What other athletic departments impress you?

[roaringsince96]

Sitting here from a transition standpoint and looking to be successful, are there programs you would like to see us follow or duplicate? I look at James Madison. Their program is at an all time high. Football team in FBS was ranked in the top 25. Huge win against a top ranked basketball program in Michigan State. The athletic director really has that program on the rise. Is that where we want to be? I am not sure. I think if we are considered a top 10 FCS athletic department in 3 years we will all be very satisfied….for a few years. We came so close to winning our first D1 conference championship this year and really should have won it. What UNA team reaches that level next? Does that near shot resonate with our other programs that it is time? Interesting in the FCS football world that none of the top 10 programs come from the south. Same goes for basketball? Opportunity in FCS is there. We have a ways to go but definitely appear to be getting closer. South Dakota is a strong FCS program in football and basketball. Would love to see us equal their rankings in 3 years.

[brandon]

I think if we are continually in the hunt for conference championships in the ASUN(UAC) we will be considered successful.

Looney is trying to get our budget raised across the board. Football is just a fraction of what I think needs to be successful.

Softball is getting bigger and bigger attention nationally and I think we will continue to get better there.

Baseball needs to get better, and I think we took strides even though not considered successful last year.

Basketball is consistently getting better, and I think our attendance this year will be a lot better.

Soccer is good, I think will be better with new stadium.

Speaking of stadium, I'm thinking it will make a huge difference in the three sports it will house. Although I still can't get a strait answer on how it will work.

I think we pretty much have the peices in place to be a very good athletic department and be ultra competitive across the board.

What I really think the difference is between JMU, SDSU, NDSU, Montana, even EKU compared to UNA is fans...

I don't think I'm talking about anyone on here, but it's honestly discouraging to any athlete to look in the stands during a point in the game that the fans being loud and getting off their butts is a help and everyone is just sitting there golf clapping at most. I will say our student section is getting a lot better. It's almost like fans want to get loud, but are afraid they will upset someone sitting close to them...The fans that leave as soon as halftime is over is what really makes me frustrated. I even had one look at me and say, "it's not real college football"


And it's not often I critique the band negatively, but someone needs to teach them when it's appropriate to play during a football game. (It's not when our offense is trying to get the play together.) They continue to only play when we are on offense and while we are on defense, they usually stay silent. And if they would play more in the game, it would negate the crappy music they have funneling in on the PA... sorry, that's another rant.


So until the "culture" around campus and the area changes, that's the real difference in the programs in my opinion...