faudiehard said

I think FIU's program is a perfect example as to why we at FAU are so fortunate. It seems like a lot of times we as fans take our football programs for granted. We think a fan base and winning is just something that should automatically happen. We think that starting up programs like UCF & FAU are just automatic givens. However, I think FIU and all of the problems they are encountering is more of the norm….Personally, I think FIU football  is in big trouble. I think their fan base is gone. There seems to be no air left in the program and they have the nations longest losing streak. I would not be surprised if the move back to Division 1AA and try to rework their entire program. I think FIU made a major mistake of jumping into Division 1A way before they were ready. They thought they were only right behind FAU and that was a big mistake. We were one of the best teams in the entire nation in Division 1AA before we made our move and they were not even close. It sure is funny how easy things always seem to look when someone else is doing it. We should all be so thankful to the football gods for allowing FAU to acquire a coach such as Howard Schnellenberger. I know I for one thank them often…

Excellent post.

I think FIU would fold their program altogether before they would transition back to D-1AA.
I also think a lot of FIU fans have written off the rest of this season and hope to start renewed in 2008.
That being said, let's remember that UCF was on a losing streak before the middle of last season and came out to win their last 6 games, if I recall correctly. So there's still time for FIU to turn around.

What I don't understand is how they inked deals to play teams like Penn State and Alabama.

Meanwhile our AD is still "considering" about whether to play Miami in 2009 or not when THEY are asking US.

I posted on the FIU board early this afternoon. It is still the most recent post of the day.

If FIU could get anything positive going, it could take some advantage of the perceived UMiami debacle.

I think you guys are getting a bit ahead of yourselves.  While we are having a pretty depressing period right now, some of the posts here are quite exxagerated in their demise of FIU Football.  Folks, FIU has lost now 18 games in a row…18!  Believe me, it is not easy now being a FIU fan.  A young, fickle, small fanbase such as FIU (and FAU's too by the way..) is bound to lose its energy by all of these things surrounding FIU Football and its general athletics standpoint now.  However, people with vision, faith, and energy, see it that this program will turn it around and make improvement towards getting better.  There are a good number of us that will stand for this team and program.

Also, since there is a concern here about the level of posting there, the fact we were on a bye week, all of our problems and losses, the pretty active blog in The Miami Herald, and the fact the board administrator has been trying to move to another board while instituting a "no post" policy for a while, didn't help.  For those of you genuinely concerned, please don't be.  We will be inaugurating our new on campus beautiful stadium next year against USF, and expect and hope to improve some from these horrible years.

I think,too, that you are very fortunate to have such a great leader as Howard Schnellenberger to run your program.  He has been there and done that, while providing a level of stability to start your program.  He instills that level of faith in the program that no FIU coach has or can do, since none has a track record remotely close to HS.  Does that mean we will fold the program?  Does that mean that we will go back to IAA?  Excuse me, but that is just ridiculous, if not wishful thinking by some. 

I dont really know all of the details of whats been going on down there in uh west MIA with probable NCAA investigations about to come and all, but if even half of what i hear is true. D*mn thats going to be tough to keep building a program with.  I highly doubt FIU would ever drop football or move back down to 1AA just because of the $ already invested.  But man, it looks like Fiu is about to have a long tough road ahead of them.

FIUFanatic said

We will be inaugurating our new on-campus beautiful stadium next year against USF, and expect and hope to improve some from these horrible years.

Should be your first sellout too, if USF continues the way they're going.

However, there is some misinformation out there about this stadium. FIU people say 23,500 by 2008 and 45,000 by 2010 but all I can find is 18,000 (an upgrade of 1000 seats) and hopes of 45,000 with no set date. Is there a link that says otherwise that's more credible than this FIU STADIUM FACT SHEET
http://admin.xosn.com/attachments1/3804.pdf
on the FIUSPORTS.com website?

Interestingly, and I just found this out, FIU is pulling an FSU move by incorporating academic/student services into the stadium to finance it.

"The Florida Board of Governors approved a resolution on January 25, 2007, allowing Florida
International University to finance the expansion of its football stadium in a multi-phase project that will
include a student support complex. The resolution allowed FIU to issue bonds to finance the estimated
$31-million first phase of the project."

FSU did something similar when they went to renovate Doak Stadium (a very cool place), incorporating a university center and university offices. I heard they had classes there too but I'm not sure…

Anyway, that's definitely a trick FAU should look at to expand its stadium in the future.

roscoeowl said

I dont really know all of the details of whats been going on down there in uh west MIA with probable NCAA investigations about to come and all, but if even half of what i hear is true. D*mn thats going to be tough to keep building a program with.  I highly doubt FIU would ever drop football or move back down to 1AA just because of the $ already invested.  But man, it looks like Fiu is about to have a long tough road ahead of them.

Interesting article on that in the FIU newspaper
http://media.www.beaconnewspaper.com/media/storage/paper540/news/2007/10/15/Opinion/Editorial.Fiu.Mixing.Up.Financial.Priorities-3032834.shtml

Looks to me they are trying to throw a lot of the blame on Melo and are going to try and get out of this with just secondary punishment which you cant really blame them for at least trying.  I got a feeling the NCAA might still come down hard on them because they are repeat offenders, they take this stuff serious.  Ive read other articles comparing this to the SMU deal where they got the death penalty.

so can they lose more scholarships or no??

Id say loss of scholarships to say the least. Its going to be interesting to see what BS they try to pull. They are in deep Poo.  :-\

roscoeowl said

Id say loss of scholarships to say the least. Its going to be interesting to see what BS they try to pull. They are in deep Poo.  :-\

they lost some already…i think 3…not sure though…

so you heard they could lose even more than that??

that would sink em…