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UNF Looking to Move to D1

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UNF Looking to Move to D1

UNF Looking to Move to D1

The North Florida scuttlebut is intriguing, to say the least. I agree that UNF would make a good D-IA school. In addition to having fertile grounds for recruiting in North Florida and South georgia, it would have a natural rival in Jacksonville – and perhaps in one of the Georgia D-IA schools. In the future, could there be sort of a D-IA Florida-Georgia game between UNF and one of the Georgia D-IA powers? The city has a great stadium, of course, and there probably is enough money in the area to help support a football team.

I also wonder about the newest state university, Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero (near Fort Myers and Naples). The athletic departmnent there is pretty aggressive. Football rumors have swirled, but no one wants to say much at the moment. It could be another good D-IA candidate down the road, though there is no obvious stadium solution in that area of the state. High school football is strong there, with Naples High playing in the state championship game two of the past three years or so (or is it two of the past four years?).

Right now, as best I recall, Florida has D-IA football at FAMU (at least for now, though it might make another run at D-IA one of these years) and Bethune-Cookman, with a possibility of UNF. Anyone hearing any football rumblings from West Florida over in Pensacola? (I think there are a couple of NAIA teams, also, such as Edward Waters.
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UNF Looking to Move to D1

Oh yeah,Northern Colorado will be out for blood. They swore that they had time left on the clock last year during the final play.
They had a few good players on that team including the DE the tall WR. I remember CB Hughley wrestling with him and hanging on his arm during the INT late in the game. :)

The West Coast area(Naples,Ft Myers,Estero is ripe for college football. The closest is a 2+ hours drive to USF in Tampa.
I haven't heard a peep from the Pensacola area. I think the only football schools we have in NAIA is Webber and Ed Waters.
There are also rumors out of St Leo up in Dade City about possible football start-up
FAMU is supposed to revisit the D1-A run in about 5 to 7 years. Alumni want it a lot sooner.
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UNF Looking to Move to D1

Good info about the other schools. I had not heard anything about St. Leo. As for SW Florida (Naples, Fort Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs), the closest college football to part of that region isn't USF in Tampa. It is FAU at Lockhart – but you never would know it by watching FAU's marketing and recruiting. Lee and Collier counties have a lot of FAU grads. Until Florida Gulf Coast was started a few years ago, FAU was the closest state university to most of SW Florida.

The distance from Naples to Lockhart (easy drive across Alligator Alley) is about 110 miles. To USF in Tampa, it's about 160 miles. From Fort Myers to Lockhart, it's about 140 miles. From Fort Myers to USF in Tampa, it's about 130 miles. Bonita Springs and Estero are between Naples and Fort Myers and probably are very slightly closer to Fort Lauderdale than USF in Tampa. The route from SW Florida to Tampa is traffic-clogged I-75, which is four lanes all the way up to Sarasota, where it widens to six lanes. Believe me, the uncrowded Alley across to Fort Lauderdale is a lot easier drive.
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UNF Looking to Move to D1


The distance from Naples to Lockhart (easy drive across Alligator Alley) is about 110 miles. To USF in Tampa, it's about 160 miles. From Fort Myers to Lockhart, it's about 140 miles. From Fort Myers to USF in Tampa, it's about 130 miles. Bonita Springs and Estero are between Naples and Fort Myers and probably are very slightly closer to Fort Lauderdale than USF in Tampa. The route from SW Florida to Tampa is traffic-clogged I-75, which is four lanes all the way up to Sarasota, where it widens to six lanes. Believe me, the uncrowded Alley across to Fort Lauderdale is a lot easier drive.

Now my Mapquest Frequent Driving Card will be revoked.. 8-)

The thought about FAU's campaign in that area is right on. It's basically non-existant. Coach Schnell has gone on record so many times as saying the Territory of FAU is from Daytona/Orlando over to Tampa and south on both east and west coast. Somehow that's now being concentrated mainly in the Miami Area. At least that's the perception that's out there.
Tampa Bay Area, Naples and the SW coast has so much to offer. USF has been quietly making strides in getting athletes from there for several years now. FAU need to put up a better defense and keep thee guys interested in the shorter drive across the Alley. ;)
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