The past 12 months have been uncertain times for East
Carolina supporters. The Pirates’ future conference home and
long-term standing within the monetary structure of collegiate
athletics have been the underpinning concerns.
Within the ECU constituency, there has been a
philosophical divide on the program’s ultimate fate: those who believe
the lack of BCS AQ access will lead to financial ruin, and those
steadfastly convinced the Pirates will find a way to thrive regardless
of the scenario.
Count me among the latter. History and the details behind
the new postseason structure of college football are largely the reason
why.
The recent announcement of a six-bowl rotation for
college football’s semifinals was a giant step forward for the current
conferences that lack AQ access. Those leagues, combined with the Big
East, will send the highest rated champion from among them to one of the
big money bowls.
That’s better access than East Carolina has had before.
With smart non-conference scheduling — i.e., the inclusion of more
winnable games — the Pirates can position themselves among the annual
favorites to capture that slot.
Success, or lack of it, will be entirely up to ECU. And
that extends far beyond the athletics director, football or basketball
offices in Ward.
It drives deep into the cheapest seats in Dowdy-Ficklen
Stadium.
Historically, East Carolina’s greatest asset has been its
fans, particularly those who are current members of the old guard purple
and gold. Their decades-long persistence forms the reason the Pirates
currently call a 50,000-seat stadium home.
Their contributions and allegiance laid the foundation
for East Carolina to escalate its status from Southern Conference member
to Division I-A Independent to full membership in Conference USA. They
stayed in the fray while fighting uphill battles that aren’t
significantly different than the ones ECU faces today.
They just have different names. The more important
footnote — the one on which ECU’s younger supporters should be focused —
is not the battle, rather the manner in which it is fought.
Former Chancellor Leo Jenkins, whose athletics vision had
football at the epicenter, did so with passion, pride, and unwavering
resolve.
The weathered segment of the ECU fan base followed that
battle cry, never questioning 'why' the Pirates should even bother with
large scale ambitions, instead responding, “Why not?” Status within the
state and regional pecking order was shrugged off as a minor obstacle
that wouldn’t knock ECU off its path.
Jenkins was the catalyst behind an unbridled passion for
East Carolina and a deep-seeded belief in its mission. The most pressing
question today is whether or not fans will embrace that same battle cry
and charge ahead.
Pirates head coach Ruffin McNeill thoroughly embraces
each victory, regardless of opponent, and regularly notes that wins are
“hard to come by.” That sentiment is not only profound within the
context of an ECU football game, but also within the timeline of Pirates
athletics as a whole.
Success at East Carolina has never been easy. Probably
never will. And with the possibility that Maryland and Rutgers are
packing for the Big Ten, we could be on the doorstep of another
conference Armageddon.
Should both bolt, that will surely spark the Atlantic
Coast Conference, Big East and potentially other leagues to make
responsive moves to fortify their respective memberships. For ECU, that
translates into another period of uncertainty and a stressful waiting
game for fans desiring a better conference home.
If the conference situation does not shake out favorably
for East Carolina, some fans will wonder if it is time to abandon ship
or press forward. The more appropriate question is one that has largely
shaped East Carolina’s athletics legacy:
What would Leo do?