AD Blog - July 30, 2007

I just returned from the first CAA Football Media Day, held at the ESPNZone in downtown Baltimore. Formerly known as the Atlantic 10 Football Conference, the 12 programs shifted under the CAA’s watch this summer. The event was terrific, and it left me with a series of thoughts that I wanted to share with our outstanding supporters.

·        The event was impressive. Team logos rotating on the TVs. Great media attendance. Several live radio broadcasts originating from the place. Video highlights on the large screen. Stats of top players, last year’s standings and this year’s predictions in the big lights. A great show.

·        The league TV schedule jumped to 20 games, thanks to the CAA’s strong relationship with Comcast SportsNet and CN8. Towson will have five games on TV, including four from Unitas Stadium. Last year, we had one game. It’s great exposure for our program and a testament to the job Gordy Combs and his staff have done building our program.

·        This is a national league. The teams have combined to win 21 NCAA playoff games over the past five years. Ten of the 12 programs have earned NCAA Championship berths in the last six years.  Five teams (including Towson, 17^th) are ranked in the pre-season Street & Smith Top 25 poll, more than any other league.

·        The coaches in the CAA are outstanding. Three coaches have won the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year honor – Madison’s Mickey Mathews, Villanova’s Andy Talley and New Hampshire’s Sean McDonnell. UMass head coach Don Brown, who guided his team to the national championship game last year, addressed the media. To a man, the group of coaches is impressive and enthused about the upcoming season.

·        Gordy Combs is a great ambassador for Towson. Since the event was in his hometown, Gordy had the most media requests and he handled each one in spectacular fashion.

·        The returning players are impressive. The league has four returning All-Americans, including New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos, who won the Walter Payton Award last year.

·        Two of Towson’s co-captains, Sean Schaffer and Brian Bradford, attended the event. Athletically, the duo is outstanding. Sean led the nation in passing yards per game last year, and Brian was a pre-season first-team All-CAA selection at linebacker. But more importantly, the two represented our university very well. They are good players, but better young men.

Thanks to the CAA, I’m pumped for the start of football. The team reports in 10 days. The season kicks off in just over 30 days.

I’m also nervous. More than ever, every game is going to be a great challenge. As administrators, we need to make sure that Unitas Stadium has a vibrant, spirited crowd behind our Tigers. I’ve got great confidence in our coaches and student-athletes, but they will benefit from a home field advantage.

Plus, I feel a great sense of responsibility to make sure the four games from Unitas Stadium represent the great college football experience that is expected for our league. We are a young program; it’s just our fourth year in this league. Our community is just learning about the CAA and this outstanding level of football. We will benefit from having the CAA Media Day in Baltimore, particularly since it was so well attended by our hometown media. The TV games and the new radio exposure on WNST will help deliver that message during the year. Plus, our marketing staff is working tirelessly as the season approaches to get the word out.

I hope our fans have all five home dates circled on their calendars. After watching and listening to today’s events, I’m more confident that ever that everyone that walks into Unitas Stadium this fall will enjoy an outstanding college football experience.