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Yesterday was Patriot League media day and several notes from a story posted by The Sports Network (LINK) should make ears perk up in Hanover and around the Ivy League, particularly given the introduction of scholarships by regular the Ivy scheduling partner:Incredibly, six of the seven Patriot teams started a freshman quarterback at some point last season, including league rookie of the year Peter Pujals of Holy Cross.Ivy League teams will occasionally play a freshman quarterback. All but one Patriot League team had a freshman quarter start games last year. The difference? Scholarships raised the level of incoming player in the PL last year.
"I think all of us are seeing a little better student-athlete as a whole," (Lafayette coach Frank) Tavani said. "A little bit stronger students, better players, players that now have a high interest - they like Lafayette academically or Lehigh or anybody in the Patriot League. The financial-need analysis was a bit of a roadblock for a lot of families. Now that's removed and people are chasing us."Read that again. "Stronger students," and "better players."
Here's the Patriot League preseason poll:
1. Fordham, 72 points (12 first-place votes)
2. Lehigh, 54
3. Lafayette, 51 (2)
4. Bucknell, 43
5. Colgate, 33
6. Holy Cross, 29
7. Georgetown, 12
Holy Cross, the lone Patriot League team on Dartmouth's schedule this fall, had just one player named to the conference's preseason all-league team. Junior Kalif Raymond was selected as a return specialist.
By the way, kudos to the Patriot League for running a real media day with the seven coaches being joined by players from each school, the Patriot League Network broadcasting interviews and fans being invited to send in their questions. LINK
Green Alert Take: It was always a bit of a pain to drive to Yale Golf Club for the Ivy League media day, and a lot of the coaches weren't crazy about it either. But it was well worth it. It is a shame the Ivy League is limiting its media day once again to a conference phone call.
Here's the Holy Cross media day video:
Here's the PL preview video:
Green Alert Take: The hope here is that the Ivies continue to schedule the majority of their games against teams from the Patriot League. Given the number of kids who apply to both Colgate and Dartmouth it's a natural rival for the Big Green. Ditto for Bucknell and the rest. Honestly, how much cross-over do you think there is with Sacred Heart or Central Connecticut?
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To counter lackluster student ticket sales, the University of Iowa is raffling off one-year scholarships to pay the $8,000 in-state tuition to five students who buy season tickets.Given that Penn State tickets sold out in minutes, that's not going to happen in Happy Valley but some of us who are paying ridiculous out-of-state tuition, room and board out there sure wish it would ;-)
