With game at Penn State looming, potential Delaware move to FBS gains momentum
Delaware isn’t likely to beat the Football Bowl Subdivision powerhouse Nittany Lions on the football field Saturday.
The Blue Hens may be poised to join them, however.
Certainly, no invitations to unite with Penn State in the bulging Big Ten are coming Delaware’s way.
But Delaware does seem closer than ever to ditching its long association with the NCAA’s Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
You are, as the saying goes, who you surround yourself with. The Coastal Athletic Association’s recent addition of Bryant University, who’ll come in next year in the wake of Campbell and other recent expansion newcomers, further distances Delaware from its alleged athletic and academic peers.
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The behind-the-scenes effort by Delaware to raise money for a pricey project to enclose the north end of Delaware Stadium attached to a massive indoor practice structure with locker rooms and offices for several teams is ongoing. Delaware has still not announced it publicly as it pursues large financial promises to cover a significant portion of what might be a $100 million undertaking.
UD recently did announce it received “a major gift” from ex-quarterback Matt Nagy “to support an upcoming facilities project.” Nagy was the well paid coach of the Chicago Bears from 2018-21 and is now offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Other donors will be briefed on the project’s progress prior to Delaware’s home football game against New Hampshire on Sept. 23.
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As we reported last fall, the sentiment is it only makes sense for Delaware to commit to such an expenditure if it includes a move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision, the college game’s highest level. The FCS has long been appealing because of six-time national champion Delaware’s historical prominence at such a level.
But the FCS’s status has seemed to wane in recent years, with a slew of departures by its foremost members. The NCAA even seemed to demonstrate dwindling dedication to FCS by moving its title game last season to Sunday, where, up against NFL games, it had its second lowest fall-season TV viewership over 10 years despite a switch from ESPN2 to ABC.
In the meantime, Delaware athletic officials have been given approval by the UD Board of Trustees to more closely examine a move up to FBS and entertain possible conference destinations. That is a bold blessing, and a further signal of a potential climb.
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It would certainly be a costly venture, with the addition of 22 scholarships plus other expenses. Title IX gender-equity standards may also necessitate the addition of a women’s sport. Here comes ice hockey.
There remains no ideal league in which Delaware could be transplanted. The 14-member Sun Belt’s East Division is packed with Delaware’s former FCS/Division I-AA adversaries – James Madison, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Old Dominion and Marshall.
Equally far-flung Conference USA will add FCS departee Kennesaw State next year as its 10th member along with FCS emigrants Sam Houston, Jacksonville State and Western Kentucky.
Though it has not been a similar refuge for schools departing FCS, the Mid-American Conference may be the most ideal and likely place for Delaware to land. Its 12 schools are less spread out with six in Ohio, three in Michigan and one each in Indiana, Illinois and New York. They also appear to be more like-minded institutions.
Deciding to make such a move will require significant contemplation and cash. Athletic director Chrissi Rawak and her leadership cohorts appear extremely capable of mustering both and, in the aftermath of Delaware’s historic first visit to Penn State, possibly engineering a momentous move.
Have an idea for a compelling local sports story or is there an issue that needs public scrutiny? Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newletter.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Is Delaware Blue Hens' move from FCS to FBS in their football future?
