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Written By
Written By
Written By
Miami University has been in the news frequently over the past week and I had the privilege of attending Saturday’s matchup between the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks and the UConn Huskies.
Miami captured headlines last week when Brett McMurphy reported sources telling him that Miami (Ohio), James Madison, and UConn are trying to join the American Conference. Despite overtures from each of those schools, including $30-$40 million offered from Miami, the American Conference ultimately decided they are not expanding at this moment.
Attending the game Saturday, I did not have any expectations. I was excited to see the Cradle of Coaches and connect with fans and followers of my podcast (T’N’T College Football Podcast). I attend games throughout the college football season, with hopes of eventually seeing a game at every FBS stadium. Living in Illinois, I don’t get to see my favorite team, UConn, play close to home very often. This was a novel opportunity.
Connecting with some Miami football alumni allowed me to learn how and why Miami can successfully move to the American Conference, if given the opportunity. Money is not a concern at Miami University. At first, I did not belive their original offer of $30-40 million to the American. However, the football alums convinced me that Miami is ready to make the move.
Miami has been known for quite some time as one of the original “Public Ivies”, as academics are top notch at Miami.
Two important statistics they presented to me included MIami’s No. 19 national rank as a Best Public College for Future Leaders by Time Magazine. Additionally, they rank in the Top 30 universities in the nation for alumni wealth, boasting over 1,100 ultra-wealthy alumni with a net worth of $30 million or more (figures provided by Miami University).
This may not seem like it has much to do with a conference move, but it indicates Miami’s viability in the American. The program can keep up financially with most of the programs in the conference.
The results on the field alos speak for themselves. The Miami RedHawks football program has played in 3-straight Mid-American Conference Championship games. Also, the Men’s Basketball program just went 32-2. Winning 31 games in a row, the regular season MAC Championship and a game in the NCAA Tournament. Women’s basketball also won the conference, and field hockey is an absolute powerhouse.
Furthermore, Miami University is the original Miami. Founded in 1809, it is the second oldest university in Ohio and the tenth oldest public university in the United States. Many confuse it with the University of Miami. However, Florida didn’t even become a state until 1845 and Miami didn’t become an incorporated city until almost 100 years later, in 1896.
Traveling the country, I have been blessed to attend games at a lot of different stadiums. From a stadium perspective, Yager Stadium is a typical MAC stadium. It is one of the better MAC stadiums, but it is comparable to others around the country. A couple things to point out:
The Cradle of Coaches statues are awe-inspiring. Anyone visiting Yager Stadium should take time to look at them, read the signs, and appreciate them for what they are. Also, wthe Cradle of Coaches documentary should create a true appreciation for the football coaching royalty connected to this program and institution.
One can also see that the stadium could very easily be expanded if called upon by the move to a bigger conference. Finally, from a fan perspective, attending fans are passionate and know what they are talking about. I went the week after the RedHawks lost to hated rival Cincinnati, so that certainly skewed the numbers, as the stadium was approximately half-empty.
Miami has one of the most beautiful campuses in the MAC, if not the entire country. National rankings will support that claim. Beautiful architecture to perfectly manicured lawns dot the Oxford, Ohio landscape. A walk through campus and uptown Oxford enhances the gameday experience. There are plenty of great places to eat and explore Oxford.
As far as the game, The RedHawks won after defeating UConn 24-21 in come-from-behind fashion. Miami QB David McComb threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns and added another on the ground.
UConn seemed to be cruising after the first quarter, having a 14-0 lead, but that went away quickly in the second quarter.
My visit to Miami was fantastic and I would highly recommend any college football fan visit Oxford, Ohio in the future.
