LUFB: 30 years ago compared to today

Forum Forum Lehigh Sports Lehigh Football LUFB: 30 years ago compared to today

This topic contains 8 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by RichH RichH 9 years, 1 month ago.

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #24550
    sundayamqb
    sundayamqb
    Participant

    Cleaning up tonight I came across a 1985 LU media guide, all 42 pages black and white of it, about 4×5.5 inches.

    The guide claimed attendance for the following 1984 home games at Taylor as:
    Colgate: 12,500
    Delaware: 12,000
    UNH: 10,500
    URI: 12,500
    Bucknell: 9,500

    That’s an average of 11,500 for a team with a record of 5-6

    Compare that to 2014 at Goodman:
    JMU: 6,519
    Monmouth: 5,633
    Bucknell: 4,984
    Fordham: 9,372
    Colgate: 4,736

    That’s an average of 6,249 for a team with a record of 3-8

    We can all hypothesize on the huge attendance drop: round numbers in 1985 accurate (?), moving of stadium, lousy team, more co-education, TV, weaker schedule (?) — but it’s not good, no matter what.

    The fun facts:
    — Muffet McGraw is listed as an administrative assistant in the athletics department. Talk about breaking through the glass ceiling.

    — Five seniors in 1985 earned letters as freshmen, pretty rare at the time (Benn, Horn, Schreck, Walton, Whitehead). All but Schreck were all-Americans in 83 and/or 84 (as sophomores or juniors).

    — Only 26 lettermen returned

    — 1984 was Whitehead’s second losing season in nine years (70-35-2)

    — Players were smaller. OL Jim Rovito biggest at 6-4, 275.

    In 1984, LU O averaged 88.5 on ground; 270.1 in air
    In 1984, LU D averaged 156.5 vs run; 197.7 vs pass

    I found it all pretty interesting, though I’ve not formulated many other conclusions …

    It is interesting to note give the discussions on other threads here

    #24556
    RichH
    RichH
    Participant

    Interesting time warp view. Dont really know whether any conclusions can be drawn from the comparison tho. I have a box somewhere with various media guides,programs an South Mountaineers ( remember them ). Keep meaning to dig them out.
    Go back another 20 years and the biggest player was 6’1″245 and the starting OC came in at 177 lbs :)

    #24570
    ngineer
    ngineer
    Participant

    Stadium location a non-issue. We were averaging over 10,000 a game in late 90’s and early 2000’s. Many issues at play, not just at Lehigh, but nationally as well.

    #24607
    sundayamqb
    sundayamqb
    Participant

    Found one more stat from a 1977 media guide (quite thin). This relates back to some comments here a few months ago.

    It’s now clear why the Engineers name had to be changed (LOL)

    Some bragged on the football team’s GPA. It seemed overloaded with arts college students. My guess is they might have an easier course load than the folks in engineering and business.

    Turns out I wasn’t completely right, but close. Yesterday’s engineers are all in the business school now.

    In 1977, 38 of 88 kids on the preseason roster were engineering majors; 34 were in the arts school; 16 in business. Way more engineers than now.

    Summary: 1977 vs. 2015:
    Engineering: 43 percent vs. 16 percent
    Business: 18 percent vs 46 percent
    Arts: 39 percent vs. 33 percent

    #24608
    RichH
    RichH
    Participant

    Interesting nuhat stands out numbers. What stands out to me are the increase in Arts majors not only fron 77 to now but from my time. Arts majors were few in my day.

    #24609

    TMH
    Participant

    Rich,
    It’s a bit deceiving. It is really the College of Arts and Sciences and many of the hybrid majors are located there. IDEAS, Computer Sciences and Earth and Environmental Science are all hot majors today that did not exist when we were students.

    #24610
    RichH
    RichH
    Participant

    True. A lot of majors now that didn’t exist back in the Stone ages :)

    #24616
    ngineer
    ngineer
    Participant

    Let me tell you A&S had some very tough majors: biology,chemistry, physics, astronomy, numerous foreign languages (which 18 credits were REQUIRED for all A&S majors!), various pre-law and pre-med majors that were combined from several different curriculums. The “Engineers” was not a nickname due to the engineering schools rep at the time. It relates to the University’s founder, Asa Packer, who founded the Lehigh Valley Railroad, which back in the late 19th and first half of the 20th centuries was a major industrial force. Unfortunately, due to “marketing” concerns, it was deemed necessary to change the nickname, though technically “Engineers” still exists with Mountain Hawks being added along with a feathery mascot youngsters could squeal over. Numerous schools have multiple nicknames and/or mascots, i.e. Yale, Alabama, Auburn, Harvard, Va. Tech,

    #24617
    RichH
    RichH
    Participant

    Actually,se have three “official”nicknames. Brown & White. Stirs the blood does it not :-)
    I’m an Engineer. Not go.na change. Understanx co-ed marketing for the change ,just never agreed with it.

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.