Decline of University of Miami Football

[QueenCityGator]

Gator fans may think we've had a rough stretch, but it does not compare to the continued decline of the University of Miami football program. It all started with the decision to not fix the Orange Bowl. Now fans have to commute far off campus to games, which are basically all half-empty except for FSU. Even their spring game is at a high school stadium! They've had minimal success since the 2002 championship, and other schools continue to out-recruit them on their home turf. I almost forgot to mention the whole NCAA scandal involving Nevin Shapiro! Miami had a great stretch in the 80s, but I can't think of another "big-time" program that has lost so many games (and fans) over the past decade.

Name and town if you wish to opine.

 

[BearCatGator]

Started going down hill once they joined the big boys of the ACC

 

[GatorBenji]

Michigan comes to mind but they are both comparable

 

[Gator Fever]

It would take Miami having a real good season and convincing the kids in that area it is a big deal to play there but the farther they get from their last success the harder that will be. I just hope we can start cutting into FSU's recruiting down in that part of Florida.

 

[VulcanAlex]

Well the Orange Bowl is not on campus either and was a dump with bad parking etc. The problem is that they are a small school and when they started down hill they did not have the assets or desire to keep up with others. Probably not going to be reversed ever.

 

[Gator Fever]

Well the Orange Bowl is not on campus either and was a dump with bad parking etc. The problem is that they are a small school and when they started down hill they did not have the assets or desire to keep up with others. Probably not going to be reversed ever.

Yep its a pure bandwagon fan base down there that won't attend their games unless they are near the top of the rankings. I think even if it was reversed it would be short lived like their last run of success from 2000 to 2003.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

First of all there never were that many "real fans". They were more like a TV show than a traditional CFB powerhouse. Once the best actors move on, or in this case players, they lost their audience. They have a small alumni base and very few true supporters, especially financially. Even in their hay day most of their "fans" were nothing but trash with no means to help a CFB program and actually did more to hurt the program by associating it with crime and drugs.
On and off the field in the last 10 years there are things that also have led to their mediocrity. One being poor choice of coaches.The other was the 2006 to 2009 rise of UF, and hiring a President who basically would love to just shut down the whole program. As a few others have pointed out their move to the ACC also does nothing to draw interest in home games besides their every other year game with FSU.
The most telling state of their condition was the inability to build it back up during our 5 year tailspin....By not capitalizing on our downturn in the last 5 years shows that it will almost take a miracle to bring them back to a championship level and Al Golden is not a coach or recruiter who can do that. He is not horrible at either of those things and would probably make a decent coach for a lot of programs around the country, however he is nowhere near being up to the task of restoring their success of the 80's or 90's. It wouldn't bother me if they just folded up shop altogether.....after we get one last shot to kick them in the ass on their way out.

 

[LagoonGator68]

That "Underwater Basketweaving School" of cheaters and thugs has been dead to me for years. I hope we NEVER play them again.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Gator fans may think we've had a rough stretch, but it does not compare to the continued decline of the University of Miami football program. It all started with the decision to not fix the Orange Bowl. Now fans have to commute far off campus to games, which are basically all half-empty except for FSU. Even their spring game is at a high school stadium!

They have a Spring Game? Wow!!!

I hope we can have enough players to do that some day.

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

Donna Shalala.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

She is a sad, strange little man.

 

[t-gator]

I look at Miami and pray that's not us. We've been down for half a decade due to an extremely poor coaching hire. Let's hope we get this one right. I understand we've better support financially but Miami is proof that no program is bullet proof.

 

[maheo30]

What decline? Every scUM fan I meet says they are still the best in the country and national title contenders every year.

 

[WobbleGator]

I look at Miami and pray that's not us. We've been down for half a decade due to an extremely poor coaching hire. Let's hope we get this one right. I understand we've better support financially but Miami is proof that no program is bullet proof.

We have only been down two seasons, not half a decade.

 

[PatDooleySucks]

We have only been down two seasons, not half a decade.

He's talking about football. Not sure what Gator program you are referring to. Gator football has been down since '09.

 

[WobbleGator]

He's talking about football. Not sure what Gator program you are referring to. Gator football has been down since '09.

So going 11-2 and playing in a BCS game is down?

 

[PatDooleySucks]

So going 11-2 and playing in a BCS game is down?

Even a blind chimp finds a banana Wobs. One season doesn't save us from having a down half a decade.

 

[PatDooleySucks]

So going 11-2 and playing in a BCS game is down?

Also, as a side. That was the luckiest 11 win team that I've ever seen. They only played two complete games Texas AM and FSU. In fact, those were the only two good games Chimp coached while he was at UF. I get that it may have been the best defense we ever fielded. But the ways we beat teams like lsu and south Carolina did not evidence a well-rounded, good team.

 

[TheDouglas78]

Miami's decline is starting to look more like their natural state, other than a great run in the 80's and a 4 year run at the end of the 90/beginning of the 00's it appears to be their natural state. A private school that can't stay out of it's own way, in a hot bed of talent. They can't keep good coaching even when the team is doing well. Miami might be a Mississippi team if they were in the SEC. Have a few years of good production, but otherwise just a team that stays towards the middle to lower half.

 

[WobbleGator]

Also, as a side. That was the luckiest 11 win team that I've ever seen. They only played two complete games Texas AM and FSU. In fact, those were the only two good games Chimp coached while he was at UF. I get that it may have been the best defense we ever fielded. But the ways we beat teams like lsu and south Carolina did not evidence a well-rounded, good team.

Never said we were well rounded, just that we were not down that year.