The State of YSU athletics

[paladin]

 Dropped  over to look at the athletic site  and was floored at how bad the athletic program has gotten.  Looking at the baseball team, an expensive program to run with trips down  south for days on end running up bills for rooms, food and travel,  they are currently 3-20 with more   losses coming. This program has been a consistent BIG loser for several years. Over at softball, they are 16-15. Mens tennis is 5-11 and women's tennis is 8-9. Track, outside of an individual here or there doing well,  has nothing to show for a team.

On the heels of the losing basketball season, one,   of just many for over a decade and the fall out of  athletes leaving the programs, it looks like another banner year of losing in athletics for YSU.  Based on the AD remarks in the paper several years ago.............. "we aren't trying to win  championships", how long does this 3rd rate athletic dept get a pass  and be allowed to continue on its merry way ?

Football may be next to fall.

But, hey, we got a Youngstown  guy in charge of athletics, right ?

[goodnews]

In the past baseball had to raise $$ to make ends meet as they have little alumni support... Not sure that this is still the case but your 100% right the expenses must be ungodly... How bad is PITT baseball as we beat them?

[paladin]

Hell. I forgot they have to rent out the Pro Stadium in Niles too. Has to be a terrible waste of $$$$$$$$$$$$$ on a  MAJOR  losing minor program.

[Wick250]

Paladin,

I also have a dim view of Ron Strollo's capacity as an athletic director.  The difference between us is that I do not say the same thing on this board 175 times over the course of a year.  Football has declined seriously in performance and fan interest, basketball has become basically irrelevant, and baseball is an outright embarrassment.  The man at the top is responsible for all of that.

However, since you brought women's sports into the conversation, you are on shaky ground with your criticism here.  About four years ago, our women's programs were collectively among the worst in the DI universe.  Not any longer.  In fact, making logical projections to include the spring season, of the ten female sports we will win at least three league championships and finish either second or third in four others.  No other school will match that performance.  Does that compensate for failure in football and basketball?  Of course not, but Strollo deserves credit here not additional derision.

Rather than your obsession with Strollo, here is something better to ponder.  The university must cut $8 million from the budget for the next fiscal year.  Athletics escaped the last round of cuts but they won't this time.  Let's see if Strollo finally downsizes his bloated administration instead of cutting recruiting budgets.

[ysufan0505]

It all comes down to $$$$$$$. But something has to change, otherwise some sports will be getting dropped.

[Penguin Nation]

I believe that routine mediocrity, or even less than mediocrity, reflects poorly on the University.  All things should be pursued with the goal of excellence.  If excellence is not achievable with current (or future) funding, than changes must be considered. 

I understand that the Horizon League will not retain YSU as a member if we don't participate in all sports.  If that is true, maybe YSU needs to consider a conference change, or even a change to Division 2. 

Maybe there are ways to achieve additional funding through alumni and community support, if the right strategy was pursued.

Yes, there are areas of promise in some sports like track and WBB.  As a lifetime fan of YSU sports, I don't recall this degree of not only failure, but seeming hopelessness that it'll ever improve.  Success breeds success, and failure breeds failure, and at this point it seems like the athletic department (particularly the signature sports) are just spinning the drain.

[stuperman17]

How bad is PITT baseball as we beat them?

Surprisingly not bad.  In fact, they just beat the #1 team in the country (Virginia) this past weekend.  They've also swept VaTech at the end of March, who were ranked #23.   How YSU beat them, who knows?..

[paladin]

Wick

I'll add that women's soccer finished 4-13-1 this year and volleyball is 16-15. Please identify the teams who won championships this year and   who finished second. I don't see it. Women's basketball has been up and down but mostly down over the last 10 years.  I believe my point is justified.

Look at the travel involved  in these sports. Baseball is the one that jumps out at me.  They stay for DAYS in the south many times meaning motel rooms, three meals a day and transportation expense in addition to renting the Pro field in Niles. All for a current 3-20 record (and previous MAJOR losing records  before) with more losing to come.  Baseball can't be justified.

If the records aren't reflective enough, coach selection by the AD has been well displayed before  with some HORRIBLE hires.  The facilities upgrade are something a chimp would do at another university. And you are correct, the dept is OVERSTAFFED, many of whom show little abilities in doing their job.

I see the dept as headed by a "political" hire ( local boy) and run with political goals ( keep the big buck guys happy with perks and special treatment) while the programs are major losers, the coaches suspect and the recruits obviously  less than the competition . And all that has been going on since the "local boy" was hired.

Of course it makes the University look bad. YSU is often a laughing stock. This is a major NEGATIVE for the University. When is someone going to wake up and do something ?

P.S. -- The HL shows YSU men is not the current champ in anything and the YSU women are current champs only in cross country and indoor track . That's it.

[Wick250]

Paladin,

Here is the roundup for women's sports through the winter.  Six sports contested: cross-country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, swimming, and indoor track.  YSU women won cross-country and indoor track, as you noted, and finished third in basketball and volleyball (lost in the conference tournament semis, which is what counts.)  Spring sports for the women are traditionally strong.  Track team are overwhelming favorites, with softball and tennis probably finishing no worse than third.  I don't have a read on golf but they usually always finish in the top three.  So leaving golf out, for the 10 female sports we are looking at 3 championships and 4 finishes at third or better.  If golf performs at the usual level, that elevates to 5 finishes at third or better.   Bottom line is the women will win three titles and finish in the top three in either 70% or 80% of league sports.  That is not failure.  Outside of track and cross-country (both second place finishes so far) the less said about the men, the better.

[paladin]

The HL standings list YSU women as 4th with 10-6 record and 15-16 overall. Men's  BB finished 7th at 6-10 and 15-17 overall. I believe you are looking at the HL Championship meets. The HL is not a strong competitive league for women on the national level, YSU wins few titles and the other finishes aren't important. The season records are poor. Very poor. Translation ?  Not much to talk about. The few successes still supports my point  -- YSU sports overall suck and are a bad reflection on the University

[IAA Fan]

I am sorry, but the state of Olympic sports at YSU is the best it has EVER been. EVER EVER EVER ...at least since the advent of Title-IX.

Wick, your comment on women's sports is the only decent thing in this thread ...so why not take it all the way. Title-IX has been the bane of existence and single handedly destroying all football-playing non big-6 athletic programs in the nation. Enough with the gender equity BS behind the movement.

Factor in that we barely have fielded teams for these sports since the passage of title-IX. Call me a chauvinist or what ever you want, but it is a joke. You should credit Stollo where credit is due. The best thing that could happen to YSU is to press for more schools to participate in women's football. All of our women's scholarships in one swoop, with a single outlay for facilities and travel. Then we could dump all of the other women's sports that cost too much.

The decision to participate in any sport should be at the sole discretion of a given university ..not the Federal government, NCAA, or other bureaucracies.

Sports like Golf, softball, baseball and track are always going to participate in warm-weather tournaments ...try fielding any kind of varsity team without doing that. It is one of the few carrots that we can offer. I would also point out that YSU baseball is perhaps the most decorated of our men's programs ...in terms of pro-players. Yes I am very disappointed with 2013-14. This team is two-starters away from a great club; which is how we beat Pitt. Unfortunately he is probably going to have to break up the rotation so we will never know. I personally favor playing out the rest of the season with the pitching staff in tact ...then going out a bringing in some starters and 1 more consistent power-hitter at #4 or #5.

[paladin]

I note that the HL site shows YSU softball at 5th with 3-4 record and 16-15 overall. Volleyball is listed at 5th with a7-7 HL record. Women's tennis is  8-10 overall and 3-1 HL. Men's tennis is 1-2 HL and 5-11 overall. Women's soccer was 7th ( of 8 teams).

Poor or mediocre.

[ysufan0505]

The only sport that is doing horrible is and has no indication of improving anytime soon is baseball. As for the women's sports.... Basketball, volleyball and soccer are on the rise. Solid coaches and they will be competitive for years to come. Softball is coming along, it's nice that they finally a stadium to call their own. Same with soccer....
One thing I've always wondered, now more than ever. Why does YSU not have a men's soccer team? There are quality soccer programs in NE Ohio, just look at Akron who won the national championship a couple years ago. Especially now with a new soccer complex, why not create a men's team?

[goodnews]

Baseball has a few wins and a handful of close games..  A telling stat 24 games into the season the team has been outscored 208 - 97..  In addiiton they have committed 35 errors.. Not the recipe for success..

[penguinpower]

Paladin,

I also have a dim view of Ron Strollo's capacity as an athletic director.  The difference between us is that I do not say the same thing on this board 175 times over the course of a year.  Football has declined seriously in performance and fan interest, basketball has become basically irrelevant, and baseball is an outright embarrassment.  The man at the top is responsible for all of that.

However, since you brought women's sports into the conversation, you are on shaky ground with your criticism here.  About four years ago, our women's programs were collectively among the worst in the DI universe.  Not any longer.  In fact, making logical projections to include the spring season, of the ten female sports we will win at least three league championships and finish either second or third in four others.  No other school will match that performance.  Does that compensate for failure in football and basketball?  Of course not, but Strollo deserves credit here not additional derision.

Rather than your obsession with Strollo, here is something better to ponder.  The university must cut $8 million from the budget for the next fiscal year.  Athletics escaped the last round of cuts but they won't this time.  Let's see if Strollo finally downsizes his bloated administration instead of cutting recruiting budgets.

Good post Wick.

I would like to add that I believe the root cause of the issue is the poor job YSU does in obtaining money from corporate sponsors.  With all of the oil money in the area, with the expansion of the tuber mill, YSU needs a corporate booster to infuse several million per year.  There is an ineptness on how to go out and get the money free from the deep pockets.