August 26, 2013
Why has the web site become so complicated to navigate?
We recently redesigned the web site. I understand it may take some getting used to the new format. I hope after time it will provide clearer and more information to all of our constituents. Go Rams!
August 23, 2013
Are we going to see increased licensing efforts with Fordham gear? Currently, we have very limited items through Barnes and Noble and the A-10/athletic department website. The teams wear some great gear through Nike. Could these items be made available to the fan base?
We will be launching a new on line store very shortly. The new provider will have all of our Nike gear.
Logos
Please keep using the a nice looking Ramhead/Block F logo. However, can we resign the other/older logo with the overweight looking creature that barely resembles a ram?
In regards to the logo we are primarily using the Ramhead/block F. I have hardly seen the other one. May still be on some old stuff.
August 23, 2013
My daughter is entering Fordham next week and she will be on the women's rowing team. We are really excited about all that will mean for all of us. I love all the information on the athletics home page and am looking forward to following the teams. However, not a peep about rowing? What about the huge group of incoming recruits (my daughter included)? There are a lot of rowing fans out here, not just us!
Thank you for your question and interest in Fordham women's rowing. You may have missed the August 8th release announcing the 14 incoming student-athletes for rowing. At this point in the year we are focusing on our sports that are in their primary competitive season. I hope you like the new look to our web page. Our staff worked quickly and diligently to make the transition smooth. Please introduce your self to me when you are on campus. Go Rams!
August 15, 2013
I like the new athletics website recently launched. Are there any plans to improve to the live video streaming if basketball and football games this season?
Thank you for your comments on our new web page. Joe DiBari and his staff did a great job in the transition. In regards to video streaming our production will be enhanced over last fall. Hope to see you at our games.
August 5, 2013
The Bathroom facilities in the RH Gym are too far from the Gym and cannot handle Halftime crowds. The Basement mens room smells due to lack of ventilation.
I will be sure to pass on your comments to our facilities and custodial staff. We also can direct people to the Lombardi Center. I hope to see you at our games this year.
June 13, 2013
There is talk about the Yankees and Manchester City FC building a soccer stadium in the Bronx for the new NYCFC MLS club. Could be a potential venue for Fordham Football. Also hope the soccer teams develop links with the new MLS side.
I would be very interested to see the plans and site for the stadium. Could be an interesting venue that we could possibly work with for some events.
June 6, 2013
My dad was a 1929 grad of Fordham and I have been a loyal fan since I can remember. I have been terribly disappointed in the Rams basketball program over the last too many years and I think it is time to build a new basketball arena so that Fordham can show possible signees a new venue. A arena seating about 5000-6000 would be adequate. It is time to update our program. Is there any plans to do this?
Thanks for being such a loyal fan of our program. Men's basketball has an excellent group of recruits entering this fall. We are very excited about these first year students joining our returning student-athletes for the 2013-14 season. We have a nice non-conference schedule with 7 home games at RHG. We hope to have great crowds this year and give our team a tremendous home court advantage. Once we get Rose Hill packed for every game we will start to think about next steps for the program. I look forward to seeing you at some games this year. Go Rams!
May 21, 2013
With recent public scrutiny of the behavior of coaches toward the players during practice and relative to athletic/academic balance (I won't mention specific schools) does Fordham have a code of conduct, 180 degree reviews (by the players) and/or any training for the coaching staffs?
We are always reminding our entire staff of what is appropriate behavior as staff members of Fordham Athletics. We do have surveys for student-athletes to complete on all aspects of their student-athlete experience. Also we have seminars and training for our coaches and staff. Next fall we will be starting the Fordham Athletics Leadership Academy which will involve over 100 student-athletes and a coach from each sport.
Go Rams!
May 19, 2013
I have to pile on with the May 13 question regarding the Women's Soccer web site. And this applies to all Fordham sports. The web site is that team's connection to the world. It means something to team members, families, fans, alumni, and potential recruits. It's impact should not be underestimated. Information flow has to get better.
Thanks for your interest and support of Fordham Athletics. We will be changing our web site provider and adding an intern to our Sports Information staff to improve to all aspects of our Athletics Communications Program. Go Rams!
May 13, 2013
The Women's soccer website, within the Fordham Athletic website, has been noticeably dormant for over five months!
I realize the 2012 season was disappointing, but something must be going on that would be of interest to women's soccer fans (and supporters). How did 2013 recruiting go? Who, from where? What does the George Mason University entry into the Atlantic 10 portend? How is the 2013 schedule coming along? When will it be announced so fans can make their travel plans?
The Internet is a terrific tool to maintain and create fan support for the Lady Rams. Does anyone have specific responsibility for updating, maintaining, and improving the Women's soccer website? You're missing an opportunity to garner support.
O.K. Maybe women's sports at Fordham don't bring in the revenue of basketball or football, but they are important, and they are of interest to some alumni. Make an effort. Support your own interest. Promote Fordham sports (and Fordham) by emphasizing more appreciation of the power of the internet.
We strive to keep every team's web page as up-to-date as possible but staffing issues force us to focus more on teams that are in season. A story on the progress of a former women's soccer student-athlete was posted earlier this month and information on student-athletes who were named to the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll and who were honored at the Breakfast for Champions has also been posted this semester. We just received the 2013 schedule from the Atlantic 10 office and that will be posted to the site this week.
Thank you for your question and your interest in Fordham Athletics and Go Rams!
May 3, 2013
Has there been any consideration of converting the roof of the parking garage into additional field space? It seems like an underutilized area and could accommodate a soccer pitch.
There was talk at one time of putting an artificial field on the roof. Would be a nice spot for an intramural/club sport field some time in the future. This summer we are replacing the Murphy Field surface. Thanks for your interest. Go Rams!
April 22, 2013
Any chance you'll add varsity women's field hockey in the near future? I toured the campus recently with my daughter, we liked what we saw, but we were surprised to learn a Northeast university of Fordham's size doesn't have a field hockey team - not even club or intramural as far as we could tell.
Thank you for your question. Currently we do not have any plans to add Field Hockey to our varsity sports program. We do offer 22 varsity sports which is one of the highest numbers within the Atlantic 10 conference. Thanks you for your interest in Fordham and Fordham athletics.
March 18, 2013
You mentioned on one-on-one last sat (March 2) about the idea of moving Saturday games back to 4pm. What is the thought behind this? Many alums like the 1pm game because they can go get dinner on Arthur Ave. afterwards and not sit through the long crowds. Has there been any thought in making a promotion with some of the restaurants there for a voucher and a game ticket at one price?
It was something that came up for consideration as way a to attract more students. The typical college student sleeps in on Saturday till noon or later. Some game times will be dictated by TV whether they are part of our YES package or the A10 package. We have not discussed packaging a game ticket with any of the local restaurants. Might be something to consider as we reach out to sell corporate sponsorships.
March 7, 2013
With fellow Jesuit University Loyola Maryland coming off of a national championship win in men's lacrosse last spring (3,863 undergrad) and your last school, Colgate (2,825) coming off of a great run in the tournament, I was curious if the Athletic administration had made an plans to explore adding a varsity lacrosse program. It seems clear that are high number of small private institutions with strong academics that have thrived with lacrosse programs over the past decade. Being in the center of a lacrosse hotbed and with interest in the sport on the rise I have to imagine that it could cause more excitement and benefit the school more than a basketball program that has been toiling in mediocrity for over twenty years with little to no student interest or school spirit.
To add women's and men's lacrosse would be a very expensive endeavor for any school. Besides the financial resources necessary would also have to take into consideration Title IX and the availability of facilities. I'm committed to better utilizing our current resources and staff before we would consider adding programs. Thanks for your interest in Fordham athletics. Go Rams!
March 6, 2013
With the Men's Basketball season coming to an unfortunate end with no A10 tournament again, in evaluating both this season and looking at expectations for next, what expectations can you share with the alumni base that you are looking at for next season? W/L record in the A10 perhaps? Thanks and Go Rams!
Thank you for your question and interest in our men's basketball program. The 2012-13 season did not turn out the way we all had hoped. Moving forward we will review the program as we do all of our sports. We certainly hope that the experience gained this year by our freshmen and sophomores will translate into making the A10 tournament and more overall success next year.
Will there be an effort to promote/increase tailgating for football games this coming fall? Aside from the obvious parking limitations, it seems like an easy way generate extra revenue, while increasing interest from the casual fan by selling the game day experience.
Also, re: Merchandising on Feb. 23, I would suggest exploring 47brand - they produce some of the best products among fan apparel companies for both professional and college teams.
Keep up the good work. Go Rams.
We hope to enhance the fan experience at football this coming fall and looking into our tailgating policies will be part of our review. We are in the process of negotiating with apparel companies to offer Fordham gear on our web site. We are looking forward to Coach Moorhead's second season as our Head Coach.
March 4, 2013
Do the Rams have any interest in aligning with the Catholic Seven/New Big East? It seems like a perfect opportunity to get Fordham back playing top basketball schools that are similar academically and structurally. It would be great to see Georgetown, Providence, Villanova, St. Johns, etc. all matching up against Fordham every year.
Thanks you for your question. The whole conference realignment issue has been a topic of conversation for the last few years.Obviously the decision to separate from the Big East by the Catholic 7 has created quiet a media frenzy throughout the country.
We are proud members of the A10 and plan to do everything possible to help the A10 continue to be the best possible basketball centric conference in the country.
Go Rams!
March 3, 2013
Men's Basketball: The team is 6-23. The coach continues to give out scholarships to walk-ons. Multiple times. The coach announced last week that a walk-on who was promoted will be back for a graduate year next season.
Can the AD put an end to scholarships going to walk-ons?
Scholarships are the decision of the coach and a factor of distribution of what has been allocated and when we want to use that scholarship in recruiting. For example we might give someone a scholarship for a year so it becomes open then we have it for the next incoming class.
Thanks for your interest and support.
February 23, 2013
How is it possible that no one in the ticket office is answering the phone or returning a message the day before a game? This isn't the first time this has happened based on conversations i've had with others. You claim to want to sell more tickets. It might be difficult to sell more tickets if no one is there to answer the phone. Lets start acting like a Division 1 program.
Go Rams!
Thank you for your question and interest in the Rams. As a department we are understaffed in a few areas. The ticket office is one of the areas. We hope to increase staffing in the up coming years. Tickets may also be purchased on-line. Next time you have a specific concern feel free to email me directly at droach1@fordham.edu.
Go Rams!
February 20, 2013
1) Our Vision: Following our broader Excelsior campaign, is there plans for a specific athletics campaign, with targeted goals & details on capital allocation? I believe this would serve as a tremendous catalyst for alumni giving by offering tangible goals & priorities (arena, offices, Lombardi Ctr, offices, etc)? Laying out definitive goals and sharing the roadmap would go a very long way toward raising funds, and increasing alumni excitement, engagement, and involvement
2) Our Merchandising: Our teams wear some really great Nike gear, but unfortuntely it's not available to fans through the bookstore, website, etc. Why is this so, and can anything be done to change this? In general, we've done poorly in the merchandising/ apparel category over the years (especially for a division 1 school). Many alums & fans would be thrilled to show their pride!
While there are no definitive plans for an athletic campaign I have been reviewing all of our needs in regards to facilities, staffing and finances. We will prioritize all of these needs and begin to work on a fund raising strategy and ways to increase revenue to meet our needs. Our first priority currently is to expand the varsity weight room.
In regards to you second question we are negotiating with an on-line apparel company that would make custom sport specific Fordham apparel available through the athletic web site. Should be finalized in the next few months.
Thank you for your interest. Go Rams.
February 15, 2013
Why not move the student rooting section behind the team bench for men's and women's basketball games. You'll greatly improve the students' experience of the games and make the gym hell for opponents.
Our current student-section allows us to seat more students together and is close to the bench area. We place visiting team fans behind the visiting team bench.
Thanks for your support. Go Rams!
February 7, 2013
Is Chris Gaston out for the season. If so can he be red-shirted?
Chris is currently rehabbing from an injury and we hope to have him back in uniform soon.Go Rams!
Jack Coffey Field is awful! Fordham has the worst football field in the Patriot League & that is unacceptable. Other schools/fans, etc. laugh at our field when they play here. Does anybody take pride in facilities at Fordham ? Looking at a baseball diamond while watching a football game is an eyesore that just makes me cringe. ( Please visit Lehigh, Lafayette, Colgate, etc. & see how far behind Fordham is in the "lack of quality" that Jack Coffey is. ) What are plans to improve this?
Thanks for your question. I have been involved in PL football for nine years so I am quite familiar with all of the venues. Obviously we have space challenges given our location.
This summer we will be replacing the turf on Murphy's field and next summer we will do the space to Coffey. While we probably cannot change the fact that is a multi-purpose facility we will look at ways to continue to dress it up both inside and outside of the venue. We would certainly put to good use any funds that are donated to improve our football program.
Thanks for you interest and support.
February 5, 2013
Is it your perception that most alumni and the administration favor keeping the old Rose Hill Gym as the home of Fordham basketball for the foreseeable future? I believe that Fordham basketball cannot return to any prominence without a new arena. Your thoughts?
Right now our thought is to pack the RHG consistently and make it a tough place for visiting teams to play. If we sellout the majority of our games and increase season tickets sales the next step would be to play selected home games at Barclays or MSG.We would love to sell enough season tickets next season to guarantee that we have sellouts for the most of our home games. We will play more non-conference home games next season.
Thanks for your interest and support! Go Rams!
January 31, 2013
Congrats on your new position. Being a former student-athlete at Fordham a long time ago 80's. I am curious to know if you plan on following the same strategic plan you did at Colgate? Where you De-emphasize certain sports? I know your big on the whole student-athlete experience, but don't you think providing coaches with enough support win enhances student-athlete experience? Just curious to know I heard at Colgate there were some sports severely under supported in your strategic plan? Thanks for answering my question and GO RAMS!
Thank you. I was hired at Colgate after the strategic plan had been in place for over a year. It was not my strategic plan. I have moved on and it would serve no purpose for me to express my feelings concerning that plan. Here at Fordham there is clearly and emphasis on certain sports based on where resources have been allocated over the years. With that said we want to do everything possible toallow our student-athletes to have a positive experience in their particular sport. Based on resource allocation we will have different overall goals for our sports. As we generate new revenue streams we hope to continue to enhance the student-athlete experience across the board. Thanks for your support and Go Rams.
January 23, 2013
I attended the Manhattan Men's Hoops game and the atmosphere was VERY BORING (same ole for decades). Is there a game day script? If so, who manages it? Music is bad, band is weak and rarely plays, cheerleaders do very little mascot does nothing at all. Promotions are weak... It's just NOT FUN! These concerns require little $$$, but they do require effort. What will you do to change this?
We certainly want our basketball games to be exciting events for fans of all ages. We do have plans for video boards for next season for the Rose Hill Gym which should add to our game atmosphere. For this year we are reviewing procedures and will improve in these areas. Not sure if you we're at the men's basketball game vs. UMass but the 2nd half atmosphere was exciting and an improvement over other games.
Thanks for supporting our student-athletes.
January 16, 2013
My daughter goes to Fordham. She is @ the Lincoln Center Campus. She as well as some of her friends, want to go to games (both football & basketball). They don't won't to pay $6 round trip for the Ram van. You should get the school to waive the fee, when they travel to the Bronx to watch games. It would bring better fan support.
Thank you for letting me know. I will look into providing students from our Lincoln Center campus with free transportation. We would love to see as many of our students as possible at our games. Thanks again.
January 13, 2013
Can you further address our commitment to Football. On WFUV you highlighted that football draws many alumni and friends to campus. However, absent from your comments was how Fordham's athletic tradition and future is strongly tied to one of the most storied programs in Eastern football history. Was hoping for a more enthusiastic response. As a 1841 Society member with football donations in my estate planning, I would appreciate a response.
Its great that you were listening yesterday to my interview on WFUV. With only 20 minutes on the show I try not to go to long on any one question. But let me assure you myself and the administration is very committed to football and as I said yesterday our goal is to play for and win a National title. Given our tradition and commitment our goal is attainable. We need everyone to part of team as we strive to give our student-athletes a positive and successful experience. Thank you for your support of our football program. Let me know if you would like to discuss in person.
January 9, 2013
After just nine (9) days on the job, you promoted someone internally to Deputy Director of Athletics. What data did you evaluate to come to this decision?
All personnel decisions are confidential within the department and the University. Thank you for your support of the Rams!
I found a lot of litter around my seat - reserved section (actually all over RHG) when attending the Monmouth game. I understand the University was closed, but shouldn't a paying customer be entitled to watch a game in a clean environment?
Thank you for bring this to our attention. I will alert our staff and make sure we do everything possible to have a clean environment for all of our home games. Thank you for your support of the Rams.
December 26, 2012
Mr. Roach, in the current climate of conference realignment, what specific actions is Fordham taking to ensure that it remains in a multi-bid basketball league. How is Fordham marketing its brand and assets to conferences to avoid ending up in one-bid conferences such as the Patriot League.
- We are fully committed to the A10. The A10 is serious about being the best Division I basketball-centric conference in the country. We are monitoring the Division I realignment situation and we will continue to make decisions to enhance our conference.
How do you plan to remedy the lack of support for athletics from the top administrators at the University that is vital to any athletic department's success?
- I have found the administrative very supportive and extremely helpful to implement what I feel will be necessary to be a first class Division I athletics department. Thanks for your interest and support.
Does the Athletic Department have plans to revamp this website anytime soon? I find the layout counter-intuitive, stale, and frankly I see photos of students who I know graduated over 6 years ago. I would be much more likely to stay up to date with Fordham Sports if this was a better portal for content.
- We do have plans to completely re-do our web page late this spring or early this summer. Thanks for your support and interest in our student-athletes.
The department seems to be in need of improved thoroughness and professionalism, indicated by some little things like the media guide for Women's Crew being from 2010, Swimming for 2011-2012, the directions document not being updated for the new softball field, and so forth. The list is endless. Are steps being taken or contemplated in this regard?
- We are reviewing everything within the department to take steps to improve everything we do and how we present Fordham athletics. Please be patient as I begin to implement a new philosophy. Thank you for your interest in the Rams!
What are we doing to improve the visibility of the basketball program? Seems as though new marketing efforts are needed in order to draw new and renewed interest in a basketball.
- We are currently meeting with outside companies to look at outsourcing our marketing and sponsorship rights which could greatly increase our visibility, both regionally and nationally. Please come out and support our student-athletes.
December 18, 2012
Where are you in the evaluation of athletics facilities that you mentioned at the time of your hire? What is the timeline for that evaluation? When can the Fordham community expect to hear results of the evaluation?
- I have been meeting with everyone on the athletic dept staff to review all of our dept needs. In regards to facilities we need to make sure we utilize all of our space to its fullest capacity. Towards the end of the spring we will have completed our assessment and can look at short term and long term solutions.
What are we doing to improve the viability of the basketball program? Seems as though new marketing efforts are needed in order to draw new and renewed interest in a basketball.
- We are currently meeting with outside companies to look at out sourcing our marketing and sponsorship rights which could greatly increase our visibility both regionally and nationally. Please come out and support our student-athletes.
The A-10 is a basketball dominated conference. During your recent tenure at Colgate, the respective men's and women's basketball teams came in last place in the PL. What can you say to the fan base to allay obvious concerns over management of basketball?
- The A10 is the premier basketball centric conference in the country. Both of our basketball programs are in excellent hands with Coach Pecora and Coach Gaitley.They are both experience coaches who have been very successful inn their careers. My role is to support them and give them the necessary tools to have successful programs.
What are we doing to get into the new Catholic League? This is a MUST for us. It is a natural fit, and there is no-where to go but down unless we make a push to get it. They wont' come knocking on our door, so we need to do anything and everything to get our name tossed into the mix. It makes me sick to see all of these other Catholic Universities get mentioned, but Fordham is ignored. "Fordham is out School, New York is our Campus". Well I guess NY basketball belongs to that other Catholic school... St. Johns?!
- Thank you for your question and interest in the Rams. At this point any new league is pure speculation at this point.Of all the speculation I think a new national Catholic league might be the farthest from reality. We are monitoring the landscape and will always keep our commitment to having an outstanding basketball program etc.
With the defection of the 7 Catholic schools from the Big East, what impact will it have on our athletic future? The rumors in the media and through out the internet have painted many crazy scenarios. I've noticed that commissioner McGlade has been relatively quiet so far and I was wondering if we could expect any official comment in the near future?
I know the topic of league affiliation is very fluid, but I was hoping you could provide any insight as to our commitment to the A10 and more importantly its commitment to Fordham.
On a side note, thank you for this direct opportunity to speak with you. I try to attend as many football and basketball games as possible and am thrilled that we are getting more games on TV for those times I can't trek into the Bronx. I hope this is a sign of bigger things to come.
- Thank you for your question. At this point the actual only certainty is that the seven schools will be exiting the Big East. When still has to be worked out along with all the financials. At this point everything in the newspapers is speculation.
The A10 is serious about being the top basketball centric conference and will continue to make decisions that reaffirm that position. The A10 is in a position of strength from decisions that added two conference members and our new TV contract. Fordham is committed to the A10 and to be a key player in the conference.
I have season tickets for basketball (and football as well) and sit in section 213 row B seat 9&10. Because of the banners, we cannot see either score board. Can something be done so that I can see the score during the game.
- Thanks for your question and for being a season ticket holder in basketball and football. We plan to install new scoreboards this summer and at that time we will consider the view from all seats.
