Re: THE SUNY's for those who wish to be informed -- Let's be fair -- America East Forum

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Date Posted: 21:06:06 04/10/03 Thu
Author: Urban Barrister
Subject: Re: THE SUNY's for those who wish to be informed -- Let's be fair
In reply to: animal 's message, "Re: THE SUNY's for those who wish to be informed" on 20:09:07 04/10/03 Thu

>>>>BINGHAMTON IS SURE TO PUT ON AN INCREDIBLE
>ATMOSPHERE
>>>>FOR THE TOURNEY. BUT THAT IS NOT THE ISSUE
>>HERE...the
>>>>issue is...buying your way to the top. Other
>schools
>>>>who cant spend the money, or choose not to spend the
>>>>money to guarentee broadbased sports), on one
>program
>>>>should have equal access to this tournament. THAT MY
>>>>FRIEND, is the heart of the argument.
>>>
>>>That's my whole problem. Binghamton is putting all
>>>its money into hoop and ignoring the rest. AE is
>>>about sponsoring broad-based athletic programs, the
>>>conference sponsors 21 different sports and the
>>>average AE school sponsors far more sports than the
>>>average D1 school. Where is Binghamton in the latest
>>>Commissioner's Cup standings? 8th (ahead of UA).
>>>Despite having a shitty men's basketball team, UNH is
>>>1st. Northeastern and BU (the real one) are 2nd and
>>>3rd. They get what this league is about, trying to
>be
>>>competitive in all sports and not getting good at one
>>>and sucking at the rest. It doesn't matter,
>>>Binghamton is so bent on getting big-time they will
>>>probably join another league in three years anyway.
>>
>>Dane96 is correct that Bing started "talking" about
>>moving up from DIII back in April of 1993, but I'm not
>>sure his characterization of our move from DIII to DI
>>is entirely accurate. If you want to check out a
>>decent time line showing Bing's progress from DIII to
>>DI, check out this link:
>>http://athletics.binghamton.edu/div-one-timeline.html
>>
>>As for Bing being a one school program, while it's
>>true they're pumping a lot of money into B-ball (it
>>is, after all, our primary revenue sport b/c we don't
>>have football or hockey), to suggest that we don't
>>have a broad based athletic program is absurd. Note
>>the facts: In '96, we were 12th in the nation (out of
>>395 programs) in the Sears Cup DIII standings for most
>>successful program and 1st in NYS. In '97, we were
>>13th in the nation, again as DIII. In '98, we were
>>32nd. In '99, we moved up to DII, joined the NECC
>>Conference and promptly won the NECC President's Cup
>>for best overall program (beating out SBU and Alb, who
>>were also members at the time). In 2000, we won 11
>>NECC Conference championships.
>
>Those Sears Cup things are biased. Make a few NCAA's
>and you'll finish somewhere halfway decent in the
>standings. Besides, that was 6 years ago. As for
>your NECC glory, that conference was on its last legs
>when you were a member. In fact, in your glorious
>year of 2000, the league had powerful Felician College
>and Teikyo Post University as members. The conference
>folded after the 2000 season.
>
>>
>>Since moving up to DIII and joining the AE, we've
>>already won one conference championship (Men's
>>Swimming) and have had top three finishes in Women's
>>B-ball (2nd in '02),Golf (2nd -and should be the
>>favorite to win this year), Men's Tennis (seeded #3,
>>lost in semis), and Women's Tennis (3rd). As for the
>>rest, with the exception of M & W's Lacrosse (eaach of
>>which we started from scratch two years ago), I don't
>>believe we've finished last in any sport.
>>
>>So, Bing is hardly a one-sport program.
>
>Yeah, you haven't been last, but most of the Olympic
>sport programs aren't what I would call competitive.
>And instead of putting all your money into a building
>that will be half-full most of the time, at best, why
>don't you upgrade some of the outdoor facilities? Do
>you guys even have a track?
>
>Hey, at least the Bearcats can claim play-in game
>glory one of these years.

Let's be fair here. The Sears Cup standings may give too much weight to an NCAA appearance, but we finished well into the top 10% in the country three years in a row. That didn't happen on the strength of one program alone.

Bing has been consistently strong over the past 15 years in Women's Basketball, Tennis (M&W), Golf (M&W), Swimming (M&W), Softball, Soccer (M&W) and Wrestling (an Olympic Sport that the AE doesn't have, which is why we're an affiliate member of the CAA for it) and in Baseball for the last 5 or so. We started DI varsity programs in lacrosse from scratch, so I think we deserve at least 5 years before being judged on our success there. As for the rest -- track, cross country and women's v-ball, while we haven't been great in them, we haven't outright sucked either.

As for our facilities, have you even been to the campus? Yes, we have a track. It's actually a great facility, recently upgraded, with a lacrosse field inside and seating for something like 3,000. We also have great outdoor tennis courts (and access to a very nice indoor private facility), a new softball stadium, a recently upgraded baseball field, one of the best swimming facilities in the state, a SECOND gym used only for v-ball these days, and more soccer fields than we know what to do with. Once the new Events Center comes on line, we'll also have a state of the art indoor track and arena for b-ball and wrestling. Oh, and our home golf course is also home to an annual PGA stop.

The truth is the facility that needed to be upgraded the most was our gym, which, from the TV games I saw this season, wasn't any worse than any other gym in the league-- certainly not those at NU and BU. And the new facility should easily be one of the league's best. So, I have to wonder where you're coming from with your comments.

Look, everyone's entitled to their opinion on whether or not it makes sense to give the tourney to the school that pays or, to use someone else's words, "sucks up" the most. I agree money may not be the best criteria on which to decide the issue, and that the tourney probably shouldn't be in Bing for three straight years. But, you can't fault Bing for what it's done -- which is to have upgraded what was already a well-respected DIII program into a solid, well-rounded DI program with all sorts of potential -- in less than 10 years. I'm sure if you were to get an honest answer from the folks at SBU and Albany, they'd tell you that they were envious of what Bing's done.

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Re: THE SUNY's for those who wish to be informed -- Let's be fair -- Dane96, 23:03:55 04/10/03 Thu

<<

Agreed. I wish we had more money. The soccer field at Bing was always exceptional. And West Gym is a pretty good facility. All in all, outside of BU, the SUNY's are doing much more to upgrade facilities than then the old guard. Its an attractive selling point. I would also bet that in 5 years...BING fields a football team. Lots of talent in the center of the state...and enough space to build a stadium. If the basketball team brings in enough loot...watch out for a football program.

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