March Madness should be our focus not football.

[YSUGO]

After watching some of March Madness and how our team brought out the crowds and sparked interest.  I feel the university will get more bang for the buck by investing into Basketball
1. First of all we are in a conference with some natural rivals
Cleveland St and Wright.
2.  If we can get to the dance.
We are on every bracket and on a national Stage
 The economics of it make sense.  Our level of football nobody gives a crap.  Plus we are in a conference that we have no reason to be in other than the same BS it’s the SEC of football.
Ask Furman, ask Fairleigh Dickerson Chicago St and past schools like Butler if a conference mattered etc.

You get way more media and exposure than an FCS championship.  I asked people down here Do you know who won’t be FCS football championship this year?  They went what’s that?

I love our football but I don’t see us being a consistent winner or a major player in our conference we will always be just one of the other Schools plus the Dakotas.  Look at the SEC it’s Bama, Georgia, and sometimes LSU.

Again I would probably change my mind if we went to another conference or moved up.

[YsuPride]

Where do you live?   

[YSUGO]

I live below Gainesville, Fl.  Ocala is the city. 

[guinpen]

Play another money football game each year and do both.

[YSUGO]

Good point about playing another money game.  Right now I’m giving Phillips time to rebuild but will that translate into enough wins to generate interest with the fans. 

[Wick250]

It should never be football versus basketball. The goal should be success in both so that fans are happy and coming to the campus often between September and March.

That said, stressing basketball is a dubious proposition in the Mahoning Valley. This area has long been recognized as a football-baseball region. About a month ago there was a survey circulating on the internet that listed Youngstown as producing the third most pro athletes all time on a per capita basis. I suspect that the methodology here was flawed but the data did tend to support the reputation of the region.  It suggested that Youngstown had turned out 72 pro football players, 32 major league baseball players, and just one NBA player.

[ytownchief22]

Much, much easier to have success in Basketball than Football. YSU football program is dying and there is little interest so let's ride the success and excitement that Calhoun and staff have brought this year.

[Double ET]

I am into both YSU football and basketball. I am more a football fan than basketball fan.
Having said that, there is no denying that, this year, we almost took down 2 power 5 basketball teams ( Norte Dame and Oklahoma State).
I don’t think we have any chance for doing that in football.

[YSUGO]

I have always said the way FCS is set up it’s not an equal playing field you have non scholly conferences partial scholly conferences and the big boys like Dakota and Montana and Delaware.  Their FB budget is what 2 or 3 times than a school in the Patriot conference or the NEC.  We are beating our heads into the wall trying to compete in the MVFC and our budget my guess is bottom half.  Why not go to a lower tier conference and be the big fish make the playoffs people will especially in Youngstown come out for a winner and then invest some more bucks in Basketball.  Just saying

[ytownchief22]

Akron and Kent have been to the NCAA tournament multiple years. There is zero reason that YSU can't do the same. Time to finally invest some money into the program!!

[YSUGO]

Watching FDU and Florida Atlantic playing for a bid to. The Sweet Sixteen and listening to the fans in the Ohio St arena  makes me feel even more adamant that we need to invest more into Basketball.  Calhoun said college basketball has changed and we needed to improve facilities and NIL.  With the portal being as it is YSU can be the next FDU.  We cannot miss a chance to get to the next level.  We need to use our success in both basketball ball programs to get what we need.  Let’s not miss out like we did in football. 

[YsuPride]

Much easier to turn around basketball at YSU than football.   Just need like 3 or 4 good players in Basketball and need at least 30 in football.  Ain't going to happen in football.  I go to both football and basketball games and by far the basketball games this year were way better than the atmosphere for football.   This used to be a football area but now it's not as prevalent and rest of the sports are catching up.   Plus our population in the area is declining since the 1970's and 80's to where it is today.   So basketball is the way to go now.  It will strengthen football with a successful men's and women's basketball team year in and year out.   Need to raise money for a overhaul of Beeghly center now

[YSUinBoston]

Obviously, this is a bit of a false choice and biased after a fun basketball season. That said----I agree that the conference is certainly more fun with natural rivals. I feel also like it is easier to envision what success looks like in basketball here and how to get to that point. With FCS football, and college football in general, I feel like there is another shoe that is due to drop. Competitively, the sport is structured really weird. I just don't see how/why MAC programs are considered the same level as SEC, for example. I am hopefully there is a real overhaul to the system and at some point YSU is able to compete in a more regionally relevant conference in football. Jumping to BCS football seems dumb right now to me as the "who care?" is basically the same for FCS football and whatever crappy bowl game the MAC champ plays in. But, if there was a mid-division division I, then I think that is something to aspire to that includes your MAC school, etc. Let the semi-professional college teams have their own division. 

[YsuPride]

Who could name a bowl that the Mac schools are a part of?   i don't think 99% of the fan base can.  I don't even know.

[YsuPride]

Bowl game in Detroit is all that I can think of