I don't know. I quickly tried to find an easy-to-read table with that information, but no dice. Any commercial pilots out there? The runway is listed on OHIO's website as being 5600', but I don't know what the runway requirements are for landing/take-off for a plane that can seat 100ish+ people

I never been of the opinion that Ohio athletics should benchmark itself against the Big Ten athletically. The feeling I have and I think is shared by alums is that Ohio should be able to do better for itself than the current MAC. We shouldn't be looking up to schools like St. Bonaventure and Duquesne athletically. And we don't in football. The MAC's TV deal in football gives Ohio more ESPN exposure than most ACC and Big East schools. I can live with where we are in football, I just think its absurd that our basketball program with a 13,000 facility is stuck in a second rate mid major. That is why I can't understand all the anger directed toward the state of the football program when schools like Wright State and Youngstown play in a more prestigious basketball conference. Football has come light years since the 80's. Things have changed by the measuring stick that counts wins and ESPN. Great Ohio State goes out and wastes 7 million on a head football coach. That's fine. Who had a better record this season Ohio or Ohio State? 

Wes, is it your suggestion we dump the MAC and join the Horizon League? Maybe we could pull a Temple. Stay in the MAC for football only and join the Horizon League for Basketball and the other sports? Oh yea, about the OSU/OHIO football record comparison. Would you rather be treking to Boise or Jacksonville, Florida for a bowl game?
Or stated another way, which bowl is more prestigious: Gator or Potato?

I believe!

I believe!

I believe the love will regularly post the same old tired rant about scheduling, pretty much entirely missing the progress and that we are building a program and that there are great limiting factors (budget, population, dearth of super-dynamic coaches--espec those who want to remain at a MAC school).

I believe that love will soon post an attacking, dismissive ad hominem diatriabe against those posters who disagree with him.


Look, you want scheduling?  Get that big game against Dame or MichState or VTech or USC or Oregon in Cleveland.

As we build, I imagine that we can shuffle off a lesser game and bring on a Cleveland bigtime.

Danny used to make the rounds of the dorms each fall.  He was/is a very charismatic guy and that combined with winning a ton of games while he was here are the reasons people still look back at that time as a golden era in Bobcat basketball.

You're right, the runway at the OU airport is 5600' x 100'.  It was expanded several years ago from the original 4200' length that existed when I was flying there back in the mid 90's.  The length is on the short side but not out of the realm of possibility for your average football charter in a 757.  However, where it falls short is in weight bearing capability.  The runway is stressed for smaller aircraft, not large commercial jets.  There are a lot of variables and I could go into a long dissertation on runway structure vs different landing gear configurations, but I don't want anyone to start drooling and pass out on their keyboards.  Suffice it say that it would require tearing up and rebuilding the entire runway, which is totally cost prohibitive.

Parkersburg has a 7200' runway, which would be large enough for the average 757 to have enough room to take off and fly all the way to the west coast.  However, it also has some weight bearing issues, though not to the same extent.  My guess is a waiver could be obtained for heavier aircraft to use it on an occasional basis.  I'm actually mildly surprised it isn't normally used as the charter airport.

Generally, the university buses teams up to Rickenbacker on the south side of Columbus for charter flights.  It's an old air force base with very long and heavily stressed runways, and also has facilities for passenger screening and baggage checking.

So in a sense, not having an airport large enough to handle commercial jets probably counts as a stike against us leaving a regional conference like that MAC, much like not having a TV market does.  ECU, since it's been mentioned, has a bigger airport 20 miles down the road in Kinston, NC that has a suitable runway for pretty much anything.  So even though Greenville is somewhat isolated much like Athens is, it has much more suitable infrastructure, flying wise anyway.

Hope this helps!

Up until the early ninties, State College, PA airport could not accomodate larger aircraft and most teams flew into Harrisburg and bussed up. Granted, apples and oranges in terms of program levels(OU vs. PSU), but logistics is down on the list as to why teams would or would not come to Athens.

Temple always flies in and out of MOV when coming to Athens.  I suspect UMASS will do the same.  The Cat's just flew out of MOV to Boise. The airport was an issue for WVU joining the Big12.  I believe they are making some adjustments in Clarksburg.  

As for schedule; Miami should have a good team next year and most likely will start the season 0-4.  If they score a major upset they could manage a 1-3 start.  I am not sure how that helps build fan support.