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Message: [QUOTE="nzm136, post: 560596, member: 2531"] I don't think that you're quite right about UMD and RU. UMD actually gets great ratings and has a very profitable athletic dept. due to (too) heavy spending and I don't think that RU would have been added but for '06 where they actually did do well and got solid ratings. Either way, IMO the primary motivations behind Rutgers were PSU's desire to not be an island, the fact that the state of NJ exports a ton of bright high school students to out of state schools, and the fact that NJ is talent rich in basketball and football high school athletes. It also gives B1G alumni a chanceto go to games. I heard that more B1G live in the NYC area and the DC area than anywhere outside the midwest. Yes, that last factor is related to population, but it isn't quite the same as population. They are looking for alumni, not people in general. As for 'Cuse and Pitt, it's worth noting that western PA is rich in football talent (especially QB's), and Syracuse has a very profitable athletic dept. I don't think that our athletic dept. is fianced through student fees (but I could be wrong) and we are still in the top 3rd in the new ACC, despite the facts that many ACC schools do supplement their athletic budgets with student fees, and that all ACC schools have the advantage of getting ACC payouts, as oppsed to BIG EASTpayouts, unlike Syracuse. We actually have a strong fan base, it is just spread out (as is common with private schools) and it is somewhat dormant, but re-emmerging. However, before you judge it too harshly, keep in mind that A) with Syacuse comes the Pinstripe Bowl and B) we had the most watched game of the week one o fthe weeks last season. I think that you see us as the Syracuse of the mid 2000's, when we are actually suprisingly close to being the Syracuse of the 90's. If HCSS can coach as well as Marrone, or close to it, then we wil lbe very good very soon. We have invested heavily in football and football facilities over the last 3 years or so. [/QUOTE]

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