The Lambert Trophy

[All4SU]

Someone mentioned the LT in a thread below, and I just thought it deserves its own thread.
I will never comprehend why teams like Louisville, Miami, USF are included in the voting for this award. If it's a Big East trophy, okay. But it was supposed to be for teams from the Northeast. Teams may be added -- such as UConn -- when they move up to D1. But how does conference affiliation change the list of teams. When SU and Pitt move to the ACC, do all of the ACC teams get added to the LT voting? Does SU get added to Philly's "Big Five" when we play 'Nova or Temple in basketball?

The Lambert Trophy should return to its roots, and be what it was intended to be. Especially now that PSU, SU/Pitt/BC, RU/UConn, WVU will be playing in different conferences. The trophy will have some real meaning again. D1 teams from New England, NY, NJ, PA, WVU -- Maryland is up for debate.

Syracuse
Penn STate
Pittsburgh
Boston College
West Virginia
Connecticut
Rutgers
Temple
Maryland
Army
Navy
Buffalo

That's your list.

 

[Frozen]

I'd put Temple in there.

 

[All4SU]

I'd put Temple in there.

Good point. How quickly I forget TEmple.

 

[kingottoiii]

Syracuse
Penn State
Pittsburgh
Boston College
West Virginia
Connecticut
Rutgers
Maryland
Army
Navy
Buffalo
Temple
UMass (when they move to 1A)

The teams in RED do not fit the criteria to be eligible. WV was only eligible because they played a bunch of Eastern teams. Now that they won't play any, they should be left out. The blue teams are eligible. I would like to see MD and Navy added. That would make 12 teams. I agree that the BE should now be removed. Only two schools are NE schools.

 

[All4SU]

The teams in RED do not fit the criteria to be eligible. WV was only eligible because they played a bunch of Eastern teams. Now that they won't play any, they should be left out. The blue teams are eligible. I would like to see MD and Navy added. That would make 12 teams. I agree that the BE should now be removed. Only two schools are NE schools.

Okay, but applying your argument against WVU -- doesn't PSU play mostly non-Eastern teams? Won't UConn and Rutgers be playing mostly non-Eastern teams? Won't SU and Pitt be playing mostly non-Northeastern teams? What is the line of demarcation? How many Eastern teams do you have to play?

 

[kingottoiii]

Okay, but applying your argument against WVU -- doesn't PSU play mostly non-Eastern teams? Won't UConn and Rutgers be playing mostly non-Eastern teams? Won't SU and Pitt be playing mostly non-Northeastern teams? What is the line of demarcation? How many Eastern teams do you have to play?

The trophy is intended for NY, NJ, PA, and New England schools. PSU fits in, WV does not. Teams from outside that area can be eligible if they play half their games against teams from those states. When the BE had BC, SU, Temple, Pitt, and RU they decided to allow WV, VT, and Miami even if those schools played just 5 of 11 games vs teams from those states. When BC/Temple left and UConn was added, they chose not to remove the entire BE as eligible. Now just RU and UConn are left so screw the rest of the BE teams.

 

[KaiserUEO]

its half. unless you are in the 'defined' northeast.

To be eligible for the Lambert Meadowlands Award, a school must be located in the Northeast or play half its schedule against eligible Lambert teams. The territory includes New York, New Jersey, New England and Pennsylvania, while teams in the bordering states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia and the District of Columbia qualify if half their schedule features eligible teams. With the establishment of the Big East Conference as a major football conference, members of that conference outside of the Northeast were also made eligible. While they were members of the Big East Conference, Virginia Tech and Miami of Florida were also eligible. Current Big East members Cincinnati, Louisville and South Florida are now eligible.

 

[44PRIDE]

To me, this is a meaningless trophy that has outlived its usefulness. I'm sure when it was established in 1936, the comparison of regional schools had some meaning. But the game of collegiate football had long ago become a nationalized game, thus making any regional award meaningless.

What in gods name does PSU have in common with Buffalo? How can they possibly be compared equally? It's a bogus comparison.

 

[kingottoiii]

To me, this is a meaningless trophy that has outlived its usefulness. I'm sure when it was established in 1936, the comparison of regional schools had some meaning. But the game of collegiate football had long ago become a nationalized game, thus making any regional award meaningless.

What in gods name does PSU have in common with Buffalo? How can they possibly be compared equally? It's a bogus comparison.

Yeah it has lost its meaning since the BE FB conference was formed. In an ideal world the ACC would expand to 18 by adding ND, PSU, RU, and UConn. That way the ACC N would consist of ND, PSU, Miami, VT, Pitt, SU, BC, UConn, and RU. That way the Lambert would go to the ACC N champ each year.

 

[OrangeMojo]

To me, this is a meaningless trophy that has outlived its usefulness. I'm sure when it was established in 1936, the comparison of regional schools had some meaning. But the game of collegiate football had long ago become a nationalized game, thus making any regional award meaningless.

What in gods name does PSU have in common with Buffalo? How can they possibly be compared equally? It's a bogus comparison.

agree - they all play different teams and at different levels - giving one of them a trophy is just silly at this point

 

[texascpa]

n/m I can't read.

 

[All4SU]

its half. unless you are in the 'defined' northeast.

To be eligible for the Lambert Meadowlands Award, a school must be located in the Northeast or play half its schedule against eligible Lambert teams. The territory includes New York, New Jersey, New England and Pennsylvania, while teams in the bordering states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia and the District of Columbia qualify if half their schedule features eligible teams. With the establishment of the Big East Conference as a major football conference, members of that conference outside of the Northeast were also made eligible. While they were members of the Big East Conference, Virginia Tech and Miami of Florida were also eligible. Current Big East members Cincinnati, Louisville and South Florida are now eligible.

THat's interesting. Never saw it detailed like that. STill, I think it's dumb to have those outside of the primary geographic area eligible if half their schedule is in that area.
So in a couple of years, if an ACC team (let's say Wake Forest) plays: SU, Pitt, BC and OOC games against PSU, Rutgers and D1aa UMass, they are automatically in the running?

They should just say which teams are competing for it, and leave it at that.

 

[Cusefan95]

To me, this is a meaningless trophy that has outlived its usefulness.

I agree, I'd retire it at this point. As a kid I remember checking the Lambert Trophy standings in the paper every Sunday, until reading this thread I honestly thought it had already been discontinued. It mattered when most of the northeast was indy...now it seems rather meaningless.

 

[All4SU]

It mattered when most of the northeast was indy...now it seems rather meaningless.

That's precisely why I think it should have MORE significance now. Most of these Northeastern teams will no longer be playing each other on a regular basis.

 

[Moontan]

For those that want to prolong the Lambert Trophy, I see these options:

1. come up with a BCS-like formula (including a regional poll) to rank the eligible teams in the NE
2. only count regional games played by the eligible teams in the NE
   (if PSU doesn't play any regional games then they're not going to win the LT... chickens! )
3. change the focus from FBS to FCS... think CAA, Patriot & Ivy leagues

 

[All4SU]

The Lambert Trophy already recognizes teams at every division level.

 

[kingottoiii]

For those that want to prolong the Lambert Trophy, I see these options:

1. come up with a BCS-like formula (including a regional poll) to rank the eligible teams in the NE
2. only count regional games played by the eligible teams in the NE
   (if PSU doesn't play any regional games then they're not going to win the LT... chickens! )

I like that. Only count NE games and have a BCS like poll to determine the winner.

 

[BlazeOrange]

Do other regions of the country have similiar trophies? The Lambert's the only one I've heard of - not sure if it's unique or just local bias in coverage of the rankings.

 

[OrangeMuskyFish]

I think they should pump it up, especially now with the conference shuffle. How bout some marketing? Why not do a ACC/Big Ten Challenge-type of weekend in the beginning of the year to promote it with a bang?

 

[KaiserUEO]

Do other regions of the country have similiar trophies? The Lambert's the only one I've heard of - not sure if it's unique or just local bias in coverage of the rankings.

its not unique.

the SouthEastern region...or SEC if I may, gives their champion...the BCS trophy every year.

 

[OrangeMuskyFish]

its not unique.

the SouthEastern region...or SEC if I may, gives their champion...the BCS trophy every year.

not fair that we can't play for the BCS trophy