Pitt going to FCS?

[sonofpsycho]

With the loss of their second coach in 3 years Pitt Trustees are taking a hard look at the realities surrounding the western PA centered football program and are considering the possible realignment of the program to the FCS level. The "inadequacies" of the western Pa football talent pool, which once was the first destination of all major D1 football coaches, has become apparent as high school sizes continue to shrink, competition dwindles and the number of western Pennsylvania D1 FBS recruits falls to its lowest level in recorded history.

Coaches Graham and Christ both discovered the lack of FBS football talent in their core recruiting area soon after arriving at Pitt. Graham jumped at the first opportunity to relocate to a school with a recruiting base. Coach Christ parked himself in Pittsburgh while he awaited the opening of the Wisconsin job. Both realized that, with the lack of on campus facilites and a local talent pool that is a shadow of what it once was, they would be unable to fullfill carreer goals at the University of Pittsburgh.

To PSEA and all the spineless people who fail to stand up against this evil enterprise that stifles public school consolidation in the Commonwealth -- your chickens are coming home to roost.

[Crimson's Ghost]

No, but I heard Indiana is making the move to the FCS.

[El-Moldo]

Tell me, sonofpsycho, is it your father who's the psycho, or is it your mother.

[PLDragons24]

There is still plenty of talent in the area to have good teams. Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia are all in the top ten in producing top 200 players and New Jersey and Maryland are just outside the top 10. The reason Pitt isn't pulling in more highly regarded talent is because the athletic department doesn't put anywhere near as much money into their facilities as surrounding schools like Ohio State, PSU, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Virginia and the other D1 schools. It is hard to get recruits to come when you just don't have the same level of facilities that the other schools have. The talent is there seeing as two surrounding schools currently have top 10 recruiting classes, they are just losing the recruiting battle. If they want to start competing in the ACC every year, they need to bring in a coach that can recruit and they will have to put more money into their program.

http://athlonsports.com/college-footbal ... ayers-come

[PLDragons24]

Pennsylvania also has 9 4* recruits for the 2016 class with several highly regarded 3* as well. I'm not saying we are Florida or Texas but PA is still one of the better states in the country when it comes to talent but for some reason a lot of people seem to think otherwise.

[knowitall]

Pitt 6-6
Penn State 6-6
Temple 6-6
Rutgers 7-5
Virginia 5-7
Virginia Tech 6-6
Maryland 7-5

So much for your facilities argument.

All the good kids must be going to Ohio State.

[Crimson's Ghost]

Ohio State has the best facilities/highest recruiting budget/highest paid coaching f staff of all the schools in this geographic footprint. Ohio produces more talent than PA. I would hope they are the best since they have the most things working in their advantage.


As for somofpsycho's post, it's very misguided and fictional. Not sure where he comes up with things like that.

[PLDragons24]

Pitt 6-6
Penn State 6-6
Temple 6-6
Rutgers 7-5
Virginia 5-7
Virginia Tech 6-6
Maryland 7-5

So much for your facilities argument.

All the good kids must be going to Ohio State.

Yes it is true that a lot of the schools in this area struggled this season but they are all in different situations. This was the worst year for Virginia Tech since 1992 and are expected to have a quick turn around. Penn State was at their rock bottom from the sanctions and are expected to return as one of the better big ten teams in the next couple of years. Maryland was 2-10 in 2011, 4-8 in 2012, 7-6 in 2013, and now have a chance for 8 wins this year. They have been putting more money into recruiting and upgrading their program and because of that they are moving in the right direction. West Virginia had a bad year in 2013 but turned it around this season. Virginia has sucked since the mid 2000's but the last two years they have been able to put together decent recruiting classes and it should start to show on the field in the next few years. Pitt has been hovering around the .500 mark for the last 4 seasons and the athletic department seems content to stay with that. Maybe they will actually put enough money into the program and facilities that the next head coach will be able to put together a good staff and will be able to promote something to get kids to come there but I doubt that will happen anytime soon.

The current national ranks of this years recruiting classes for some of the regions teams:
4. Ohio State
8. Penn State
22. West Virginia
26. Virginia Tech
33. Virginia
40. Maryland
48. Pitt

[PLDragons24]

My point is that a lot of the schools appear to be at least moving in the right direction while Pitt is sitting at a standstill.

[El-Moldo]

For everyone moving up, someone has to move down.