Are our mens' programs better off now ...

[PoppyHart]

than they were when Doctor Daryl Gross assumed control of the athletic's department?

Specifically, football, basketball and lacrosse? (I'd prefer to avoid the Olympic sport debate) Think back, what was the outlook in 2005 vis-a-vis 2016? I am very curious, b/c I think we've slipped a tier. IIRC, I think the outlook in lacrosse was continued dominance (7 straight FFs); in football, a continuance of top-25ish, occasional top 15ish teams (1 losing season in 17-18 years); and basketball was two years removed from a NC and at the pinnacle of the sport.

In retrospect, it appears the men's athletic department peaked in the 2002-2004 period. There have been final fours in hoops since then, and NC's in lacrosse as well, but that was the heyday. It was also the last time the FB team approached relevancy.

Is this simply competition? Lack of funding? A curse for firing Coach P? A run of luck which ran out? A horrible AD? A mirage?

In terms of on-field success, do you see the next 10 years more like the 2005-2016 period or the 1995-2005 period?

 

[kcsu]

We are trending up in football. Down in lacrosse and bball

 

[NineOneSeven]

We really had 1 losing football season in 17 years before 05?

 

[PoppyHart]

We really had 1 losing football season in 17 years before 05?

My friend, we had back-to-back years of 6-4-1 and 7-4 and missed bowl games each time. Now we are 3-7 and there are threads about backdooring into bowl games at 5-7.

From 1987 until DDG we had 1 .500 season and 1 sub .500 season.

 

[domestu]

I understand that Syracuse fans are down this weekend but we don't need to go overboard trying to rewrite our sports history from a negative perspective. In the last seven years, three of our basketball teams have been ranked number one during the season and two other SU teams made it to the Final Four. Three years ago we went 14-4 in the ACC and we were 17-1 in Big East play in 2012.

I realize that we are going to spend this winter watching the least talented team Boeheim has ever had but Cuse hoops has had a lot of success in recent years. We've been to two of the last four Final Fours and we shouldn't overlook that the SU women were also playing in the Final Four this past April.

By the way, the 2002-2004 period was not a peak period for Cuse football. We were 2-5 in the Big East in both 2002 and 2003. Coach P lost twice to Temple during his final three seasons and then lost his final game in 2004, 51-14. Our football program has not been cursed for firing Coach P and you totally ignore the success that our men's and women's basketball teams have had since Gross took over as AD.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

The Men's Cross Country team has won 5 straight Big East/ACC Conference titles, and 7 of the last 8.

Not to mention a National Championship last year, and a 3rd place finish this year.

Men's Soccer went to the Final Four last year.

The IPF Facility and Melo Center weren't here when Gross took over.

And the ACC has given us TV money we could only dream of back in 2004.

Are we better off then we were in 2004? You better believe it.

 

[NKR1978]

2002? 4-8 football and an NIT.

Weird year to include as the "heyday." 2011-13 were better years.