KCU seems to be becoming what Shawnee State should be.....

[West_Sider]

Congrats to all the area players moving on to the next level. And local. This is what many of us would like to see at SSU. Thoughts.......

[BigBlueNation]

That would be great if they had a football program just think they could use Spartan stadium.

[FarAwayFalcon]

No knock to the kids going down there, good for them I wish them the best. I don't want this to sound critical to any of the players there, it's not their fault. But if anyone has been to some KCU games they know what I'm talking about. The product they put on the field is frankly emberassing. If all SSU could do is what KCU is doing I'm glad they don't have football. It seems to me that admin. at KCU likes the idea of football, but really isn't 100% behind it. They think it sounds good to have a football team, but do not want to make the commitment to actually compete, let alone win games. The new coach might be better, but without any coaching experience whatsoever I doubt it. Can't be worse than the previous staff though, there actions alone said all that needed to be said. When you hear coaches at a supposed Christian university cussing like sailors through the pressbox there's a problem, but that is neither here nor there.

The one good thing they are now doing more of is recruiting local talent. Part of the problem in the past has been taking guys that ran power football in high school, and trying to make them into a spread team. Maybe the new staff will do a better job of putting the kids into the best possible position to win. KCU has also yet to build a stadium. They've been recruiting for years saying they were gonna have one next year, next year, next year, but that's been a few years now and there's still nothing. Rumor has it they promised the new coach a stadium but I wouldn't hold my breath. Basically they've half done a football program. While it is college football, it's not something a university could take pride in IMO. SSU will someday have a football team, but I'd rather see them wait until they are truly committed to winning than jump into a football program without being prepared.

[The D]

from what ive heard, the new coach sounds promising, and with the talent that they have from just this area they should be able to preform well...perhaps not this upcoming season, but give it two years and i dare to say they might look like a real team...like you said, the new coach couldnt be any worse than the old one...i look for the program to be shaken up, turn around, and for the players to have fun and win some games.

[LetsGoPSU]

parden my ignorance, but where is KCU located?

[FANOSPORTS]

parden my ignorance, but where is KCU located?

In Grayson Ky., (just south of the Ohio border) off I-64 southwest of Ashland in Carter County. Don't go there if you like to drink because I think it's a dry county.

[The D]

yeah, its actually pretty close so should be able to go watch some of the games this year..

[West_Sider]

Considering that their new HC is former Cleveland Brown (just a few years ago) who actually played WR and DB for the Browns during the 2009 season I believe that they may have something going for them now. First off, from all reports as a player his football IQ is very strong. Anyone who can switch back and forth from O to D during the course of a season in the NFL knows football. I like what KCU is doing. I would just love to see attempts made to secure this at SSU. Many say its not feasible, but anything can happen if you have the right leadership.

[ACCBiggz]

I would just love to see attempts made to secure this at SSU. Many say its not feasible, but anything can happen if you have the right leadership.

It has nothing to do with the "right leadership". It has to do with Title IX compliance, infrastructure and MOST importantly... money. So if by the right leadership you mean someone with incredibly deep pockets then OK. SSU doesn't have anywhere near the cash to build a football program at this point. They don't even have enough money to hire another one or two staff to the athletic department to have it run properly let alone the hefty price tag building a football program brings along with it. We discussed this in the college forum last fall.

Just from a monetary perspective you can say they "could" use Spartan Stadium but even that needs renovated which will cost quite a bit. But that's not all it takes. You need a practice facility, practice equipment, a new workout facility, equipment, coaching staff, scholarships, general equipment costs, etc. I am in full favor of SSU building a program but it's going to take quite a few boosters to bankroll the project and a lot more public support for it to even become an issue to be brought up. It's been brought up in meetings before but the idea doesn't make sense for them to undertake at this point.

[On_the_sidelines]

No need for them to use the old Spartan stadium they just put in a new turf field on campus they just need more seating, which they have the area to do this. It would be nice to see SSU with a team the low tuition would bring allthe local talent and some down from columbus, dayton, etc.

They had a chance about a decade ago but courtesy of former Vice President Larry Mangus's massive ego not being able to take all the credit, he made a proposal that that took away scholarships from the best thing SSU had, the womens basketball team fresh off a national title.

[On_the_sidelines]

Naturally this didnt fly with Coach Hagen-Smith and most of the Athletic Department and was shot down.

[FarAwayFalcon]

It has more to do with leadership than money. They just sunk $1 Million into a field for the soccer program, just the field not including lights or any other improvements that are going to be added. With lights and seating to be added it's safe to assume at least another $500,000 will be spent on the soccer field. Just imagine what $1.5 Million would do at spartan. You could have a top-notch soccer/football stadium. The administration just doesn't want football to happen. When they decide they really want it, I'll be on board 100%, but until then it's just best they don't even bother. I say it doesn't happen until a doner steps up with a multi-million dollar donation to do it. To be honest right now SSU needs classrooms and dorms a lot more than a football team, the university is quickly closing in on 5,000 students and hasn't built significant classroom additions in many years. I know some people don't want to hear that, but it's the truth.

On the other hand good luck to KCU, I hope they get things going in the right direction. Does anyone know if their program was doner funded or university funded?

[ACCBiggz]

It's not JUST for the soccer field. It's also an "intramural" field which means that not just the athletic department budget was invovled. Ohio U did this years ago with their football stadium. They put "classrooms" where the new pressbox was so they could say it was for educational purposes and students not just athletics and most of the cost came from the government and not the athletic department. Similar thing here on a much smaller level. If it's an intramural field it's not just an athletics thing.

Just imagine what $1.5 Million would do at spartan.

Separate note: Not a lot. That stadium is a multi-million dollar renovation project for whomever wants to undertake it. Period.

As for the rest of what you said... I agree. Nothing is going to happen until boosters want to fund a football team because of the massive undertaking it is going to be. Like I said, it's not just about having a place to play or spending a lot on renovating Spartan Stadium. After that comes more buildings and so forth that need that I highlighted in my post above. Personally, I've done many cost analysis projects on athletics and trust me when I tell you $1.5 million for Spartan Stadium and SSU Football is nowhere even close to what it would cost.

Much like you said I think they need to build more educational buildings. It's why I hope alumni and boosters can step forward sooner than later. I would have loved to seen them move soccer elsewhere and utilize that space for buildings but with all of the money they dropped into that there is no way they'll do it now. I personally think that was thought out poorly. It's really a moot point as there are miles of hurdles to jump before something like this is possible.

[The D]

It has more to do with leadership than money. They just sunk $1 Million into a field for the soccer program, just the field not including lights or any other improvements that are going to be added. With lights and seating to be added it's safe to assume at least another $500,000 will be spent on the soccer field. Just imagine what $1.5 Million would do at spartan. You could have a top-notch soccer/football stadium. The administration just doesn't want football to happen. When they decide they really want it, I'll be on board 100%, but until then it's just best they don't even bother. I say it doesn't happen until a doner steps up with a multi-million dollar donation to do it. To be honest right now SSU needs classrooms and dorms a lot more than a football team, the university is quickly closing in on 5,000 students and hasn't built significant classroom additions in many years. I know some people don't want to hear that, but it's the truth.

On the other hand good luck to KCU, I hope they get things going in the right direction. Does anyone know if their program was doner funded or university funded?

Agreed...the few times I have been to the campus, that is what I always notice...the classrooms are extremely outdated...many teachers are still using chalk and overhead projectors if that tells you anything....the school needs to revamp the classrooms way before concerning itself with the extracurricular parts, let alone attempting to integrate another sport...SSU football is a far away dream at this point...