It’s that time of year again.
No, not Thanksgiving break, and not Black Friday either.
It’s time for the Penn football team to head home instead of continuing its storybook season.
The Quakers ran the table for the second straight year en route to the Ivy League title, and once again the League’s refusal to participate in the Football Championship Subdivision postseason is under fire.
“I think it’s ridiculous that their presidents don’t allow them to do what every other sport on their campus does: compete for a national championship,” said K.C. Keeler, coach of No. 5 Delaware.
This year, the restriction seems more ridiculous than ever, especially given that these Quakers may be coach Al Bagnoli’s best group in his 19 years at Penn.
While sticking to the old school, smash-mouth style that serves as the program’s foundation, the 2010-11 team added a new dimension that would make even the best FCS teams “sweat,” according to coach Andy Talley of No. 10 Villanova — the only team to hand Penn a loss this season.
"For years, I thought maybe they needed a little bit more speed," Talley said. "But from what I’ve seen from them the last two years, they have enough team speed to compete with anybody.
“They’re not your typical Ivy League team,” he added.
The juggernaut Bagnoli put on the field during Ancient Eight play — which defeated conference opponents by an average of 19 points and finished with the highest FCS ranking (No. 14) of any Ivy team since the 2003 Quakers — essentially screamed to Amy Gutmann and the other Ivy presidents that Penn is ready for a challenge.
Yet Bagnoli said that all he and his comrades can do is petition their “so-called commissioner” Robin Harris to examine the issue “based on fairness, based on logical thought process.”
Speaking for the higher-ups, Ivy League spokesman Scottie Rodgers insisted that Harris and the League Office can only follow presidential orders.
“Unfortunately, our opinion doesn’t matter,” he said. “In this case, it’s the opinion of the presidents that carries the day.”
Well, in that case, what could the Ivy presidents possibly be thinking?
That adding a few games would overextend the student-athletes’ commitment to an athletic team? The athletes in every other sport on campus — like volleyball, which will head to the NCAA tournament next week — handle it pretty well.
That participating in the FCS playoffs would diminish the importance of the Ivy season? As currently constructed, not giving the champion a chance to face other top programs relegates the Ancient Eight to an FCS footnote.
Apparently, part of the reason the presidents won’t budge is to uphold “tradition” (in Rodgers’ words). But the presidents are simply perpetuating a pattern of inequity and irrationality. They’re not upholding tradition. They’re being stubborn.
According to Rodgers, participation in the playoffs isn’t on the League’s radar and won't be “for the foreseeable future.”
But if Penn’s emphatic display of League superiority over the past two months doesn’t get the ball rolling, what will?
Ivy presidents, I know you have plenty on your plate this Thanksgiving. But you know what goes great with turkey and stuffing?
Football.
BRIAN KOTLOFF is a junior communications major from Elkins Park, Pa. He can be contacted at dpsports@theDP.com.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.