The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(09-03-2018 12:31 PM)bit_9 Wrote:  

(09-03-2018 11:19 AM)GotLabradors Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 01:33 PM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 12:28 PM)GotLabradors Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 11:09 AM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  I say..
- 5k more beds on campus immediately. You could see the advantage that makes in Student engagement and attendance.
- recruit and reward students who want to be at ODU and excel in academics
- Indoor practice facility(s)
- Larger Alumni donations supporting Athletics
- A reduction in academic offerings that do not generate high paying jobs and leave students with debt that they can never pay off
- An increase in academic offerings that do produce higher paying jobs (Medicine, Dentistry, Healthcare admin., etc.)
- A focus on creating engaged young alumni

I am a VT alum. I was lucky enough to be a student at VT to witness their rise into the ranks of elite college football programs in the mid to late nineties. I have also been around every level of football from pee wee flag to the NFL. This is a business. It has zero to do with academics until after your program is on the rise. Here is my take on ODU football which I would love to see succeed as I have a high schooler who plays football and loves to go to college games.

ODU is way too focused on the blue hairs. You don't have a student section because the program has never tried engaging the students. You have to get them involved because those are your season ticket holders of the future.

Non-existent student section The football program needs to engage the students. As a freshman at VT, I was given the opportunity to go to Hokie Camp where all you did for 3 days was to learn about the traditions of VT. I actually emailed the president of the ODU SGA about ideas to help engage the student sections. I was met with we'll see. Traditions are born in the student sections. How do y'all think VT got its cheers, key play, and jumping to Sandman?

It's a football game, not a basketball game. I have never been to a football game that had so many different "cams" on the jumbo tron as ODU does. Holy crap. It is so annoying. At VT, there are certain things you do in Lane as football traditions and certain things you do in Cassell as basketball traditions. They don't mingle like that ice cream and cake thing. That has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever seen in a football stadium, mainly because traditions should be timeless and that isn't. Again, goes back to engaging the students.

Engaging young alumni First and foremost, tailgating. From what I have seen in order to be in a lot where you can tailgate, you must be a season ticket holder/member of ODAF who purchases a space in one of those lots. Recent graduates may not have the cash to pull that off, but can afford a game here or there. However, if you just go to a game here or there, you end up parking in one of the parking garages where you can't tailgate (which I totally understand). I'm sorry, but no one wants to drag all their tailgating crap half way across campus to the mall to tailagte. It's too much damn work. Also, I think it's time to consider beer/wine sales inside the stadium during games. People are sneaking it in anyway. ODU might as well make money off of it.

Touchdown traditions At VT, we have Skipper, our beloved cannon, which goes off after touchdown. We also have a cheer. I know that ODU has an artillery gun of some sort that goes off at the beginning of each game, but I think that's it. I get that the grumpies in Larchmont complain, but they can suck it up for 6 Saturdays a year. Or go with the horn they use on port day.


ODU could be so much better, but y'all have 0 vision and can't get out of your own way. And I agree, Norfolk has got to get on board. When I think of how the towns of Blacksburg, Chapel Hill, Gainesville, Ann Arbor, etc get behind their schools and athletic teams, it makes me so disappointed the Norfolk has no long-range vision for the university, either.

Please refer to the official traditions pages of ODU and VT.

https://www.odu.edu/life/gettinginvolved/spirit

https://vt.edu/about/traditions.html

Well said yet this seems to fall on deaf ears. EVERY newly admitted student needs to be enrolled in the BigBlue or Monarch Club. ODAF needs to think of a club approach within ODAF. A club gives a feel of a sense of belonging. Most young adult after graduation becomes unconnected to either the Alumni or Athletic aspects of the University. This would do that.

So whose ear do I need to get at ODU?

Dr. Selig right? Dr. Chandler is reading these so that's a good start but GT you hit just about every nail on the head in your post. We're still trying to figure out this on campus thing I feel. We're decades behind from our commuter world.

Labs, I would hit them all: Broderick, Chandler, Selig, Wilder, and maybe add Hasecker (sp?) at ODAF--he used to head up recruiting so I would think he still has a vested interest in FB. Anybody and everybody. Offer solutions where possible, don't just present problems, and maybe you'll get farther. Good luck and please keep us updated!

(09-03-2018 03:58 PM)Grommet Wrote:  

(09-03-2018 12:31 PM)bit_9 Wrote:  

(09-03-2018 11:19 AM)GotLabradors Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 01:33 PM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 12:28 PM)GotLabradors Wrote:  I am a VT alum. I was lucky enough to be a student at VT to witness their rise into the ranks of elite college football programs in the mid to late nineties. I have also been around every level of football from pee wee flag to the NFL. This is a business. It has zero to do with academics until after your program is on the rise. Here is my take on ODU football which I would love to see succeed as I have a high schooler who plays football and loves to go to college games.

ODU is way too focused on the blue hairs. You don't have a student section because the program has never tried engaging the students. You have to get them involved because those are your season ticket holders of the future.

Non-existent student section The football program needs to engage the students. As a freshman at VT, I was given the opportunity to go to Hokie Camp where all you did for 3 days was to learn about the traditions of VT. I actually emailed the president of the ODU SGA about ideas to help engage the student sections. I was met with we'll see. Traditions are born in the student sections. How do y'all think VT got its cheers, key play, and jumping to Sandman?

It's a football game, not a basketball game. I have never been to a football game that had so many different "cams" on the jumbo tron as ODU does. Holy crap. It is so annoying. At VT, there are certain things you do in Lane as football traditions and certain things you do in Cassell as basketball traditions. They don't mingle like that ice cream and cake thing. That has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever seen in a football stadium, mainly because traditions should be timeless and that isn't. Again, goes back to engaging the students.

Engaging young alumni First and foremost, tailgating. From what I have seen in order to be in a lot where you can tailgate, you must be a season ticket holder/member of ODAF who purchases a space in one of those lots. Recent graduates may not have the cash to pull that off, but can afford a game here or there. However, if you just go to a game here or there, you end up parking in one of the parking garages where you can't tailgate (which I totally understand). I'm sorry, but no one wants to drag all their tailgating crap half way across campus to the mall to tailagte. It's too much damn work. Also, I think it's time to consider beer/wine sales inside the stadium during games. People are sneaking it in anyway. ODU might as well make money off of it.

Touchdown traditions At VT, we have Skipper, our beloved cannon, which goes off after touchdown. We also have a cheer. I know that ODU has an artillery gun of some sort that goes off at the beginning of each game, but I think that's it. I get that the grumpies in Larchmont complain, but they can suck it up for 6 Saturdays a year. Or go with the horn they use on port day.


ODU could be so much better, but y'all have 0 vision and can't get out of your own way. And I agree, Norfolk has got to get on board. When I think of how the towns of Blacksburg, Chapel Hill, Gainesville, Ann Arbor, etc get behind their schools and athletic teams, it makes me so disappointed the Norfolk has no long-range vision for the university, either.

Please refer to the official traditions pages of ODU and VT.

https://www.odu.edu/life/gettinginvolved/spirit

https://vt.edu/about/traditions.html

Well said yet this seems to fall on deaf ears. EVERY newly admitted student needs to be enrolled in the BigBlue or Monarch Club. ODAF needs to think of a club approach within ODAF. A club gives a feel of a sense of belonging. Most young adult after graduation becomes unconnected to either the Alumni or Athletic aspects of the University. This would do that.

So whose ear do I need to get at ODU?

Dr. Selig right? Dr. Chandler is reading these so that's a good start but GT you hit just about every nail on the head in your post. We're still trying to figure out this on campus thing I feel. We're decades behind from our commuter world.

Labs, I would hit them all: Broderick, Chandler, Selig, Wilder, and maybe add Hasecker (sp?) at ODAF--he used to head up recruiting so I would think he still has a vested interest in FB. Anybody and everybody. Offer solutions where possible, don't just present problems, and maybe you'll get farther. Good luck and please keep us updated!

I have tried to reach out and provide solutions to problems like this but nothing ever seems to change. I think Chandler does a good job on some things but this is something that really needs help at ODU.

(09-02-2018 12:28 PM)GotLabradors Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 11:09 AM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  I say..
- 5k more beds on campus immediately. You could see the advantage that makes in Student engagement and attendance.
- recruit and reward students who want to be at ODU and excel in academics
- Indoor practice facility(s)
- Larger Alumni donations supporting Athletics
- A reduction in academic offerings that do not generate high paying jobs and leave students with debt that they can never pay off
- An increase in academic offerings that do produce higher paying jobs (Medicine, Dentistry, Healthcare admin., etc.)
- A focus on creating engaged young alumni

I am a VT alum. I was lucky enough to be a student at VT to witness their rise into the ranks of elite college football programs in the mid to late nineties. I have also been around every level of football from pee wee flag to the NFL. This is a business. It has zero to do with academics until after your program is on the rise. Here is my take on ODU football which I would love to see succeed as I have a high schooler who plays football and loves to go to college games.

ODU is way too focused on the blue hairs. You don't have a student section because the program has never tried engaging the students. You have to get them involved because those are your season ticket holders of the future.

Non-existent student section The football program needs to engage the students. As a freshman at VT, I was given the opportunity to go to Hokie Camp where all you did for 3 days was to learn about the traditions of VT. I actually emailed the president of the ODU SGA about ideas to help engage the student sections. I was met with we'll see. Traditions are born in the student sections. How do y'all think VT got its cheers, key play, and jumping to Sandman?

It's a football game, not a basketball game. I have never been to a football game that had so many different "cams" on the jumbo tron as ODU does. Holy crap. It is so annoying. At VT, there are certain things you do in Lane as football traditions and certain things you do in Cassell as basketball traditions. They don't mingle like that ice cream and cake thing. That has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever seen in a football stadium, mainly because traditions should be timeless and that isn't. Again, goes back to engaging the students.

Engaging young alumni First and foremost, tailgating. From what I have seen in order to be in a lot where you can tailgate, you must be a season ticket holder/member of ODAF who purchases a space in one of those lots. Recent graduates may not have the cash to pull that off, but can afford a game here or there. However, if you just go to a game here or there, you end up parking in one of the parking garages where you can't tailgate (which I totally understand). I'm sorry, but no one wants to drag all their tailgating crap half way across campus to the mall to tailagte. It's too much damn work. Also, I think it's time to consider beer/wine sales inside the stadium during games. People are sneaking it in anyway. ODU might as well make money off of it.

Touchdown traditions At VT, we have Skipper, our beloved cannon, which goes off after touchdown. We also have a cheer. I know that ODU has an artillery gun of some sort that goes off at the beginning of each game, but I think that's it. I get that the grumpies in Larchmont complain, but they can suck it up for 6 Saturdays a year. Or go with the horn they use on port day.


ODU could be so much better, but y'all have 0 vision and can't get out of your own way. And I agree, Norfolk has got to get on board. When I think of how the towns of Blacksburg, Chapel Hill, Gainesville, Ann Arbor, etc get behind their schools and athletic teams, it makes me so disappointed the Norfolk has no long-range vision for the university, either.

Please refer to the official traditions pages of ODU and VT.

https://www.odu.edu/life/gettinginvolved/spirit

https://vt.edu/about/traditions.html

I agree with everything you said but let me expound on one. I think the City of Norfolk has to embrace the Football and get the word out.

I know many people who root for schools like Virginia Tech, Penn State, Auburn, Alabama, Ohio State, etc. even though they never went to school there. Why do they? It is because they grew up watching those schools or a parent followed them.

The Tidewater area has a lack of professional big time sport. Yes there is minor league baseball and hockey but those won't get people involved for a lifetime. FBS college football can. ODU has a chance to get the surrounding area to embrace them just like Virginia Tech, Penn Sate and other have been embraced in their area.

To do that the City and University need to work together to promote the Monarchs to the surrounding community. Get kids involved from an early age. Have events where local school kids are invited. Have Big Blue and football players there. Have players visit local schools. Give out ODU gear and tickets. Doing these things and more I beleive can help ODU football grow and thrive in the Tidewater area. It could also help with recruiting local talent and getting kids to choose ODU as their first choice of universities to attend.

(09-03-2018 03:12 PM)GhentFan Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 12:11 PM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 11:48 AM)Old Dominion Wrote:  I was at the game. Believe me, our facilities will never compare to Liberty's. Compared to their facilities, we are a third world country.

You are 100 % correct. Also, the City is fully behind them. Liberty is everywhere. There is very clearly a difference.

Last night was completely embarrassing for ODU fans and Alumni. But it goes to show us that Liberty, while almost completely defunct 25 years ago, is working diligently towards a stated goal of being the BYU of the East.

That's great and all, but I've met people (actually interviewed with one in Lynchburg) that refuses to hire Liberty grads. ODU isn't a top University, but at least we are not lumped together with Strayer and Phoenix University in discussions.

My wife and are both LU alums with great jobs. I am a counselor and she is a nurse practitioner with all of her degrees coming from LU. She works at Norfolk General. Why disregard an LU grad without merit? My best friends I graduated with, went on to jobs on their chosen fields; State Police, DOD, Google, Computer programming, Electrical engineering, Accounting, and some run their own business's. I never really understood why LU gets so much flack for their academics when more often than not I see success stories.

Sent from my Pixel XL using CSNbbs mobile app

$$$$$$ and more $$$$$$

(09-03-2018 03:12 PM)GhentFan Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 12:11 PM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 11:48 AM)Old Dominion Wrote:  I was at the game. Believe me, our facilities will never compare to Liberty's. Compared to their facilities, we are a third world country.

You are 100 % correct. Also, the City is fully behind them. Liberty is everywhere. There is very clearly a difference.

Last night was completely embarrassing for ODU fans and Alumni. But it goes to show us that Liberty, while almost completely defunct 25 years ago, is working diligently towards a stated goal of being the BYU of the East.

That's great and all, but I've met people (actually interviewed with one in Lynchburg) that refuses to hire Liberty grads. ODU isn't a top University, but at least we are not lumped together with Strayer and Phoenix University in discussions.

Give it time. If we keep spending our limited marketing dollars making everyone think we are an online university, we will be like Strayer soon enough.

And you're right about the growth of LU. Its amazing. And its not just the private schools. Look at Radford, CNU, VCU, Longwood, GMU... I know ODU has also made significant strides too, but it seems while ODU has been moving ahead at 50mph, VCU and GMU were moving at 75, and Radford, CNU and Longwood came up from behind at 75mph as well. I would honestly love to hear Broderick's take on why/how this has happened. Is it planned? Are they OK with it? If not, do they have a plan to do better? I might actually feel better if they just were honest about the stated goals, grow, academic and athletic perception and where they see the school at in 20 years. 20 years ago I thought ODU was on track to have merged with EVMS, cleaned up the area and started football by now. Basically becoming what GMU is now, only with football and a med school, or VT-lite. Instead, it seems we've become NSU on steroids.

For this to work, the community (and not just Norfolk) need to embrace ODU as a major point of pride and work together to build it into something great. I cant imagine why Dollar Tree, or Smithfield Foods, or NS or Sthil etc haven't ponied up 5-10 million for stadium naming rights etc. Why isn't Pepsi doing promotions in all the area grocery stores with ODU labled packaging, etc? And ODU could do a little better too. I would have loved to see a Bahamas Bowl victory parade down Atlantic Avenue for example. And branding the VB campus as ODU would help also. Its not like Norfolk has gone way out of its way to help the school. They just took our golf course for goodness sakes.

NS has virtually left Norfolk. They have stated they want to be in Atlanta. They have had numerous opportunities to help the City and region. Smithfield foods is a Chinese company and they are not about to invest. Dollar Tree and Stihl might work.

I think we need outside money, but we also need ODU to step up and make more students and alumni want to donate back to ODU. They trip over their own feet every change they get to create an opportunity to do so.

An athletic director that does not say this


“It’s very difficult and very challenging,” he said. “But no matter how much they spend, as long as the scholarship limits are untouched, they can’t corner the market on every athlete.

“There are enough outstanding athletes to go around.”



How delusional do you have to be to say that? This is the leader of our athletics.

(09-04-2018 11:47 AM)jasdf Wrote:  An athletic director that does not say this


“It’s very difficult and very challenging,” he said. “But no matter how much they spend, as long as the scholarship limits are untouched, they can’t corner the market on every athlete.

“There are enough outstanding athletes to go around.”



How delusional do you have to be to say that? This is the leader of our athletics.

(09-03-2018 09:15 PM)odubum Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 12:28 PM)GotLabradors Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 11:09 AM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  I say..
- 5k more beds on campus immediately. You could see the advantage that makes in Student engagement and attendance.
- recruit and reward students who want to be at ODU and excel in academics
- Indoor practice facility(s)
- Larger Alumni donations supporting Athletics
- A reduction in academic offerings that do not generate high paying jobs and leave students with debt that they can never pay off
- An increase in academic offerings that do produce higher paying jobs (Medicine, Dentistry, Healthcare admin., etc.)
- A focus on creating engaged young alumni

I am a VT alum. I was lucky enough to be a student at VT to witness their rise into the ranks of elite college football programs in the mid to late nineties. I have also been around every level of football from pee wee flag to the NFL. This is a business. It has zero to do with academics until after your program is on the rise. Here is my take on ODU football which I would love to see succeed as I have a high schooler who plays football and loves to go to college games.

ODU is way too focused on the blue hairs. You don't have a student section because the program has never tried engaging the students. You have to get them involved because those are your season ticket holders of the future.

Non-existent student section The football program needs to engage the students. As a freshman at VT, I was given the opportunity to go to Hokie Camp where all you did for 3 days was to learn about the traditions of VT. I actually emailed the president of the ODU SGA about ideas to help engage the student sections. I was met with we'll see. Traditions are born in the student sections. How do y'all think VT got its cheers, key play, and jumping to Sandman?

It's a football game, not a basketball game. I have never been to a football game that had so many different "cams" on the jumbo tron as ODU does. Holy crap. It is so annoying. At VT, there are certain things you do in Lane as football traditions and certain things you do in Cassell as basketball traditions. They don't mingle like that ice cream and cake thing. That has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever seen in a football stadium, mainly because traditions should be timeless and that isn't. Again, goes back to engaging the students.

Engaging young alumni First and foremost, tailgating. From what I have seen in order to be in a lot where you can tailgate, you must be a season ticket holder/member of ODAF who purchases a space in one of those lots. Recent graduates may not have the cash to pull that off, but can afford a game here or there. However, if you just go to a game here or there, you end up parking in one of the parking garages where you can't tailgate (which I totally understand). I'm sorry, but no one wants to drag all their tailgating crap half way across campus to the mall to tailagte. It's too much damn work. Also, I think it's time to consider beer/wine sales inside the stadium during games. People are sneaking it in anyway. ODU might as well make money off of it.

Touchdown traditions At VT, we have Skipper, our beloved cannon, which goes off after touchdown. We also have a cheer. I know that ODU has an artillery gun of some sort that goes off at the beginning of each game, but I think that's it. I get that the grumpies in Larchmont complain, but they can suck it up for 6 Saturdays a year. Or go with the horn they use on port day.


ODU could be so much better, but y'all have 0 vision and can't get out of your own way. And I agree, Norfolk has got to get on board. When I think of how the towns of Blacksburg, Chapel Hill, Gainesville, Ann Arbor, etc get behind their schools and athletic teams, it makes me so disappointed the Norfolk has no long-range vision for the university, either.

Please refer to the official traditions pages of ODU and VT.

https://www.odu.edu/life/gettinginvolved/spirit

https://vt.edu/about/traditions.html

I agree with everything you said but let me expound on one. I think the City of Norfolk has to embrace the Football and get the word out.

I know many people who root for schools like Virginia Tech, Penn State, Auburn, Alabama, Ohio State, etc. even though they never went to school there. Why do they? It is because they grew up watching those schools or a parent followed them.

The Tidewater area has a lack of professional big time sport. Yes there is minor league baseball and hockey but those won't get people involved for a lifetime. FBS college football can. ODU has a chance to get the surrounding area to embrace them just like Virginia Tech, Penn Sate and other have been embraced in their area.

To do that the City and University need to work together to promote the Monarchs to the surrounding community. Get kids involved from an early age. Have events where local school kids are invited. Have Big Blue and football players there. Have players visit local schools. Give out ODU gear and tickets. Doing these things and more I beleive can help ODU football grow and thrive in the Tidewater area. It could also help with recruiting local talent and getting kids to choose ODU as their first choice of universities to attend.

And build a bigger stadium so that there are actually plenty of seats available to bring new people into the tent. There isn't much you can do to bring new people in when there are very few seats available for purchase without buying season tickets.

(09-04-2018 11:03 AM)monarx Wrote:  

(09-03-2018 03:12 PM)GhentFan Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 12:11 PM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 11:48 AM)Old Dominion Wrote:  I was at the game. Believe me, our facilities will never compare to Liberty's. Compared to their facilities, we are a third world country.

You are 100 % correct. Also, the City is fully behind them. Liberty is everywhere. There is very clearly a difference.

Last night was completely embarrassing for ODU fans and Alumni. But it goes to show us that Liberty, while almost completely defunct 25 years ago, is working diligently towards a stated goal of being the BYU of the East.

That's great and all, but I've met people (actually interviewed with one in Lynchburg) that refuses to hire Liberty grads. ODU isn't a top University, but at least we are not lumped together with Strayer and Phoenix University in discussions.

Give it time. If we keep spending our limited marketing dollars making everyone think we are an online university, we will be like Strayer soon enough.

And you're right about the growth of LU. Its amazing. And its not just the private schools. Look at Radford, CNU, VCU, Longwood, GMU... I know ODU has also made significant strides too, but it seems while ODU has been moving ahead at 50mph, VCU and GMU were moving at 75, and Radford, CNU and Longwood came up from behind at 75mph as well. I would honestly love to hear Broderick's take on why/how this has happened. Is it planned? Are they OK with it? If not, do they have a plan to do better? I might actually feel better if they just were honest about the stated goals, grow, academic and athletic perception and where they see the school at in 20 years. 20 years ago I thought ODU was on track to have merged with EVMS, cleaned up the area and started football by now. Basically becoming what GMU is now, only with football and a med school, or VT-lite. Instead, it seems we've become NSU on steroids.

For this to work, the community (and not just Norfolk) need to embrace ODU as a major point of pride and work together to build it into something great. I cant imagine why Dollar Tree, or Smithfield Foods, or NS or Sthil etc haven't ponied up 5-10 million for stadium naming rights etc. Why isn't Pepsi doing promotions in all the area grocery stores with ODU labled packaging, etc? And ODU could do a little better too. I would have loved to see a Bahamas Bowl victory parade down Atlantic Avenue for example. And branding the VB campus as ODU would help also. Its not like Norfolk has gone way out of its way to help the school. They just took our golf course for goodness sakes.

Ya Norfolk really doesnt do much for ODU at all. Pretty sad actually. They have never put their best foot forward with us.

(09-04-2018 02:23 PM)cmett003 Wrote:  

(09-04-2018 11:03 AM)monarx Wrote:  

(09-03-2018 03:12 PM)GhentFan Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 12:11 PM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 11:48 AM)Old Dominion Wrote:  I was at the game. Believe me, our facilities will never compare to Liberty's. Compared to their facilities, we are a third world country.

You are 100 % correct. Also, the City is fully behind them. Liberty is everywhere. There is very clearly a difference.

Last night was completely embarrassing for ODU fans and Alumni. But it goes to show us that Liberty, while almost completely defunct 25 years ago, is working diligently towards a stated goal of being the BYU of the East.

That's great and all, but I've met people (actually interviewed with one in Lynchburg) that refuses to hire Liberty grads. ODU isn't a top University, but at least we are not lumped together with Strayer and Phoenix University in discussions.

Give it time. If we keep spending our limited marketing dollars making everyone think we are an online university, we will be like Strayer soon enough.

And you're right about the growth of LU. Its amazing. And its not just the private schools. Look at Radford, CNU, VCU, Longwood, GMU... I know ODU has also made significant strides too, but it seems while ODU has been moving ahead at 50mph, VCU and GMU were moving at 75, and Radford, CNU and Longwood came up from behind at 75mph as well. I would honestly love to hear Broderick's take on why/how this has happened. Is it planned? Are they OK with it? If not, do they have a plan to do better? I might actually feel better if they just were honest about the stated goals, grow, academic and athletic perception and where they see the school at in 20 years. 20 years ago I thought ODU was on track to have merged with EVMS, cleaned up the area and started football by now. Basically becoming what GMU is now, only with football and a med school, or VT-lite. Instead, it seems we've become NSU on steroids.

For this to work, the community (and not just Norfolk) need to embrace ODU as a major point of pride and work together to build it into something great. I cant imagine why Dollar Tree, or Smithfield Foods, or NS or Sthil etc haven't ponied up 5-10 million for stadium naming rights etc. Why isn't Pepsi doing promotions in all the area grocery stores with ODU labled packaging, etc? And ODU could do a little better too. I would have loved to see a Bahamas Bowl victory parade down Atlantic Avenue for example. And branding the VB campus as ODU would help also. Its not like Norfolk has gone way out of its way to help the school. They just took our golf course for goodness sakes.

Ya Norfolk really doesnt do much for ODU at all. Pretty sad actually. They have never put their best foot forward with us.

Maybe that's because ODU doesn't do much for ODU either. It's all about $$$$ and ODU isn't about to spend/invest it! They are content to provide a mediocre product with little financial output because they know the fans will support them. Stop settling for mediocrity (tighten your purse strings) and demand quality (reward financially) and something will change? Either they will actively pursue upgrading their athletic programs (spend more $$$$ if they are assured you will contribute) or continue to remain mediocre. Don't ever think they will upgrade on their own. $$$$ talks!

(09-04-2018 01:17 PM)Monarchblue Wrote:  

(09-03-2018 09:15 PM)odubum Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 12:28 PM)GotLabradors Wrote:  

(09-02-2018 11:09 AM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  I say..
- 5k more beds on campus immediately. You could see the advantage that makes in Student engagement and attendance.
- recruit and reward students who want to be at ODU and excel in academics
- Indoor practice facility(s)
- Larger Alumni donations supporting Athletics
- A reduction in academic offerings that do not generate high paying jobs and leave students with debt that they can never pay off
- An increase in academic offerings that do produce higher paying jobs (Medicine, Dentistry, Healthcare admin., etc.)
- A focus on creating engaged young alumni

I am a VT alum. I was lucky enough to be a student at VT to witness their rise into the ranks of elite college football programs in the mid to late nineties. I have also been around every level of football from pee wee flag to the NFL. This is a business. It has zero to do with academics until after your program is on the rise. Here is my take on ODU football which I would love to see succeed as I have a high schooler who plays football and loves to go to college games.

ODU is way too focused on the blue hairs. You don't have a student section because the program has never tried engaging the students. You have to get them involved because those are your season ticket holders of the future.

Non-existent student section The football program needs to engage the students. As a freshman at VT, I was given the opportunity to go to Hokie Camp where all you did for 3 days was to learn about the traditions of VT. I actually emailed the president of the ODU SGA about ideas to help engage the student sections. I was met with we'll see. Traditions are born in the student sections. How do y'all think VT got its cheers, key play, and jumping to Sandman?

It's a football game, not a basketball game. I have never been to a football game that had so many different "cams" on the jumbo tron as ODU does. Holy crap. It is so annoying. At VT, there are certain things you do in Lane as football traditions and certain things you do in Cassell as basketball traditions. They don't mingle like that ice cream and cake thing. That has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever seen in a football stadium, mainly because traditions should be timeless and that isn't. Again, goes back to engaging the students.

Engaging young alumni First and foremost, tailgating. From what I have seen in order to be in a lot where you can tailgate, you must be a season ticket holder/member of ODAF who purchases a space in one of those lots. Recent graduates may not have the cash to pull that off, but can afford a game here or there. However, if you just go to a game here or there, you end up parking in one of the parking garages where you can't tailgate (which I totally understand). I'm sorry, but no one wants to drag all their tailgating crap half way across campus to the mall to tailagte. It's too much damn work. Also, I think it's time to consider beer/wine sales inside the stadium during games. People are sneaking it in anyway. ODU might as well make money off of it.

Touchdown traditions At VT, we have Skipper, our beloved cannon, which goes off after touchdown. We also have a cheer. I know that ODU has an artillery gun of some sort that goes off at the beginning of each game, but I think that's it. I get that the grumpies in Larchmont complain, but they can suck it up for 6 Saturdays a year. Or go with the horn they use on port day.


ODU could be so much better, but y'all have 0 vision and can't get out of your own way. And I agree, Norfolk has got to get on board. When I think of how the towns of Blacksburg, Chapel Hill, Gainesville, Ann Arbor, etc get behind their schools and athletic teams, it makes me so disappointed the Norfolk has no long-range vision for the university, either.

Please refer to the official traditions pages of ODU and VT.

https://www.odu.edu/life/gettinginvolved/spirit

https://vt.edu/about/traditions.html

I agree with everything you said but let me expound on one. I think the City of Norfolk has to embrace the Football and get the word out.

I know many people who root for schools like Virginia Tech, Penn State, Auburn, Alabama, Ohio State, etc. even though they never went to school there. Why do they? It is because they grew up watching those schools or a parent followed them.

The Tidewater area has a lack of professional big time sport. Yes there is minor league baseball and hockey but those won't get people involved for a lifetime. FBS college football can. ODU has a chance to get the surrounding area to embrace them just like Virginia Tech, Penn Sate and other have been embraced in their area.

To do that the City and University need to work together to promote the Monarchs to the surrounding community. Get kids involved from an early age. Have events where local school kids are invited. Have Big Blue and football players there. Have players visit local schools. Give out ODU gear and tickets. Doing these things and more I beleive can help ODU football grow and thrive in the Tidewater area. It could also help with recruiting local talent and getting kids to choose ODU as their first choice of universities to attend.

And build a bigger stadium so that there are actually plenty of seats available to bring new people into the tent. There isn't much you can do to bring new people in when there are very few seats available for purchase without buying season tickets.

There are plenty of tickets available for all games except VT. In fact they're doing a buy 3 get 1 free special for FIU. You can get tickets for every game other than VT on stub hub for less than $10. Bring your friends.