What are realistic expectations?

[minermx07]

Stull still seems to operate with the belief that if you win "3 games a year in football, they'll build you a statue". He seems to think (and Floyd as well), that fans are being unrealistic and unfair in their expectations. My question is, what are realistic expectations? Below are mine:

Football:

Going 5-3 in CUSA most years is pretty realistic, add beating NMSU in OOC and I think UTEP should contend for bowl eligibility almost every year. I think expecting more than 8 wins from a UTEP team is being unrealistic.I also believe accepting less than 4 wins when we play in such a bad conference is unacceptable.

Basketball:

I understand all the conferences have reduced the number of at-large bids, making it harder for schools like ours to get in the tournament, but we suck and that's unacceptable. The only Floyd team that hasn't sucked is the Barbee team. I think UTEP basketball should always contend for the NIT and occasionally go to the NCAA(Every 3 years or so). Maybe make the Sweet Sixteen once a decade when everything goes our way.

 

[UTEP05]

Football: Make bowl appearances (at least every 2 years) and win a bowl game at least every every 3-4 years.

Basketball

Make the Big Dance on a regular basis (at least every 3 years) and win games in the NIT and/or Big Dance (at least every two years in the NIT/Big Dance or every 3 years in the Big Dance).

 

[Jimmy the Miner]

Ask Natalicio and Stull they don't give a F what we think.
But it's obvious what most of us think the Sun Bowl looked like a middle school was playing their home games there and the the Haskins Center looks like Morehead is having their Christmas program there.
What else do you need to know captain obvious

 

[minermx07]

Unnecessarily snarky/aggressive aren't we Jimmy? It's F'N fan board. Nope I'm not happy, no one is.Just asking what people would like to see.

 

[UTEP05]

Unnecessarily snarky/aggressive aren't we Jimmy? It's F'N fan board. Nope I'm not happy, no one is.Just asking what people would like to see.

Some people don't understand the functionality of a forum. Most comments on forums are opinions and speculation.

 

[Jimmy the Miner]

Let's talk about the here and now sounds like your accepting of the situation. No matter what we think our expectations should be Stull has turned our major athletic programs to pure shit and we need to hold him accountable now. Your questions would have been pertinent 5-6-7 years ago not now it's done.
A better question is why don't Natalicio/Stull hold Floyd as accountable as he proffeses to hold his players Shit " your not practicing up to par Terry your out of here". Floyd you hypocrite you haven't worked for 7 years and your getting raises and job performance reviews like your a perineal NCAA team. And yea i said it you haven't worked since getting here it's obvious just be glad your boss is not a mirror image of you or you would have been gone a long time ago.

 

[UTEP05]

Let's talk about the here and now sounds like your accepting of the situation.

Where did anybody state be accept the situation?

 

[Jimmy the Miner]

Our expectations are we suck nobody gives a crap anymore stadium and arena are empty. There is no need to debate our expectations Stull has failed over a long period of time case closed!

 

[minermx07]

Well now it seems like we're going into a battle of semantics. I believe my question is valid because our athletic director seems happy/content with the direction UTEP Athletics. As a result, he is unlikely to make any changes and label dissatisfied fans as complainers who are unrealistic.

As a result, I am wondering what other UTEP fans hope for/want to see. I understand UTEP is not a P5 school, but as a fan, I'm not looking for top 10 rankings and final fours. I listed what I believe are achievable results that would satisfy most UTEP fans and was curious as to what other fans thought.

 

[UTEP05]

 

[minermx07]

Our expectations are we suck nobody gives a crap anymore stadium and arena are empty. There is no need to debate our expectations Stull has failed over a long period of time case closed!

Because Stull sucks as Athletic Director (and i agree about that) we can't talk about things on a message board?

(Topic) Hey guys, those new UTEP uniforms are cool.
(Response) Who gives a s**t, Stull's failed. Why are we even talking? Who gives a crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[unihorn]

Well now it seems like we're going into a battle of semantics. I believe my question is valid because our athletic director seems happy/content with the direction UTEP Athletics. As a result, he is unlikely to make any changes and label dissatisfied fans as complainers who are unrealistic.

As a result, I am wondering what other UTEP fans hope for/want to see. I understand UTEP is not a P5 school, but as a fan, I'm not looking for top 10 rankings and final fours. I listed what I believe are achievable results that would satisfy most UTEP fans and was curious as to what other fans thought.

I think your expectations are fair and reasonable.

 

[JCorona]

6-8 wins in football with the occasional season of 4-5 wins. Make bowl games. It's not that hard now a days. 5-7 teams in bowls is the new norm. Play for a conference championship twice a decade.

In basketball constantly finish as top 4 team in conference. Make the conference championship game and win one every few years. 20 wins isn't that impressive anymore. I rather schedule harder and win some impressive ooc games. Lure some top20 programs into the Don and have a nice loud athmosphere. Don't let them off the hook if possible. Make the tourney three times a decade and win the occasional game. Every year not in the big dance we should be in the NIT or making deep runs in the CIT/CBI. Once in a blue moon have a team that finishes a few games under .500.

 

[liebestraum]

In football, I want a winning record every year. And if we can't have a winning record, can we at least close the season with four straight wins so that a 4-7 or 5-6 season gives us hope for the following year?

In basketball - nothing less than an NCAA bid every year. We're UTEP, dammit.

lieb

 

[UTEP05]

we should be in the NIT or making deep runs in the CIT/CBI.

Floyd think UTEP is too good for those tournaments.

 

[Jimmy the Miner]

My apologies 07 yea I'm pissed when it's december 6th and for all intents and purposes our season is over.

 

[miner1liner]

Ask Natalicio and Stull they don't give a F what we think.
But it's obvious what most of us think the Sun Bowl looked like a middle school was playing their home games there and the the Haskins Center looks like Morehead is having their Christmas program there.
What else do you need to know captain obvious

What's your deal ???? Chill!

 

[minermx07]

My apologies 07 yea I'm pissed when it's december 6th and for all intents and purposes our season is over.

That's cool, we're all upset and on edge.

 

[kickballpro]

My expectation is just to 'be in the conversation.' When Joe Lunardi, preseason magazines, and websites, talk about our program they say that we will contend for a league title. I expect to have all-conference caliber players.

As for football, it's not the establishment that basketball is, but the expectations are similar. Be in the conversation.

 

[Tucson_Miner]

I would be happy if we could make a bowl every 4 years in football.

In basketball I would say making the CBI, then the NIT, and finally the NCAA every 5 year cycle would be perfectly acceptable. With a win in the CBI and NIT.

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

First and foremost, above average attendance should not constitute a successful year especially if you are consistently losing.

Football: 4 wins and below should be unacceptable. With so many bowls we should be at worst in contention with a 5 win season.

Basketball: NIT at worst with an NCAA Tourney bid thrown in every 4 years. I get that they added more bids to justify more ACC schools in the dance .

Long Term: Make UTEP a viable candidate for conference expansion. Get us out of C-USA.

 

[MinerInWisconsin]

I can certainly understand fans being very upset with our current athletic dept.

My expectation, and I think it's reasonable, is to have a president of the university that actually cares how the major sports are doing and hold the AD responsible. We have a 77 year old prez who is very, very good for UTEP's campus and academics but apparently does not put any pressure on Stull to have an excellent athletic dept. We may not see any improvement, except by accident, until she retires.

 

[jdubb66]

What's realistic in basketball is fielding a team that plays tight man to man, rebounds and takes care of the basketball, know how to guard the pick and roll and develops players over a 4 or 5 year span.

 

[LaserCoog]

I can certainly understand fans being very upset with our current athletic dept.

My expectation, and I think it's reasonable, is to have a president of the university that actually cares how the major sports are doing and hold the AD responsible. We have a 77 year old prez who is very, very good for UTEP's campus and academics but apparently does not put any pressure on Stull to have an excellent athletic dept. We may not see any improvement, except by accident, until she retires.

I've had my disagreements with MIW, but as an outsider, my opinion is that this is one of the most insightful posts I've read on this board - ever. I've called Dr. Natalicio a national icon, because she is. However, I firmly believe that, for all the good she's done for UTEP, I wonder if she realizes that her legacy runs the distinct, potential risk of having those accomplishments tainted and overshadowed because she presided over the abject deterioration of an athletic program that may take years to resurrect - if ever. Some will say her job is to run the university, to focus on academics, that athletics are window-dressing. I would say this in response:

First, it doesn't have to be one way or another, many premier institutions have both. Some of you may remember a time not too long ago where Kansas State was perennially and literally the worst football program in the nation. Enter Bill Snyder. KState now expects to compete for championships every year. In Manhattan Kansas, for God's sake! And people on this board complain about El Paso?

Second, right or wrong, athletics are often seen as the "face" of the university. Someone may not know the national ranking of your business school, but they sure as hell know you've finished DFL in C-USA since forever.

Third, anybody that doesn't recognize the direct relationship between financial giving to a university and its athletic programs is simply uninformed. And not by a little, either. Several years ago, John Moores (former owner of the San Diego Padres and University of Houston alum), gave what at that time was one of the largest independent donations ever to a public university. Half of that donation went to athletics and half to academics. His only stipulation was that no campus building erected with those funds be named in his honor. Pains me to say but one of the Republican presidential primary debates earlier this year was held the nationally acclaimed concert hall of the UH School of Music, erected from funds donated by John Moores.

I get it, this is UTEP not Houston. But this scenario is repeated over and again at public institutions throughout the nation. If you can't see similar potential at UTEP, you're probably satisfied with a bowl game every fourth year, finishing each season in the middle of the pack of a really bad basketball conference, and delusional about moving up to a "better" conference.

I'm Lasercoog, I approve this message, and hope that it's received in the spirit that it's offered...

 

[MineroFanatico]

Taking into consideration the conference we play in and the 2 of 3 soft ooc games we have each year, I expect 6-6 seasons at worst, with a bowl win once every 4 years or so.

In bb, I expect to go to the tourney at least once every 4-5 years. I expect a NCAA tourney win at least once every 10 years.

I don't think I'm asking for too much from either program.

In fact I'd be embarrassed to share those expectations with people outside the Miner community, as it shoots for low hanging clouds as opposed to the stars.