COLUMN: The Ivies have followed Bagnoli's recipe for success

From Jed Walentas's "Two Minute Warning," Fall '95 The Ivy League had come a long ways. It had come full circle. In the obvious sense, it had come full circle on the football field. The Columbia football program went from Oct. 15, 1983 (when the Lions eked out a 21-18 victory over Yale) to Oct. 8, 1988, without winning a football game. A 16-13 win over Princeton ended Columbia's 44-game losing streak and a string of 47 contests without a win. During that streak, the Quakers won four Ivy titles and outscored Columbia 170-38 in five head-to-head matchups. Shortly thereafter, Penn deteriorated to Columbiaesque proportions and the Lions just stayed the hapless Lions. The two men that met at midfield Saturday are largely responsible for that. Although their respective successes differ tremendously on paper (Tellier is 15-47-2 in six plus years at Columbia while Bagnoli, who arrived following Penn's 2-8 campaign in 1991, is 29-4 in just over three seasons at the Quakers' helm), they have both been instrumental in changing the Ivy dogma. The days when traditionalists like Yale's 65-year old Carm Cozza and former Harvard coach Joe Restic ruled the Ivy sidelines are gone. There is a new breed of coaches today. These coaches no longer talk about the way it used to be -- the Ancient Eight if you will. They talk about about commitment -- and they've gotten it. Perhaps led by Bagnoli and Tellier, football programs around the league have gotten more support from their respective administrations. Ivy presidents and athletic directors were finally receptive to coaches' calls for spring practice and freshman eligibility. Programs around the league have developed closer relationships with admissions offices and alumni networks to enhance recruiting efforts. Improvements have been made to facilities in the form of stadium enhancements, new weight rooms and training centers. The schools are also making a concerted effort to foster student support of their football teams. Next year's schedule may even include a night game at Franklin Field. The Ivies have better football players. Teams have deeper talent. There is parity and in that parity there is quality, not mediocrity. Ray Tellier and Al Bagnoli helped bring change to the Ivy League. It came slowly, but it came. Bagnoli built a model program, and Tellier has followed Bagnoli's recipe. Last Saturday he added a little spice of his own. But regardless of the outcome, these two men have helped make the Ivy League the most competitive and the most balanced it has been in years. There is no doormat. There is no predetermined champion. The average margin of victory thus far this season has been only 4.5 points and the Ivies' out-of-conference record is 11-4-1 after last season's 20-3. Genuine stars have graduated to the NFL and more will follow. We've shown that a conference can stress academia first and still produce exciting football every autumn Saturday. Today, the Ivy League is both high-quality and competitive.

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