Terps AD Anderson "disappointed in the process" of bowl selection

Maryland was one of five ACC football teams to post a winning conference record.

That the Terrapins fell to the No. 8 selection in the conference's bowl process did not sit well with many in College Park --- especially new athletic director Kevin Anderson.

"We're disappointed in the process," Anderson said. "We're disappointed in the way things were determined. It has nothing to do with the bowl game."

Anderson was hired in September to replace Debbie Yow, who departed for N.C. State earlier this year. Yow's new school snagged a place in the Champs Sports Bowl, an Orlando-based game that was Maryland's coveted destination.

After the Wolfpack were selected, the Sun Bowl set up a reprisal of the Catholic vs. Convicts series and paired Miami with Notre Dame. The Meineke Car Care Bowl then took advantage of nearby Clemson's availability. The Music City Bowl then picked North Carolina; the Independence Bowl then selected Georgia Tech.

That left Maryland --- a short drive up Route 295 --- and Boston College for the Military Bowl to choose from.

Unsurprisingly, the Terps (8-4, 5-3 ACC) were disappointed with the tumble.

"I'm looking at this more from a political aspect than from  where people finished. We finished tied for third," Anderson said. "Things didn't end up that way. We've talked to some league representatives. I think in our league meetings, I would like to get a better understanding of how things take place."

Anderson said he and coach Ralph Friedgen didn't spend the last week politicking for Maryland, but instead wanted to see what options were available.

It turned out that as often can be the case in college football, on-field results didn't trump other issues.

"We wanted to find out where we stood in the mix," Anderson said. "Winning that last game, we thought it would determine where we placed and that we would be rewarded for that place. Evidently, that last win wasn't good enough. We have to take that into account [in the future]. The next time, we're going to have to win more and make the championship game. Then you know exactly where you're going to go and exactly what you're going to do."

Friedgen made it clear last week he believed it would be unfair for his team to not have the chance to earn an invitation to one of the bowls in the middle of the conference's pecking order.

But he was more subdued on Sunday after Maryland accepted its invitation to play East Carolina (6-6) on Dec. 29.

"I hope our fans get behind us. In past, our fans have done good job of traveling," Friedgen said. "It's time for the Terp Nation step up and get behind the Military Bowl and our young football team. We really need their help. ... It doesn't do any good to complain. We have to make the best of it."

Ultimately, Anderson adopted a similiar position. He's finally getting the chance to play in the Military Bowl after Army came within a victory of qualifying for last year's game.

Still, he made clear he intended to vouch for his new school now and in the present.

"Everybody we talked to talked about how well we travel and how in the past wherever we went, the University of Maryland was well-represented," Anderson said. "We take everybody at their word. Whatever criteria was used, at some point in time I'll understand what it takes. We're very proud and happy to play in the Military Bowl."

Comments

[Dave]

Wahhhhhh.....bottom line is that if UMd fans had shown more support for their program, they might very well be somewhere else - but with their poor showings during the season, it is no surprise that they got relegated to this cruddy backyard bowl. Merry Christmas, Terp fans. This is your lump of coal.

[Mark]

"Anderson said he and coach Ralph Friedgen didn't spend the last week politicking for Maryland, but instead wanted to see what options were available."

Big mistake!

Sounds like part of the Terps tumble is because we got an inexperienced Polyanna for an AD.

[D1scourse]

Mark ---

Probably should clarify that he declined to describe it as politicking.

I cant stress enough that primary the reason Maryland plummeted is because of its middling attendance figures. Theres plenty of logical reasons why the attendance was middling. But bowl executives want to make money. Why risk taking a gamble when you dont have to.

Theres nothing Kevin Anderson or Ralph Friedgen or anyone could do to avoid the tumble the team took, besides an average of 15,000 more people showing up to Marylands six home games.

[Joe in upstate NY]

"...Anderson said he and coach Ralph Friedgen didn't spend the last week politicking for Maryland, but instead wanted to see what options were available...."

Sounds to me like our new AD has alot to learn.

Doing nothing rather than rolling up his sleeves and trying, at least, to do all he could to lobby us into a better bowl seems to me to be a less than professional choice.

Sitting here, I am comparing Anderson's inaction to a doctor, finding his patient dying in the hospital in a coma, saying, "well lets wait and see what the problem is before we take action."

In my professional life, I think lowly of other professionals who take no action, especially when strong action is needed.

I am wary of our Athletic Department's leadership future tonight and I look forward to telling that to Mr. Anderson personally.

[Jonah]

Of course the players could have earned the trip to a better bowl by just beating fsu or miami.

[D1scourse]

Jonah ---

That is accurate.

Beat either team, and the Terps couldnt have fallen past the Sun Bowl (FSU because division winners cant fall further than Sun, Miami because only three other teams would have been above, even with or within a game of Maryland in the ACC).

[sc]

Have they even sold out a game this year???

[D1scourse]

SC ---

Nope. Got nearly 90 percent for the Florida State game, less than 75 percent for the other five.

[ngaterp]

Look, how many games did Miami sell out or GT for that matter? Final straw being snubbed by the ACC; if the Big Ten comes calling time to GO....

Rose Bowl now that is something to being playing for....

[Joe in upstate NY]

It certainly looks like it made no difference, but Miami's attendence for its final home game against was slightly above 24,000 in a stadium that can hold more than 72,000. That's 33%. I guess name-branding trumps attendence.

[D1scourse]

Nga ---

Id go ahead and delete Georgia Tech-to-Shreveport from the calculus of snubs. The money saved staying home rather than going to a fairly remote city --- and almost definitely diminishing the reputation of Maryland even further --- is worth it.

Nearly every bowl in the pecking order made a logical choice. N.C. State, based on attendance, has a more energized fan base. The Sun Bowl wasnt going to pass on Miami-Notre Dame. Charlotte would have been foolish to ignore Clemson. Maybe Nashville could have taken Maryland, but setting up a UNC-Tennessee matchup to basically replace one that fell through was sensible.

[ngaterp]

That is part of my point; we will always be second fiddle in this league then so it's tme to go. The Big Ten has (5) bowl tie ins in warm climates (3) Florida, (1) in southern Texas and the king of the bowls (ROSE). The ACC is a Carolinas southern league will always be and the Terps and BC are like step children in this league.

[D1scourse]

Nga ---

No one is capable of explaining two things to me with regard to the fantasy of joining the Big Ten

1. Is there any realistic reason to believe given its resources, Maryland would finish ahead of more than two of (at their average state over the last 20 years) Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin in any given year? Thats before steady (if usually not spectacular) Iowa and Michigan State are factored in. If not, all those warm-weather bowls are worthless --- if you even get to six wins.

2. How smart is it to trade being a borderline geographic outlier in one league to being an outright geographic outlier in another?

Not that it matters, anyway. The Big Tens announcement last night about halting expansion masks an obvious reality: If that league gets bigger than 12, it will do so only to lure Notre Dame. Maryland does nothing to help that equation.

[Mike]

Terps fans should stop crying. Had we simply filled up a 54,000-seat stadium stadium this season we'd all be headed to Orlando. I feel bad for the players though...after a terrific comeback this "bowl game" has to feel more like a punishment than a reward for a nice season.

[ngaterp]

You are not going to sell out when your first (4) homes games are Morgan St., FL Int, a poor Wake team & Duke (not the basketball version). It is unfortunate our best two home games were the last two games of the year, played late in afternoon or at night and in extremely cold weather. This coming off a 2-10 season with two pro teams in your backyard. Lets see next year's early season attendance with both WVA & Clemson coming to College Park plus Miami & UVA. There is nothing we can do about the ACC schedule but we can address the non-conference schedule.