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May 23 2002
Fort Wayne AP
Indiana - Purdue Fort Wayne will start a football program in 2004, and if all goes according to plan, will move up to the Bowl Sub division before the 2010 - 2011 school year. Most people in the north eastern Indiana area figured this was coming. What they didn't know was another local school would be making the jump. Fort Wayne State has been playing football since 1976 in NAIA division, and will also be taking the plung into the Football Championship Subdivision and also moving up to FBS with IPFW in 2010.
Since most outside of Indiana do not know of the IPFW Mastadons or the FWSU Wizards, here is a little background info on the two schools. In 1968, Fort Wayne State was founded and merged with local Fort Wayne university Indiana Tech, and started NAIA play in 1976, and have made it to the NAIA championship, only to lose twice to Taylor University in southern Indiana. The Wizards of FWSU have a cross-town rivalry with NAIA - foe, the University of Saint Francis Cougars. The Cougars lead the all - time series 12-6, with all but one game being played at Saint Francis' Bishop D' Arcy Stadium.
The IPFW football program is a brand new and has yet to be determined where the football games will be played, however it is down to three options: Zolner Stadium(home of three different hisgh schools in Fort Wayne), Spartan Stadium(college level stadium for Homestead High School), or share a field with FWSU. The ladder seems the most likely, however, with Homestead having field turf, it would not be hard for the Mastadons to add renovations or Spartan Stadium and add a practice field on campus.
The Mastadons have a Division - I basketball program and compete in the Summitt Leauge. It also undecided if IPFW and FWSU will replace any of the currrent 119 teams or, if they will be added to become the 120th and 121th teams in Division - I. Only time will tell, but one thing we do know, is that in the range of 2009-2010, recruiting will be a huge question. With Notre Dame being the clear cut leader in the state, Purdue and Indiana, in no order, and behing them, as are Fort Wayne State and IPFW. Will kids from Bishop Dwenger and Bishop Luers decide to stay close to home or travel to South Bend, Bloomington, or West Lafayette? Only time will tell, and only in time will the picture become a little clearer.
Fort Wayne AP
Indiana - Purdue Fort Wayne will start a football program in 2004, and if all goes according to plan, will move up to the Bowl Sub division before the 2010 - 2011 school year. Most people in the north eastern Indiana area figured this was coming. What they didn't know was another local school would be making the jump. Fort Wayne State has been playing football since 1976 in NAIA division, and will also be taking the plung into the Football Championship Subdivision and also moving up to FBS with IPFW in 2010.
Since most outside of Indiana do not know of the IPFW Mastadons or the FWSU Wizards, here is a little background info on the two schools. In 1968, Fort Wayne State was founded and merged with local Fort Wayne university Indiana Tech, and started NAIA play in 1976, and have made it to the NAIA championship, only to lose twice to Taylor University in southern Indiana. The Wizards of FWSU have a cross-town rivalry with NAIA - foe, the University of Saint Francis Cougars. The Cougars lead the all - time series 12-6, with all but one game being played at Saint Francis' Bishop D' Arcy Stadium.
The IPFW football program is a brand new and has yet to be determined where the football games will be played, however it is down to three options: Zolner Stadium(home of three different hisgh schools in Fort Wayne), Spartan Stadium(college level stadium for Homestead High School), or share a field with FWSU. The ladder seems the most likely, however, with Homestead having field turf, it would not be hard for the Mastadons to add renovations or Spartan Stadium and add a practice field on campus.
The Mastadons have a Division - I basketball program and compete in the Summitt Leauge. It also undecided if IPFW and FWSU will replace any of the currrent 119 teams or, if they will be added to become the 120th and 121th teams in Division - I. Only time will tell, but one thing we do know, is that in the range of 2009-2010, recruiting will be a huge question. With Notre Dame being the clear cut leader in the state, Purdue and Indiana, in no order, and behing them, as are Fort Wayne State and IPFW. Will kids from Bishop Dwenger and Bishop Luers decide to stay close to home or travel to South Bend, Bloomington, or West Lafayette? Only time will tell, and only in time will the picture become a little clearer.
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