Youngstown Football 2024 Report card. Tired of excuses! What needs to be done!

[guinpen]

Doubt that it would happen, but I would not mind being in the NEC. It would be a step down but more local interest with at least 4 schools within a 2-hour drive. Would save on travel costs big time.

Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?

If YSU wants to stay where we are then they need to make the commitment to do what it takes to compete. Administration, AD office, coaching or money whatever it takes.

[YsuPride]

I fully agree quinpen.

[YSUGO]

I have advocated us going to the NEC or another conference for Years.  Travel recruiting and our budget would fit. 
We could dominate and get to the playoffs alot more.  Nobody is excited we are in the N Mr MVFC.  It’s destroyed our football program little by little and now it’s in fumes.  It’s about winning and getting to the dance.  Not bragging we play in the toughest conference in FCS.  You get no trophy for being the homecoming game for the Dakotas every year

[peteonastick]

With the portal and NIL we should be able to compete with any team in the FCS. It takes some balls, leadership, and 💰!!  About three things we are lacking right now!  Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃

[YSUGO]

Pete wish I could be as optimistic as you if we could do fix things with the portal, etc. but I think things start at the top here and what we’re seeing with all the with all major programs, we are starting to slip. Money is an issue is a at the job of the athletic director to find revenue sources. The current A.D. has done a great job of upgrading the minor sports facilities but when it comes seeing trends I’m keeping up with what’s going on. He’s done a poor job. Where do we find the money? Not for us to figure out his job to figure out but he’s been on record. He’s happy just to compete. For football in the league we’re in. We are so far behind the eight ball and have been we just can’t seem to get through our thick skull at this league is the wrong league for us. It’s bad for the fans bad for the program bad for the kids hard travel to the games no identity to the league. if we’re gonna continue to stay in this division of football, sometimes’s gotta change it’s gonna take way more than money. We need a new vision at the top. We need to be in a new league. We can’t afford to go up a division sometimes I think we need to drop a division, but I think a new league would energize the program but we will hear we’re in a toughest league blah blah blah if we can’t win there blah blah blah I say blah blah blah get the hell out of this league anyways, let’s hope we can find the money and get better get better coaches for the head coach cause he sucks

[Wick250]

The problem is not money. As UCF documented with his research last month, we pay our coaches quite well. The problem is that Strollo won't hold a national search that could uncover a successful, highly motivated man with HEAD COACHING experience. Discounting Pelini who was thrust upon him by popular demand, Strollo hired Wolford and Phillips. Both men failed. Both men are not head coaching material.

And there are good head coaches out there from D2 and the lower ranks of FCS. Locate one and hire him. Easy to do since that man is surely not making 300k. The Youngstown State football head coaching job should always go to a man who has earned it through his head coaching accomplishments. It should NEVER involve any "on the job training." It should NEVER go to some crony who has connections but lacks everything else.

[goodnews]

Kutztown Head Coach.  Regional and proven track record in turning around programs in both D2 and D3.  You live pretty well in Ytown for $300k.

[Wick250]

Kutztown Head Coach.  Regional and proven track record in turning around programs in both D2 and D3.  You live pretty well in Ytown for $300k.

Excellent find, Goodnews.

A five time regional coach of the year. 90-28 in a decade of D2 coaching. 156-52 in his entire career as a head coach. But why would YSU want or need a guy like this? We already have a loser named Doug Phillips!

[Kandrase]

Under 9000 a game and that is what the numbers say and not butts in seats that's for sure.  Attendance will keep sliding unless we turn the season around soon.  I expect us to be in the NEC in 5 years because we cannot compete in the  MVFC anymore.

Under 9,000 is crazy low. I was just looking at stats for Division 3 powerhouse Wisconsin Whitewater, they averaged 13,071 for their home games this year.

Now UWW is unusually large for a D3 school, but it's still embarrassing that we can't even get our attendance in the same ballpark as their program. 

We can't even just blame the Buckeyes either, considering Wisconsin also has a Big Ten team that most of the state roots for, I think it just comes down to lack of success, marketing, and culture around the program.

Well shoot... after some additionally digging now I'm not sure what to think, we're at least getting more fans than our FBS friends:

Kent State average attendance 8,447
Akron average attendance  6,374

[dwj]

Unlike most universities the big money backers do not care about winning.  They just care about keeping it local and getting their name put on something.  So Strollo is keeping them happy and keeping their money coming in.

[Kandrase]

Unlike most universities the big money backers do not care about winning.  They just care about keeping it local and getting their name put on something.  So Strollo is keeping them happy and keeping their money coming in.

I was only able to pull data from the last 10 years but the Phillips era has NOT put butts in seats

2024     8974 (4-8) Phillips
2023     9180 (8-5, playoffs) Phillips
2022     10065 (7-4) Phillips
2021   10512 (3-7) Phillips
2020   - WEIRD SPRING SEASON
2019     12021 (6-6) Bo
2018     11544 (4-7) Bo
2017     14203 (6-5) Bo
2016     12438 (12-4, championship appearance) Bo
2015    14854 (5-6) Bo
2014    12096 (7-5) Wolford

[YsuPride]

That is way too low.  Either we make him leave or we will suffer attendance losses well below that next year. Remember we are having our home opener on a Thursday 2nd day of Canfield Fair.  Strollo at his best.

[guinpen]

On the bright side it would seem that YSU is the D1 mecca of college football in NE Ohio.

[goodnews]

Love or hate, Bo and Eric brought energy to the sidelines.  Although sometimes over the edge they were both entertaining and passionate in their own way!   

[robmat2571]

YSU is in the midst of dark winter in the athletic department.  I'm not sure if any of the major sports are on the rise and most of them seem to be in the decline.  Give me something tangible to be excited about when it comes to YSU sports.  What can we be genuinely optimistic about?