Lehigh Football Nation

The Patriot League just issued the following statement : Center Valley, Pa. - The Patriot League Council of Presidents endorsed and finalized a set of recommendations for revising the League's academic index to provide more consistency in the application of the index and internal equity among member institutions. The revisions will go in place for student-athletes that will enter Patriot League institutions in the fall of 2009. "The Patriot League is committed to being the ideal home for outstanding student-athletes," said Bucknell University President Brian C. Mitchell, Chair of the Council of Presidents. "These recommendations provide a higher level of consistency and clarity that strengthens not only the League but also the programs of every one of our member institutions." The revised index will also enhance admissions and athletic competitiveness of programs externally while maintaining the integrity of the League's founding principles. Included in th

"Oi... My Good Heavens man. What are you THINKING? Loyola in the Patriot League in All Sports... including a football team?" That's what St. Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Society of Jesus) seems to be saying in the picture to my left - and I think there are a fair amount of people out there who might agree with him. But is it really as outlandish as all that? The rumors are flying on messageboards that Loyola might be looking for a new conference. The Greyhounds currently reside in the MAAC in all sports - and despite the fact that they don't currently sponsor it, football may be part of the equation. So what's the truth? Could there be any truth to the rumors? Let's look at a tale of the tape and see what we can figure out. The Tale Of The Tape Loyola College is a private Jesuit school located in Baltimore, Maryland of approximately 3,500 undergraduates. As a Jesuit school, they fit perfectly in the Patriot League on several levels: they are a

No, Virginia, I didn't know that "Athletic Turf News" really does exist. But it does: and yes, they are showing the big news that Lehigh is upgrading the natural grass that has been in place since even before Murray Goodman Stadium existed. (Actually, those lazy reporters over at ATN actually just cribbed the report from Lehigh's website.) An entire photo gallery of the renovation lives here (and that's where I got the great shot to my right). Cheer up, Lehigh fans: you don't need to renew your subscription, here's the scoop right here: "This project is part of our University's ongoing commitment to facility maintenance, and had been planned for some time,” Lehigh Dean of Athletics Joe Sterrett ’76 explained. “Goodman Stadium is a distinctive setting for football, however, the grass turf and subsurface had reached the end of a long (40 years-plus) life.” He continued, “The availability of modern irrigation and drainage systems and the compar