Charleston

[Cluck U]

In the age of NIL and NCAA programs raking in donor money, I'm surprised that the football stadium and basketball arena don't have a corporate sponsor.

Companies like DuPont, WL Gore, and numerous banks could easily invest in the university and secure naming rights.

I'm unsure why this hasn't occurred yet. If there's a reason already provided, please inform me.

DuPont isn’t the DuPont we knew anymore..broken into pieces now. The big banking centers and credit card companies (the MBNA/First USA money machines) are also gone for the most part, especially their headquarters…and the merged collection that remains needs to see a better return on their investment/advertising. Not a lot of lucrative TV coverage for UD sports…not going to get many aerial shots of the Bank of America Tub on national TV…heck, BoA doesn’t have many actual banking branches in the state. Gore plows on, but they aren’t investing heavily in sports buildings at UD.

So, where is the big employer(s) to carry the load?

The largest employer, by far, in the state is….the state. UD is another big employer…but they aren’t naming anything University of Delaware Stadium and paying themselves to do so.

Seriously, what business is going to plunk down several hundred thousand or a cool million for naming rights to help build an expansion of a facility/stadium that gets used…how many times per year (and to what size audience)? What is the return on their investment?

Reality.

[jd of de]

In the age of NIL and NCAA programs raking in donor money, I'm surprised that the football stadium and basketball arena don't have a corporate sponsor.

Companies like DuPont, WL Gore, and numerous banks could easily invest in the university and secure naming rights.

I'm unsure why this hasn't occurred yet. If there's a reason already provided, please inform me.

It hasn't happened because no company has bitten on the price yet; and there is a price. Both DuPont and Gore have a policy of not investing (really marketing themselves) in athletics and I doubt anything will change that. The increased national exposure of the C-USA / ESPN partnership may change who might be interested. Chase, Capital One (and merger partner Discover) and AstraZeneca have sizable presence in Delaware and would benefit the increased exposure UD athletics may get. Christiana Care already does market through UD athletics.

[Hens79]

In the age of NIL and NCAA programs raking in donor money, I'm surprised that the football stadium and basketball arena don't have a corporate sponsor.

Companies like DuPont, WL Gore, and numerous banks could easily invest in the university and secure naming rights.

I'm unsure why this hasn't occurred yet. If there's a reason already provided, please inform me.

It hasn't happened because no company has bitten on the price yet; and there is a price. Both DuPont and Gore have a policy of not investing (really marketing themselves) in athletics and I doubt anything will change that. The increased national exposure of the C-USA / ESPN partnership may change who might be interested. Chase, Capital One (and merger partner Discover) and AstraZeneca have sizable presence in Delaware and would benefit the increased exposure UD athletics may get. Christiana Care already does market through UD athletics.

Yes, there are all kinds of possibilities since UD joined FBS/CUSA considering the ESPN deal. That really changes a lot. And yes, there are still plenty of banks including growing regional WSFS Bank. Maybe Gore will change their minds too? Stadiums get sponsored all the time. It isn’t impossible. And if needed, lower the price.

[Udforever1]

Charleston up 65-39 at Towson right now. They are absolutely rolling.

[jd of de]

Charleston is impressive and peaking at the right time.

[Caribbean Hen]

Don’t have much to say about our team. What I will say is that it was an absolute treat to watch Charleston tonight. What a well coached, well oiled machine.

Coach,

Let me ask you

If MI had Charlestons roster, would Charleston be as good as that well oiled machine right now?

If the answer is no, isn’t time for Martin to go?

[Caribbean Hen]

The very long version of “it’s the fans”.

UD just did something very bold by announcing the move to FBS. The need to keep the momentum going.

Blaming the fans for slow walking the NEZ would be the business as usual from UD I thought was in the process of being abandoned.

Just friggen get it done.

This is bold

What UD did by moving to FBS wasn’t bold, they had no other choice and are just trying salvage their azz from the sinking FCS Titanic … all hands prepare to abandon ship

Grabbing a seat on the lifeboat was the only choice, but a choice that didn’t work out for a coward named Joey Rotten Ismay, who pulled kids off the lifeboat before taking his seat …. What a loser but that’s a story for Another Day

So I’m not really convinced it was a bold move, more like the only move given the looming storm that college football has become

As for the NEZ project, it probably comes down to the words of the immortal Lalo Salamanca…..

Show me!

Let’s see how this move to FBS ignites the fanbase before building seats for no one …. Will a younger fanbase support Delaware football when the roster turns into a Revolver each year?

Tomorrow Never Knows

[finpxz1]

If we are gonna do this right, we have to be 100% bought into the vision and the future. An absolute commitment and resolution to continued success across the board. And success on the fields of competition, as well as a relentless pursuit for improved facilities for our student athletes, are not mutually exclusive endeavors. Better yet, they can actually feed into each other. Don’t disagree that this move to CUSA had to happen, and we probably waited 10-15 years too long to do it. But now that we are here, there is no turning back. My guess is we will not be in the CUSA 10 years from now. But while we are here, let’s kick @$$ and continue to invest in Athletics as the front porch to the University. Build it and they will come!!!

[tenn hen]

But while we are here, let’s kick @$$ and continue to invest in Athletics as the front porch to the University. Build it and they will come!!!

hey fin- plagiarizing - no worries- I give my consent

we can make the best of the late FBS move by scheduling up for OOC as a means to recruit athletes(redundant) and gain fan interest hopefully leading to greater crowds in the seats(redundant again except for standing room only) Let's move like football has asap even for 2024.

[BlueHenBill]

It never ceases to amaze me how many Delaware fans, alum, and supporters are just so willing to make excuses and accept mediocrity when it comes to UD Athletics…Football and Basketball, in particular. It feels like Chrissi and the current admin are trying to breakthrough that mindset, but it won’t be easy. Those of us who do make “negative” comments on gohens are oftentimes attacked for being whiners and complainers, and overly critical. I would argue that we truly want to see Delaware reach its potential on the field of competition, which will only lead to positive outcomes for the University and the state, in general. More awareness, more funding, and more engagement with students and alumni. Anyhow, I’m sure I am opening myself up for a barrage of comments, but whatever. I just think we all should start expecting more and not accept status quo as an answer. Go Hens!!!

+1

[BlueHenBill]

It never ceases to amaze me how many Delaware fans, alum, and supporters are just so willing to make excuses and accept mediocrity when it comes to UD Athletics…Football and Basketball, in particular. It feels like Chrissi and the current admin are trying to breakthrough that mindset, but it won’t be easy. Those of us who do make “negative” comments on gohens are oftentimes attacked for being whiners and complainers, and overly critical. I would argue that we truly want to see Delaware reach its potential on the field of competition, which will only lead to positive outcomes for the University and the state, in general. More awareness, more funding, and more engagement with students and alumni. Anyhow, I’m sure I am opening myself up for a barrage of comments, but whatever. I just think we all should start expecting more and not accept status quo as an answer. Go Hens!!!

I don't have a major problem with your analysis, except for the inclusion of "more funding" of athletics. UD's requests for monetary support from fans apparently is falling on a lot of deaf ears (e.g., the funding for the north end zone project that so many want to see and the relative lack of money dedicated for NIL arrangements). In short, maybe we are getting exactly what our fan base is currently willing to pay for. Just saying.

The fund raising problems of UD Athletics make the decision to go FBS and add Women's Ice Hockey suspect to say the least.

[BlueHenBill]

We are going to get what we get from MI. This is year 8. He hasn’t gotten it done. He just hasn’t. We are a 4-6 place team in the CAA with 4 being a stretch.

We all loved the unexpected run a 4 or 5 place CAA team made 2 years ago but that’s been it. Last year was dismal from the get go following up the NCAA tourney experience and this year is meh with a lot of wins piled up against CAA newbie stiffs. If his seat isn’t getting hot, it should be.

Ingelsby had the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons left on his contract when UD extended it in 2022 by 5 years thru 2028-2029. It may have been prudent to extend Ingelsby by a lesser number of years and/or agree to an annual roll over contract cancellable by either party each season starting in 2024-2025. I made allowances for the disaster of 2022-2023 but expected a bigger improvement than we have seen this season. Too many recruiting mistakes continue to haunt this program as evidenced by the number of players who when healthy don't see any significant game action as well as the usually several injuries every season, including those who are injured for 2 or 3 seasons and counting. This team is not talented enough nor deep enough. MI & staff appear unable to recruit good size/weight tall players who can be a force inside. Recruiting, even of transfers, has been largely limited to players from NY to VA while the CAA's better teams are recruiting players from not only all over the US but also from Europe, Canada, and Australia. The coaching seems suspect when watching games. On offense, not enough passing but too much dribbling and one-on-one play that result in too many turnovers. Other problems include poor FT shooting, poor/inconsistent 3-pt shooting, poor rebounding, failure to try zone-D for any meaningful minutes, difficulty handling other teams' presses, UD's inability to effectively press on those rare occasions when it is attempted, UD's problems when other teams inbound on their offensive end,etc.

[BlueHenBill]

Wait…there is some doubt about the lack of fan interest and the lack of fundraising ?

If the Bob were packed, and there was a buzz about UD’s athletic teams, we’d see movement with fundraising, both from a fan perspective and an insitutional one. UD would certainly feel more empowered to attach a student fee to help provide regular support. UD, and the local/state politicians, would also feel empowered to provide more funding (read taxpayer money) for UD athletic endeavors.

And it isn’t just the support form the local fans that can attend games that is the problem. UD isn’t going to fund many multi-million dollar sports expansions from a group of locals. UD students, almost across the board, don’t care about UD sports…and haven’t for a long, long time. That, of course, means the alumni, as a whole, have many decades of not linking their happy/impactful UD experiences specifically to UD sports.

Why would a successful or regular UD alum ever think to donate their money to UD sports if they have not attended many games? Why would someone give money to something that hasn’t given them “thrills” to remember? Given the choice between donating to sports versus their school/major, people normally give to what they believe gives them the best value/memories for their money.

The magic money machine of using other people’s money (except int he case of taxes) only works if other people are emotionally and/or financially invested in providing that money.

UD killed the golden goose when they spit on generations of emotionally invested fans and their families. If UD had implemented increased fundraising in a slow, more managed way, they would have much better success. Unfortunately, we are left with a very hard road to get back to where people (locals, alumni, sponsors, etc.) are emotionally and financially willing to invest in UD athletics. It can be done, but it isn’t going to happen overnight.

+1