what would be more significant?

[rayI09]

What would be more significant for YSU and it' fans, a return to the FCS championship or an appearance in the NCAA basketball tournament?

[ysufan0505]

NCAA tourney, no question.

[nova75]

Basketball by far. First round basketball tournament games probably draw 10x the viewers as the FCS championship game. Outside if the towns where FCS teams are, nobody knows those games are even on ESPN 11. People take off work to watch first round hoops games.

[Dmorton]

Still football drives YSU and BB does not.

[ysufan0505]

Still football drives YSU and BB does not.

Doesn't matter. If ysu could get into the tourney, that would generate huge publicity and $$$$$ for the program and university. Not to mention what it would do for recruiting. Nobody cares about FCS football except for fans of the FCS teams, half who are fair weathered. Casual fan probably can't name an FCS team besides NDSU. Getting into the NCAA tourney would be huge!

[nova75]

most casual fans thing that anything outside of major college football is division 2

[Dmorton]

We got to get there first, and our conference is a meat grinder like most conferences.  Still I think Slocum is getting much better bb players here than what we were accustomed to in the past.  So far, they're very entertaining.

[ItalianPenguin]

NCAA tourney, no question.

+1

[rayI09]

I agree. Sounds like YSU should invest more in bball and less in fball since it cannot properly fund both. How much is ysu spending on the fball program? and what are they getting in return? The bball program is not that far from being able to have a shot at making the tournament and the money they put into the program pales in comparison to what they put into the fball program. Seems like with bball you get a much better return on your investment.

Time for YSU to switch it's priorities? Give the bball program a bigger budget than fball and upgrade the bball facilities.  the benfits of making the bball tournament are much greater than the benefits of winning an FCS championship. time to leave football go to the waste side?

[penguinpower]

I agree. Sounds like YSU should invest more in bball and less in fball since it cannot properly fund both. How much is ysu spending on the fball program? and what are they getting in return? The bball program is not that far from being able to have a shot at making the tournament and the money they put into the program pales in comparison to what they put into the fball program. Seems like with bball you get a much better return on your investment.

Time for YSU to switch it's priorities? Give the bball program a bigger budget than fball and upgrade the bball facilities.  the benfits of making the bball tournament are much greater than the benefits of winning an FCS championship. time to leave football go to the waste side?

We are not a basketball school. I could care less about bball personally. I only watch the tournament anyway.  Football defines our university athletics program and it defines the y-town area. We just need to get better in football. The marketing department also needs to improve. For me football is the only sport that matters.

[ysufan0505]

I bet any money YSU gets into the tourney before we ever SNIFF the FCS championship game. Ysu does need to start investing more into basketball. Recruiting has picked up very nicely for Slocum. Program is on the rise!

[ValleyTalk]

Nobody is jumping out as THE team to beat in the Horizon League this year. CSU, UWGB, and Wright State will be very tough, but so will YSU.

Goal for YSU needs to be to get a bye in the HL tourney. If we could get locked into the final 4 come tourney time, I think we could put together two solid performances to win this league.

Without a doubt, the buzz nationwide if we make it, and potentially knock off a big time school in the NCAA tourney, far outweighs winning an FCS title.

[ItalianPenguin]

Valley Talk is 100% correct. Even winning a FCS championship resonates only within the FCS community, and with so many schools jumping ship (hello Marshall, Boise, Appy St, Western Ky, Georgia Southern, etc.), it is a dwindling community. You make the NCAA tournament in basketball and alone it brings you national attention, then get on a roll and do the improbable (hello Butler) and they make movies about you. As good as North Dakota St is, and they're good enough to win 3 straight titles, nobody's making any movies about the frozen tundra of Fargo. Because, frankly, not many care.

[ysufan0505]

Valley Talk is 100% correct. Even winning a FCS championship resonates only within the FCS community, and with so many schools jumping ship (hello Marshall, Boise, Appy St, Western Ky, Georgia Southern, etc.), it is a dwindling community. You make the NCAA tournament in basketball and alone it brings you national attention, then get on a roll and do the improbable (hello Butler) and they make movies about you. As good as North Dakota St is, and they're good enough to win 3 straight titles, nobody's making any movies about the frozen tundra of Fargo. Because, frankly, not many care.

Yes

[ysuhoops24]

We answered our own question when most people said they could care less who won the FCS title.  As everyone is saying, no one outside of FCS schools really care...and judging by the attendence this season, the Mahoning Valley can care less.  Basketball all the way...and this could be the year. 

Ps...Keene reminds me of Doug Underwood some (on the basketball court that is), I love it.