son. Edge met with parents in Oklahoma and I think it served as an example that perhaps the most committed and loyal are those with skin in the fight so to speak. It’s easy to sit back and critique someone’s performance or the direction of the program or the lack of rears in the seats at the Scheu, but through thick and thin, wins and losses, the parents are the lifeblood of the program and the ones who remember that it really isn’t about the fans, coaches, or jumbotrons. It’s about the players on the field.
  • The Dedicated BSU Fans: BSU fans come in quite a few different flavors, but those that are dedicated no matter the weather, no matter the record, and no matter the product on the field are what keeps this program going. It’s easy to be loud and boisterous when the team is 12-0 and ranked in the BCS standings. It’s harder to find those brave souls when the bottom is falling out of the 2010 season. For those that stuck with it and kept passionate, you know who you are, and you folks are the foundation of a fanbase that may not be as sizable or impressive as other programs’, but whose passion, knowledge, and love of the team is trumped by no one.

Most importantly and BSU related only tangentially, and I think I can speak for RV and Edge, we’re thankful that you’ve given us the opportunity to invade your brainholes in whatever way we can. Whether it be the postings here at the site, our Twitter or Facebook postings, or the podcast adventures we’ve had, we don’t take the responsibility of entertaining and informing the Cardinals fans lightly. The fact that there’s a group of folks who rely on OTP for their BSU news and commentary is an honor beyond belief. We’ll keep attempting to bring the awesome as long as you’ll have us, and we are immeasurably thankful for the loyalty and support. Happy Thanksgiving one and all, except Toledo fans and their team. Here’s hoping you eat some undercooked yams and spend most of the night battling the hershey squirts.

Happy Thanksgiving and Go Cards!

Filed under: BallStateFootball, OTP | Leave a Comment »

The Dollars and Cents of MidMajor Football: A Student Perspective

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Alan

Ed. Note – From time to time, OTP publishes something outside the normal scope of things around these parts. Today’s particular piece comes to us courtesy of Nathan Pace, BSU student, and is quite the interesting look at finances and money when it comes to college football. It’s been a common refrain from fans and supporters that BSU doesn’t do enough to support the program, so any and all information that can help paint a more complete picture of the way of things is always a welcome contribution. Enjoy…

College football, in the words of Puff Daddy, is all about the Benjamins, baby.

Winston Churchill’s quote, “Victory at all costs” applied to war, but many colleges back in America are applying it to football.

University athletic departments, specifically mid-majors, are spending more money than they are taking in and that includes Mid-American Conference schools like Ball State.

Ball State finished dead last in attendance among Football Bowl Subdivision [formerly Division 1-A] last season and the MAC finished last among the 11 conferences at that level.

Youngstown State in Ohio averaged over 6,000 fans more per home game than Ball State in 2010. Problem is Youngstown State is a Football Championship Subdivision member that has half the budget of its MAC counterpart.
“MAC schools are obviously Division 1 (FBS), they have to fund more scholarships for football,” Rick Love Associate Director of Athletics at Youngstown State said. “We’ve always been able to operate not on a shoestring but just stay within budget and have tried to operate very conscientiously and using the school’s money and budgeting.”

Most MAC schools have a budget of $20 million while FCS programs average around $10 million. According to the USA Today’s database on Division 1 athletic budgets, Ball State subsidizes athletics with student fees and funding from the university. Ball State generates over $9 million in student fees while Youngstown State has no student fees.

“Our budget is easily less than half of what most of the MAC schools operate on,” Love said. “For a long time we’ve done more with less than a lot of people.”

Indiana State is another FCS school but generated $5.58 million in student fees in 2009. The Sycamores have struggled on the field going winless for three years compared to the Penguins of Youngstown who have competed for national championships.

Yet even with lower attendance Indiana State only trails Ball State in ticket revenue for the 2009 season by roughly $200,000. Ball State spent $10 million more than Indiana State.

“In our opinion, at Indiana State, being FBS in football is not worth the costs.” Angie Lansing Assistant Athletic Director for Business Affairs said.

Indiana State’s game with Illinois State this past Saturday was streamed live nationally on ESPN3.com. Ball State’s win over Central Michigan was not, demonstrating that media exposure does not always favor FBS programs.

Student fees make up over 40 percent of the athletic budget at Ball State, but Lansing does not jump to the conclusion that struggling FBS programs should drop down to FCS to save money.

“With rising costs and strained budgets, it’s a difficult economic climate for many athletics programs around the country regardless of the level,” Lansing said.

Another FCS school in the area, Western Kentucky, made the jump up to FBS with mixed results. Western Kentucky’s first season as an FBS member was 2008 where the football team went 2-10 and winless the year after. The Hilltoppers have not made more money right away but believe they are progressing.

“We’re going in the right direction, it’s going to take a little while to get there and I think we realized that,” said Darrell Horn Associate Athletics Director at Western Kentucky. “I think right now we are very competitive in the Sun Belt right now. It’s just going to take a while to get there but we realized that.”

Western Kentucky may not be raking it in like other FBS schools but it has a leg up on Ball State in attendance and ticket sales. Western Kentucky averaged over 5,000 fans per game more than Ball State and a million dollars more in ticket sales. The Hilltoppers were able to raise a million dollars more in private contributions to the athletic department as well.

Horn says that moving up to the FBS level has improved the schools ability to recruit not just football players but student athletes in all sports.

“It helps your recruiting profile,” Horn said. “It helps your recruiting profile to move up to a D-1 school (FBS) in football I think it’s easier to recruit athletes across the board to all your programs.”

Love at Youngstown State says he likes where his school is it as it can compete for a national championship in FCS level.

“We’ve kind of enjoyed the opportunity to go the playoffs and play for a championship on the field and to have playoff games in our stadium and participate in postseasons,” Love said. “We have a pretty good history and tradition here and enjoy the level of football that we’re at.”

Filed under: FCS, MAC, VisitingColumnists | Leave a Comment »

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