Lehigh Football Nation

This FCS offseason, there was a spirited battle going on.  No, not for recruits, but for the new site of the FCS National Championship game.  Chattanooga, the host for what seems like forever, suddenly had someone to bid against: Frisco, Texas, who boast Pizza Hut Park, home of Major League Soccer's Dallas Burn. Today, the NCAA made it official : the first FCS championship game to be played in January will also be played in a new venue.  In a town where there is no FCS team, next year's championship will be played about a half hour north of Dallas. And "Big Tex", the iconic mascot of the Texas State fair, isn't the only one who's smiling: the Southland columnist at the College Sporting News is also smiling pretty broadly as well.  In his excellent blog posting covering the announcement , he details the reaction across the country - and the happiness the bid is bringing to members of the Southland conference.  (And in Ralph's Rag over there as well ,

At Grace Hall - a venue better known for wrestling matches (and - back in the day - varsity basketball) - Lehigh recently held a gala event to celebrate the end of Lehigh's "Shine Forever" campaign.  By anyone's yardstick this donation campaign has been an incredible success, raising $508 million - $8 million over the target. If you're an alum, you may look at this information, smile, and go about your day and not think about it anymore.  But if you're a fan of Lehigh Athletics, there's also plenty to celebrate when you look further at the numbers.  That's because the success of "Shine Forever" will also benefit the athletes currently at the university, too.  (more)

In the Patriot League this year, there is no time for disappointment in the men's basketball title chase. One game - one lousy game - separates the top four teams.  And the outcome of two games to end the year could mean the difference between possible home games in the semifinals and finals - or a tough assignment on the road. A win tomorrow versus Bucknell at the STAR would mean a lot more than revenge for the "one that got away", where junior G/F G.W. Boon 's six points down the stretch and freshman F Mike Muscala' s big free throws erased a 10 point deficit and delivered an 81-76 overtime win at Sojka .  It would put Lehigh in the drivers' seat for the Patriot League tournament.  Ever hear the expression "the playoffs start now?"  You could say that about the game tomorrow - and hopefully Lehigh's basketball team will be celebrating with some ground Bison. (more)