How to build a team

[SunkistNiceDrink]

I go to UB, otherwise known as the worst team in division 1-A. And many of the students here desperately want a good team, or even just a mediocre team that can hope for .500 once every couple of years. A while back a candidate for governor named Tom Golisano (owns Paychex a big company around here) in exchange for us changing our name to University of New York i.e University of Nebraska, Texas, Michigan etc. would pump money into our football program and try to eventually get us to the point where we might compete for the MAC title. It was turned down, because our faculty is hostile to sports. Hypothetically, what would be the best way to go about turning around an ailing program like ours if you had the kind of money that Golisano would put into it? I was just thinking that Buffalo isn't going to get that great of recruits, maybe some from PA or OH and MI, but New England isn't exactly a football powerhouse. Would it be best to try and get a high profile coach with the lure of a gigantic salary? Or put the money into better facilities? Weather control devices? :-) Our faculty is very half-assed about our program because they don't understand that football brings not only dollars, but better freshman prospects. Sports programs bring visibility and money that helps getting top faculty as well. Its just frustrating because we are bad in every single sport, and I think if we had a decent football program, the entire campus would be more fun to live on.

[Noles Fan in MA]

I go to UB, otherwise known as the worst team in division 1-A. And many of the students here desperately want a good team, or even just a mediocre team that can hope for .500 once every couple of years. A while back a candidate for governor named Tom Golisano (owns Paychex a big company around here) in exchange for us changing our name to University of New York i.e University of Nebraska, Texas, Michigan etc. would pump money into our football program and try to eventually get us to the point where we might compete for the MAC title. It was turned down, because our faculty is hostile to sports. Hypothetically, what would be the best way to go about turning around an ailing program like ours if you had the kind of money that Golisano would put into it? I was just thinking that Buffalo isn't going to get that great of recruits, maybe some from PA or OH and MI, but New England isn't exactly a football powerhouse. Would it be best to try and get a high profile coach with the lure of a gigantic salary? Or put the money into better facilities? Weather control devices? :-) Our faculty is very half-assed about our program because they don't understand that football brings not only dollars, but better freshman prospects. Sports programs bring visibility and money that helps getting top faculty as well. Its just frustrating because we are bad in every single sport, and I think if we had a decent football program, the entire campus would be more fun to live on.

Can you really blame the faculty? Money needs to go to academics over sports, especially at the MAC level type school. Buffalo never should have left D1-AA. They do not have the money Syracuse has, nor are they in a recruiting rich area.

[Scipiotik]

Your situation is trying to get blood from a stone.

[SunkistNiceDrink]

Can you really blame the faculty? Money needs to go to academics over sports, especially at the MAC level type school. Buffalo never should have left D1-AA. They do not have the money Syracuse has, nor are they in a recruiting rich area.

I'm not really talking about taking money from the school being used for football, this money was only coming in to go to football, it was coming from a private donor. And I agree we should have never left D1-AA, but now that we are, I just wondered what a good way woul dbe to go about it. I have no hopes for us ever being a good program, I just thought it'd be fun to toss around ideas.

[Noles Fan in MA]

I'm not really talking about taking money from the school being used for football, this money was only coming in to go to football, it was coming from a private donor. And I agree we should have never left D1-AA, but now that we are, I just wondered what a good way woul dbe to go about it. I have no hopes for us ever being a good program, I just thought it'd be fun to toss around ideas.

Buffalo's best option is to return to D1-AA. I really cannot see the given Buffalo's location that even 3 or 4* recruits could be convinced to spend 4-5 years in the Tundra.

[TrickyD]

I think it is doable to get the team up to the level of respectability, but all the things you've mentioned would have to take place.

First and foremost you'd have to get a coach who along with being a decent X's and O's guy, is also an amazing salesman. He'd have to be that because it would take a heck of a pitch to get young guys from anywhere other than the cold northeast to come to the cold northeast.



2nd most important thing I believe would be to get a grade A workout facility constructed for the football team. If you have a good strength and conditioning coach and an impressive facility, that alone would sell you all a dozen recruits every year that you might not have otherwise had.



Even with those things above, you'd probably still only rise to mediocrity because the majority of division one football teams already have all that, but to compete without it is pretty much impossible.




Also, I was pretty amused to open this topic, I just started a dynasty with Buffalo on '2004... trying to build them up to the Big 10 :)

[Southpaw]

Also, I was pretty amused to open this topic, I just started a dynasty with Buffalo on '2004... trying to build them up to the Big 10 :)

If you do it, send them your resume. They may want to interview you.

[Akbeav]

Upon looking at the history of Oregon State University and its record 28 losing seasons of football, the situation did not change until the Univesity heads changed their opinion of football. When we got a president that wanted to emphasize athletics, and football in particular, as a way to gain interest in the school, we finally started to win and break our great streak of losing seasons. With all of this we got better donation levels for football and better facilities. Now we also stumbled onto Dennis Erickson when he was fired by the Seahawks, so having a big name coach helped, but we had been building before he came, and it allowed the university to pay his huge paycheck with private funding. As OSUs history shows you have to have administrative support for any collegiate athetics to succeed, so Buffalo needs to get some pro-football minded people in power, and then you may actually get that .500 ball team you so want.

[SunkistNiceDrink]

We just got a new president actually, however he's from Santa Cruz... So I don't think his opinion of football will be that high, plus SUNY trustees are not known for being sports friendly. But yes, we do have a huge problem getting recruits to come here, our facilities aren't that good and our weather admittedly is probably close to the worst in the nation, Wyoming and Montana may have us beat in pure coldness, but not amount of snowfall. I'm not asking for a miracle, I know there is absolutely no chance we will ever ever be a power in football, but .500 once in a while would not be so unattainable. This is more of just a theoretical thread, I was bored and playing my Buffalo dynasty (Just started on Heisman... Buffalo on Heisman seems to be impossible... I just played Iowa and lost 96-3 which I guess would be close to the real score, which was 53-0 at halftime.)

[Dukeman]

At least y'all don't have crazy Academic standards like we do.

I'm happy that Duke is finally making a commitment to football. They just built a 20$ million football facility; I've been in it a couple of times, and it is really nice. Anyway that should make recruiting a lot easier

Now the key is finding a good coach. Carl Franks seemed like the perfect fit for Duke, as he played here in the '80s and was Spurrier's top assistant at Florida. Unfortunately, he didn't work out, and they let him go after last week's pathetic performance against Wake.

All I want is someone who will get the players to play hard...

[MrBigglesworth]

Buffalo's best option is to return to D1-AA. I really cannot see the given Buffalo's location that even 3 or 4* recruits could be convinced to spend 4-5 years in the Tundra.
Washington St. isn't exactly in the most desirable location either, and they still get recruits. It just takes dedication from the higher-ups to create a good program these days.

[ZeekLTK]

The fans have to do their part too... go to the games and cheer your team on. Recruits are going to be turned off if they find out that they'd be playing in front of only a half full stadium (or less than that). At Michigan State we've had a sellout home crowd of 70,000 plus for 30 games in a row (and still going... kinda doubt the Michigan game will have any empty seats =P) which spans at least the last 5 seasons. And yes, even last year when we were terrible and went 4-8, we still had a sell out for every single home game. Recruits want fan interest just as much as some of the other things schools can offer, so if Buffalo students want to get things going, they have to get just as excited about the football team as the higher ups do, and that means pack your stadium as best you can on Saturdays.