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Do Hayden Fox, Luther and Dauber still coach Minnesota State?

The Valpo Lutes.

Scrolling through the comments it reads to me that alumni who don't like the change are critical of the weak administration bending to the desires and feigned outrage of a small group of people.  The virtues being signaled by the outspoken group wanting the Crusader to go away have very little substance behind them.  Somehow the problems that these people face are so very severe that the solution is a small college in Northwest Indiana changing its mascot?  Boy, there are people I've come across in my adult and professional life who would love to have problems with solutions like that!

Fact of the matter is, this modernist movement that has infiltrated VU and many other established institutions is a perpetually offended group of people who will only be happy when their actions are accepted by people who are morally opposed to what they are doing.  When the key to your happiness is being accepted by others, you will never be happy and, furthermore, you have likely not accepted yourself.

The best action the University could have taken is to level up and be honest with these people by saying that the offense they are taking is a choice and they need to choose not to be offended and, if necessary, part ways.  Unfortunately, they chose the path of least resistance and catered to this perpetually offended group of people.  This mascot change just kicks the proverbial can further down the road as the anti-Crusaders will only be appeased for a short time before finding another more substantial aspect of the university to be offended by and attack. 

We'll only know for sure in time but I think the University is unaware that their chosen path is communicating a choice to part ways with many of the alumni who are silently going about their lives being the best professionals, spouses and parents--basically the new age Crusaders crusading by example.

She said the University was concerned about their "Lutheran Ethos"...which is curious because they just hired a President who is Catholic.

I love the pace of this game.  No under 4 timeout except for Valpo's use it or lose it with :27.  Hope the guys don't get tight in the 2nd half.

I realize I'm late to the party but football at small schools (especially non-scholarship football) = male enrollment.  No football means you become much more female.  At a Christian school during a time period where Christian masculinity and male leadership is sorely lacking in the world, I don't think Valpo can really achieve its mission without having a football team.  As a Lutheran university you need to churn out men looking to make an impact in the worlds they live in. 

Not sure about you guys, but Ickow > $30 video feed...every day and twice on Sunday.

Good for this kid.  I know a lot of you always wonder why Valpo plays up to FCS scholarship schools and this is why.  Guys who come to VU to play football want to play D-1 and are willing to make a D-1 commitment (Spring ball, strength training, film, etc.) 

I did not get a chance to watch the game but did check the score periodically while at a banquet.  My question is do you guys think they win this game if the had not played the summer schedule?

I voted 8-0 because I am overly optimistic and I wanted to have a chance to be the only one who is right.

Why didn't we open up with Union College like Morehead State did?

I'm too cheap to pay for ESPN+ but I'm seeing returns out to the 20 on these kick offs.  Why not fair catch it and take it at the 25?

I got the e-mail correspondence from Coach Fox which included the Summer conditioning test.  I'm gonna train for about a month and a half and see if I can do it.

What if you make a body bag game less of a body bag game by scrimmaging Notre Dame/Purdue/Northwestern? 

Does this mean that the Valpo-Vandy home and home isn't happening?

So, these guys all committed to Valpo, played basketball and took some classes and then jetted when the institution didn't suit their immediate needs anymore.  Did they spend any time developing relationships at Valpo?  How much of the team's poor culture was due to the departing players and how much was due to the coach?  I have no idea but usually in separations like this the fault you fail to assess is your own.  I will be curious to see how it works out for the transfers.  I hope they are successful (since they are young men with their professional lives ahead of them) but typically when you start chasing success, you end up with something less.  Maybe if these guys weren't fully bought in to the University, they are right to leave and open up spots for guys who want to take advantage of a Christian education while representing the institution on the basketball court.

How is success defined at a school like Valpo competing at the FCS Non-Scholarship level?  Is it solely by wins and losses or is there something more which is not as measurable?

One of the things that struck me about the new coach's press conference was the emphasis on developing young men to be great husbands and fathers by using football as a teaching tool.  I am 15 years removed from my playing days.  With very few exceptions, my teammates all fit the great husband/father mold.  Busting their picks in a profession suited for them and providing for their family both monetarily and with their presence.  Very rarely do we talk about how many wins we had in one season or another.

If you put 80-100 family-minded guys together who are decent at football and who are persistently pursuing greatness, I have to figure at some point you're going to win on the field.

I hope the hire works out for Valpo.

I saw the one technical when Golder hung on the rim (I hope he said something cause he was trying not to land on the guy he posterized)


Didn't see the other one though--and I watched the entire 40 minutes.

In my opinion, if attendance is down or students have a lack of interest for the basketball team, then the players and coaches actually need to go to the dorms, frats, football team, etc. and create relationships outside of the team.  If they act like they are not a part of the school community (because they are on full rides and are better than everyone) then the school community probably won't be tripping over themselves to get to the ARC for a basketball game.  Pretty sure Matt Lottich understands this as he was at Stanford during the Mike Montgomery era--his teams were known for making a grassroots efforts to get students interested.

How about the Big East?  Both leagues had final four teams last year.

Unfortunately, a first round visit to Fargo probably will not happen since the Bison will probably earn a first round bye.

Reports say he's looking to go to Kentucky so likely Valpo doesn't have a shot at Reid Travis from Stanford but we should send him correspondence confirming that we're interested if he his!

How do the basketball players interact with the other athletes?  A couple of years some of the bball guys came across as a bit stuffy around the training room--the dynamic is interesting since the bball program is fully funded whereas most of the other sports are not.  Other years, there would be approachable guys who came out to some of the football games even though we weren't very good.  You kind of reap what you sow to some degree.  If you want a good environment at the games, you have to be (a) approachable, (b) somewhat friendly and (c) winners.

Huggins coached the Cincinnati team that had a home and home with Valpo in the early 00s, I believe.

Out of curiosity, could a PFL team schedule a PFL team as a non-conference game since I don't think any of the teams play all of of the teams in the league?

Also, is there any relationship between VU and Austin Peay?  Would an old PFL foe look at rekindling a rivalry?