tylerzx2002
Well-known member
200 career PIM is definitely one of those stats that we may never see again with how much the game has changed.
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Maine Black Bears 2026 Offseason: Missing Out on Mistlebacher
- Thread starter amkirby10
- Start date
blackbears9
Well-known member
So they draw less fans than hockey despite having roughly double the capacity.
Let's compare sustained success over the last few decades. Football has made the playoffs 6 times since 1990. Hockey has made the tournament 14 times since 1990. Football made the semifinals (frozen 4) once since 1990, has 0 championship appearances and 0 championships. Hockey has 9 frozen 4's, 5 championship appearances and 2 championships since 1990. Football was 13 winning seasons since 1990, while hockey has 26 winning seasons since 1990.
We can look at more recent history, football has 3 winning seasons out of the last 10, one playoff appearance and hockey has 5 out of the last 10 and two tournaments (would have been 3 if not for covid). Ignoring the fact that football isn't even competing in the highest division, I don't see how they have been more relevant, or had a more realistic shot at a championship (not in the highest division). They've had one miracle run since moving up from D2 and Harasymiack left immediately after to be a position coach in the FBS.
Some of my earliest memories were watching my cousin play football at Orono, I'm far from a hater on the program. But football will always be a stepping stone for both players and coaches trying to move up to the FBS. Hockey and field hockey are the only programs on campus that have a chance to be relevant on a national stage and be a destination, not just a pit stop. In the NIL era I don't think it makes sense to throw money away on an average at best program that doesn't even compete in the top division.
ticapnews
Never graduate.
These are all solid points but you failed to mention bridges in some way so you automatically lose the argument.
Maine Football was only Division II from 1973-77 when the NCAA renamed the old Univeristy and College divisions into I, II, and III. Division I-AA was formed in 1978 and the Yankee Conference as a whole moved.
The football issue is simple - the major donors want football. Therefore, Maine will always sponsor football.
blackbears9
Well-known member
And they've only made the national semifinals once since then. That's not exactly what I would call regularly competing for a 1-AA national championship.
I hear the major donors line all the time, but does Maine really have any major recurring donors outside of the Alfonds? There have been a few incredible one off major gifts, but Maine day of giving raised less than 200k this year. Not sure that justifies spending almost 6 million a year on football. If people are ponying up a few million a year to help offset those expenses then I stand corrected, but I just have a hard time believing that it's happening.
NorthMike
Well-known member
Football takes 6mil a year to run? Ooof.
I dont buy the donor thing either. Are they academic donors, then i might see it, if their just donors to the football program then so what if you lose their support by ending football. The athletic dept still comes out ahead financially.
Never going to end football anyway.
Drove by the bridge today, WOW what a bad sight, lucky no one got killed.
You said the magic word - Alfond.
Hockey is self-sufficient. Basketball is actually the higher priority for the department right now, epsecially men's basketball. Winning an NCAA tournament game in MBB, even with the expanded field of 76, will bring more attention to the university than any national hockey success. That's just the reality of how huge of an event March Madness is.
ticapnews
Never graduate.
In 2012-13 the university commissioned a study to determine what drives donations. One of the points the study revealed is that there was no correlation between donations with or without a football team. That study was buried because a very powerful man on campus didn't want that story being told. If only the university had held off a couple of years because he was gone by 2015 anyway.
Incidentally, with a couple of notable exceptions, the study found that the entire athletics program at Maine played little role in the source or size of the donations. But no one does a media blitz when some random company donates a million for the library.
Incidentally, with a couple of notable exceptions, the study found that the entire athletics program at Maine played little role in the source or size of the donations. But no one does a media blitz when some random company donates a million for the library.
ticapnews
Never graduate.
Hockey was self-sufficient. Those days are over now. Back in my day we stayed a week at a 5-star resort in Los Angeles after winning the Freezeout. Now coaches have to fundraise for road trips and the team recycles medical supplies. Uncle Harold's platinum card has long since expired.
McGoverners
Well-known member
But then we wouldn't have the worst basketball program in NCAA history and what fun would that be
blackbears9
Well-known member
I don't have any "sources" so if you say the Alfonds push UMO to keep football I can't dispute it. I'd be a little surprised, as they built the ice rink at UNE but don't have their name on the football field. Out of all the schools they've given money to Colby and UMO are the only ones with their name on the football field.
I also don't disagree that March Madness is obviously much bigger than college hockey, but I'm not sure that Prairie Valley A&M beating Lehigh in a play in game generated more attention than Denver winning the frozen four or Penn State signing Gavin McKenna. A cinderella run like FGCU or VCU absolutely, but I don't know how much juice the play in games have. The PVA&M tweet after winning the play in game had 316 RT's and 1.6K likes, the Denver tweet after winning the national championship had 1K RT's and 3.7K likes.
Speaking of basketball, I think the women should be allowed to play in the new arena, but the men should be relegated to the rec center until they make the tournament. It's just not fair that they get a great new facility when they're one of the least successful D1 teams of all time. I'm a big fan of Markwood though, and if anyone can do get UMO there it's him.
I think I would be on the side of NDSU -40 in a hypothetical matchup against Maine in that year's championship game. We lost to Eastern Washington by 31 points, and then they went ahead and lost to the Bison by two touchdowns. Obviously you can't just completely use the transitive property, but I think that gives some insight on the gap between the teams. But, of course, we will never know for sure.
I dont expect football to be going away, if only because the program has existed since the 1800s. I dont think its impossible for Maine to ever have a shot at the FCS title; the CAA has shown it can be relevant on the national stage, see JMU before they moved up and URI. I feel like we have the football discussion a lot on this board, though I suppose its the offseason so whatever.
Oh, and uh, something something bridge collapse...
I dont expect football to be going away, if only because the program has existed since the 1800s. I dont think its impossible for Maine to ever have a shot at the FCS title; the CAA has shown it can be relevant on the national stage, see JMU before they moved up and URI. I feel like we have the football discussion a lot on this board, though I suppose its the offseason so whatever.
Oh, and uh, something something bridge collapse...
grooverider
Your Team Sucks
The good news is the bridge season is over in hockey after last season so we will be much stronger this year it seems
grooverider
Your Team Sucks
There's alot of donors outside of Alfond that want, support, and give money to football. Take a look up in club level at hockey games. There's a few up there with their own boxes and they give generously. In fact some have their pictures on the walls at Alfond. It isn't a debate really. Until someone who has major money says they want football gone nobody will listen..if someone showed up tomorrow and said hey Jude I just won the powerball and I have 50 million cash no strings attached for the university but I want it to go to hockey, etc because football sucks and I want you to look into getting rid of it...you dont think that stipulation alone would get the ball moving?
BlackBearHockeyFan
Active member
If you're going to keep football at least move up to FBS
Out of the woods has some great poolside shots from that LA trip
What's the point of FBS outside of the Power Conferences? Eventually no one is going to play in bowl outside the CFP.
AMC
Registered User
That would be the end of Maine hockey. And probably baseball. Both would need to be eliminated in order to get Maine football up to even close to the bottom level of FBS spending. No FBS conference that would admit Maine (and frankly, there isn't one) is going to supply the TV/playoff share revenue that Maine would need to close the budget gap. I'm also not sold that just slapping an FBS label on the program and having them play Ball State and Bowling Green provides a big jump in attention or attendance as compared to playing Rhode Island and Albany. Michigan or Alabama isn't coming to Orono. Not to mention that there would be A LOT of 0-12, 1-11, 2-10 seasons for everyone to give up on after three games.
I agree with dunbar that football isn't going away, even though it should. I have a small bit of optimism centered around the fact that the bigwigs hobnobbing in the suites at football games have a lot more gray hair than those at hockey games. We'll see if their estate plans provide enough support to keep the football train on its tracks. The Class of 1964 isn't going to live forever.
This is the bigger issue - other than legacy and old money, there is no reason Maine should have baseball over men's soccer. Your two closest peers, New Hampshire and Vermont, have proven what you can do with men's soccer in northern New England. The new facility is already there, and Mahaney Diamond would be a great parking lot.