I wonder if John Fosher and Luke Wood are the same person.

I adamantly believe that the SAT is an outlier. I has to take it at 7am on a Saturday at a school that wasn't mine, that I had never been to in my life. Having taken the SAT as well as the PSAT, I think high school courses tell a better story than one test day. Some people don't do random tests well. I could not pass the UWP exam both times but the course itself I learned a lot and I think I got an A or B.

I transferred to Davis and I personally think lower division college courses, even at a CCC, are a much better indicator of success.

The time and environment of these sit down tests are often overlooked but can be very important. I was given the army OCS qualification test at the oakland army depot at 5 am in the morning before breakfast. Took the SAT after a 4 hour drive from my home to UC during an all day rain storm. I took the LSAT at 6pm on a Friday night after work all day at a service station in Chico. Barely made the mark on any one of the tests. I vote on the side of HS grades over the SAT

Sure lower division college courses may be a good predictor of college performance with courses that are taught at the pace and material of the courses at UC.
High school courses are taught at about half speed, and are not graded uniformly, so are not a good predictor, of whether someone can keep up.In addition because everyone applying has high grades, the admissions office is picking between students with a 3.8 and a 4.4. That difference doesn’t mean ine knows more than the other. The subjective nature of admissions lead to admission on non academic factors. I saw an interview with a well spoken Asian kid with a 4.3 GPA and 1500 plus SAT, who was turned down at Davis, UCSD, Berkeley UCLA and others.

Lofty predictions from Dr. Woods brother, Joshua Woods:

LOL
Wood and Marion arguing with people on X is such a terrible look.
These guys look SO unstable and delusional.

Just let your actions do the talking and get the heck off X.....

Crazy things can happen in March Madness, but making the College Football Playoffs in 5 years or less seems like an insane take to me. It's pretty much just the blue bloods that make it there. Also assuming Marion stays with Sac State if he has even a modicum of success is laughable. Dude is a career ladder climber and will drop them like a hot potato is a more prestigious program comes knocking.

Marion will stay because Sac State is the top of the ladder. I mean look at the storied history, the rich alums, the stadium.

I'm not exactly sure, why UC Davis alumni are making fun of SAC ST for trying something new. It's not like we are some big sports program. Let's see what they do first. Who knows, maybe their success can lead to our success as well.

First of all, UC Davis alumni never need a reason to make fun of Sac State, just like Sac State fans never need a reason to make crude, profanity-laden t-shirts referencing deviant activity with or without barn animals. The two schools did not sign a binding "play nice" agreement, so the Causeway Classic crowd can always count on a melange of violent drunks, sewer rats, attention junkies, and self-righteous "Well, I never !!!!!" types (mostly Aggie fans in that group).

Second, it has already been established that several posters (including myself) believe that they are engaging in reckless activities that can endanger the health of their athletic programs and possibly the school itself. Nobody's budging off that viewpoint, just as you aren't changing your mind about it being great.

UC Davis didn't get to be a renowned academic institution by being reckless. The scientific developments come about through painstaking research using established methods, not just saying, "I wonder if this experiment somebody else thought of but didn't complete will work?". The measured approach reflects in the sports programs as well. You could say they are reflective of the university they represent, not flashy but capable of providing occasional surprises. And sometimes seasons go poorly, just like experiments

It can be frustrating that the teams don't win everything, but that's not the top goal of having them, which is to improve the experience for students. The enjoyment of cranky alumni is at best a distant 3rd. We are merely invited to come onto the front porch, spend money, and be supportive. The university does not owe us championships; that is just what people who donate feel entitled to. There will always be types like Rocko DeLuca who cheer "win, win, win !" because it is in their job descriptions.

So why move to the MW? Attract more visitors who will spend money. All the Riversidians, Foolertonians, and Northridgians (or whatever they're called) are probably too busy renting storage units and abandoing them.

And speaking of Storage Wars (You can blame Fugawe09 for introducing the show to a Sac State discussion), Sac State wishes it were Renè, the 300 lb German man with a busty wife who makes a spectacle of dropping thousands at each auction and rubbing people's faces in it. Perhaps they aspire to take a "big boobs" approach to things by hiring Mike Bibby (Wonder if any Lakers ever called him Mike Booby ?) and bringing in Radio Shaq.

Renè actually is successful, so he can be an a-hole to his competitors if he wants. Until this experiment actually works Luke Wood is no better than Justin, the smug twit who thinks he'is smarter than the veteran buyers because he can unload cheap locker crap using his phone. It's nothing for UCD to copy.

And look, if you're excited about what Sac State does and you want to check it out, you don't need to frame it as "UCD needs to do this". You can go without judgment (because few people would pay any mind to it anyway), enjoy all the Sac State, UCD, whatever college games you want. You're an adult. You graduated. You are a free agent fan. Even if you got a Gunrock tattoo you are not compelled to follow UCD and UCD alone for the rest of your life. You could open your hypothetical Davis sports bar + put a dozen hornet bobbleads on the front counter if you want. No patrons will give you grief until after they've had a few, and by then they've served their purpose anyway.

First of all, UC Davis alumni never need a reason to make fun of Sac State, just like Sac State fans never need a reason to make crude, profanity-laden t-shirts referencing deviant activity with or without barn animals. The two schools did not sign a binding "play nice" agreement, so the Causeway Classic crowd can always count on a melange of violent drunks, sewer rats, attention junkies, and self-righteous "Well, I never !!!!!" types (mostly Aggie fans in that group).

I never had a problem with rival jostling. Its great for the sport.

Second, it has already been established that several posters (including myself) believe that they are engaging in reckless activities that can endanger the health of their athletic programs and possibly the school itself. Nobody's budging off that viewpoint, just as you aren't changing your mind about it being
great.


I appreciate the sentiment behind your comment—but I must respectfully challenge its core assumptions.

First, let’s talk about arrogance, because it’s the silent killer in both academia and athletics. It’s the belief that past methods are always superior, that prestige alone shields an institution from stagnation. UC Davis did become a renowned academic institution through rigor and discipline, yes—but also through risk-taking, innovation, and bold vision. Great science doesn’t just follow a manual; it pushes boundaries. And if we’re being honest, so should our athletics programs.

Winning matters. Not because donors demand trophies or because fans crave ego boosts, but because competition at its core is about striving for excellence. Athletics isn’t a side activity—it’s a proving ground. It teaches resilience, teamwork, and ambition in ways no lecture hall can replicate. To dismiss winning as a tertiary concern in collegiate sports is to miss the point entirely. No student-athlete trains day in and day out to provide alumni with a "decent experience." They train to win. And we, as alumni and fans, owe it to them to support that mindset.

As for UC Davis—yes, it’s a respected institution. But have you seen downtown Davis lately? It’s a ghost town. If the university wants to be a catalyst for regional vibrancy, it can’t just rely on lab work and modest sports success. It needs energy. It needs foot traffic. It needs something that draws people in beyond the walls of the classroom. A more competitive athletics program does exactly that. You can look to places like Boise, Eugene, or even Fresno to see how this works when done well.

And this talk of moving to the Mountain West? That’s not recklessness—that’s strategic evolution. It’s about aligning with peers who compete seriously, who draw attention, revenue, and yes, community engagement. The irony is that UC Davis, for all its careful planning, is at risk of becoming a brilliant institution with a quiet campus and an empty downtown.

Change is hard. But in sports—and in science—the institutions that thrive are the ones that know when it’s time to step forward. Sacramento State is doing that. And I, for one, respect it.

And speaking of Storage Wars (You can blame Fugawe09 for introducing the show to a Sac State discussion), Sac State wishes it were Renè, the 300 lb German man with a busty wife who makes a spectacle of dropping thousands at each auction and rubbing people's faces in it. Perhaps they aspire to take a "big boobs" approach to things by hiring Mike Bibby (Wonder if any Lakers ever called him Mike Booby ?) and bringing in Radio Shaq.

Renè actually is successful, so he can be an a-hole to his competitors if he wants. Until this experiment actually works Luke Wood is no better than Justin, the smug twit who thinks he'is smarter than the veteran buyers because he can unload cheap locker crap using his phone. It's nothing for UCD to copy

I'm sorry I honestly don't know what any of this means. You have storage with wars or something?

And look, if you're excited about what Sac State does and you want to check it out, you don't need to frame it as "UCD needs to do this". You can go without judgment (because few people would pay any mind to it anyway), enjoy all the Sac State, UCD, whatever college games you want. You're an adult. You graduated. You are a free agent fan. Even if you got a Gunrock tattoo you are not compelled to follow UCD and UCD alone for the rest of your life. You could open your hypothetical Davis sports bar + put a dozen hornet bobbleads on the front counter if you want. No patrons will give you grief until after they've had a few, and by then they've served their purpose anyway.

Ah, my dear Aggie comrade, spoken like a true disciple of measured thought and passive-aggressive grace. Somewhere between a chilled Chardonnay on the quad and a politely worded cease and desist letter from the alumni association, you’ve managed to capture the UC Davis spirit perfectly.

But allow me—channeling just a whiff of Robin Williams’s manic twinkle and a splash of Bowie glam from Ziggy Stardust’s secret tenure as a mid-major sports analyst (...if you were born after 1980 you might not get it...still you should listen to some Bowie)—to say this:

Look, I bleed blue and gold. If I stub my toe on a Davis sidewalk crack, it sings the fight song. My heart is shaped like the Shields Library. I once cried watching the band-uh do the halftime Moonwalk (okay, maybe that was a Bowie reference). The point is—my loyalty isn’t in question. I don’t want less Davis—I want More. Aggie. Greatness.

But hear me out: acknowledging Sac State is not heresy, it’s just observation. I don’t want to be Sac State. I want UC Davis to learn from the boldness, the risk-taking, the utter lack of fear in doing something new—even if it means ditching khaki academic orthodoxy for some black and green flair. I want us to win—not just in debates about water policy and plant genetics, but on the field, in the arena, and maybe—just maybe—in the hearts of fans who’d love to see Aggie Stadium packed to the eucalyptus trees.

Now, as for me being a “free agent fan”? Darling, if I’m a free agent, I’m LeBron in a Gunrock headband. Yes, I’ll drop in on a Hornets game. Yes, I’ll nod politely at Sac’s new uniforms like someone admiring an ex’s glow-up. But let’s not pretend I’m moving in with them. I’ll be back in Davis before curfew, probably dragging half of Sacramento with me to see what real agricultural pride cow tipping looks like.

And if I open a Davis sports bar...(Hey Dan, anytime time you want to lower sqft lease numbers!) it will be the coolest Aggie bar of all time. I might even call it the "Post-Grad."

So no hard feelings, my friend. I’m not here to tear Davis down. I’m here, in true Bowie fashion, to turn the volume up, paint a lightning bolt across our program, and say, “Let’s be bold, baby.” Because even a beloved institution needs a little stardust now and then.

Now this is good reading.......:clap:

The like is for creativity. Well-desrved in that respect.

Apologies for only addressing 1 part of your post today, as it's late andmy responses would require extensively reiterating points we've already discussed on the related Bibby topic.

I'll take this one first:

I'm sorry I honestly don't know what any of this means. You have storage with wars or something?

To sum it up, Storage Wars was a popular A&E "reality" show in which quite a few recurring buyers (actual cast members) would compete to buy abandoned storage units in Southern CA cities at auction (more than a few times in Big West cities). Often the units were worthless, but some had rare collectibles that would later be appraised. There was frequently drama among the contestants. "Reality" is in quotations because one of the cast members was fired for saying publicly that elements of the show were fake, like that the show planted items of interest in the lockers beforehand.

Even for a fake show it was the right level of distraction when I was stuck in a hospital bed one day. There are variations in TX and Canada as well. I think a Storage Wars China would be entertaining. When the contestants would find rare items, the CCP could come confiscate it and maybe throw them in jail.

More to come..

Cool. This tv show sounds drama filled! I'm sorry I missed it. I don't watch much tv nowadays, I hope you can understand.

Some additional thoughts:

As for UC Davis—yes, it’s a respected institution. But have you seen downtown Davis lately? It’s a ghost town. If the university wants to be a catalyst for regional vibrancy, it can’t just rely on lab work and modest sports success. It needs energy. It needs foot traffic. It needs something that draws people in beyond the walls of the classroom. A more competitive athletics program does exactly that. You can look to places like Boise, Eugene, or even Fresno to see how this works when done wellquote]

Lately ? I can't recall a time when it wasn't quiet. Perhaps it was busy around the time David Bowie was releasing his biggest hits? I also don't recall a time when Davis proclaimed, "We must make a push for regional vibrancy !" It's not in danger of being a quiet campus. It already is.

As you know, there are two Davises every year that co-exist from Fall to early Summer. One is the actual city, the permanent residents. The other is the collection of UCD students interacting with local businesses, some of which are tailored specifically to them. These Davises exist in the same space but their relationship is not necessarily harmonious

Now the permanent residents have mixed thoughts on the students. They like the money coming into town, but they could do without students' nuisance behaviors (noise, excessive drinking, stabbing people..). They also like their nice, quiet, and usually safe city, and among these permanent residents are many NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) types. The NIMBY's are the ones who make enough noise in the public meetings to keep things the way they are. If businesses that close at or before 8 is what they want, that's their decision. They have to live there all year round so they might as well be comfortable. Lack of vibrant businesses in downtown is a City of Davis problem, not a UC Davis problem.

Of course the students also bear responsibility. Their spending behaviors largely determine what businesses thrive, as you also know, and when summer comes there are lean times. If there is a large and sustained demand from the students for certain businesses or for things to be open later there are adjustments made. Unfortunately for Downtown Davis, UCD brings in the most studious of the studious types who are buried in their books at night, not out looking to have a good time. That is related to the nature of the courses, but it still isn't a UCD problem. What are they going to do, tell the professors to make their classes easier so restaurants can stay open longer ?

You picked three curious examples of illustrating sports done right improving and energizing their cities. Fresno is a pit stain, and has been one for a long time. Unless a drastic overhaul has been completed in the last 4 years that I didn't hear about (would think that would be on world news), Fresno's downtown is full of boarded-up buildings, and the area near Fresno State is sketchy too. Should I be looking in a history book for this success rather than at the present ?

By the way, for some Fresno-related fun you can go to hotels.com and look up the University Square Hotel (Formerly the Picadilly Inn). It is the closest hotel or motel to Fresno State. What's entertaining are the often humorously-worded reviews (a guest reported seeing a fetus stain. Did some previous guests perform an abortion in the room ?) and the even more ridiculous responses from the hotel. I came across this gem when I was looking for a place near Fresno State a couple of years ago, and I prefer to read a couple dozen reviews before booking. Did not book a room.

Boise State's situation compared to UCD is apples and oranges. For one thing Boise has a significantly larger population. More importantly though, Boise State isn't just the only game in town, its the only game for a large chunk of ID too. UCD students (or any residents of Davis) when bored can hop on a train to the Bay Area. In Boise there isn't even a train ! Where would one gò if there were ? You could screen "Frozen" dubbed into French at Albertson's Stadium, and 30,000 bored people would still show up to watch it.

The downtown is decent and clean, but you can't attribute any of the action to all the fleeing Californians moving in and spending ?

I haven't been to Eugene, so my source of information (the 1 person I know who lives there) may be biased. Anyhow they told me it has been going to the dogs because of the lax approach to policing. Well, it's in OR so that at least sounds right. They may have bars that use clever duck puns, but I do know they've effectively pushed their longtime minor league baseball team (over 50 years) out the door while simultaneously moaning that they can't keep them. That's not college sports, but it's not a shining example of a sports crazy town either.

Now, as for me being a “free agent fan”? Darling, if I’m a free agent, I’m LeBron in a Gunrock headband. Yes, I’ll drop in on a Hornets game. Yes, I’ll nod politely at Sac’s new uniforms like someone admiring an ex’s glow-up. But let’s not pretend I’m moving in with them. I’ll be back in Davis before curfew, probably dragging half of Sacramento with me to see what real agricultural pride cow tipping looks like.

And if I open a Davis sports bar...(Hey Dan, anytime time you want to lower sqft lease numbers!) it will be the coolest Aggie bar of all time. I might even call it the "Post-Grad."

Nobody accused you of being disloyal. Baseball at Dobbins shares about going to Washington State and Idaho games. No one bats an eyelash because that doesn't matter. The point was no one would think you were disloyal (or care) if you went and enjoyed seeing Sac State's experiment in person. It doesn't mean Davis needs to do it.

You don't have any results to work with right now. You can't see what worked and what didn't. Maybe the football players at Sac State are all egomaniacs and they don't play well. Maybe Bibby can't hack it as a college coach and Shaq does nothing but come to watch his son play a couple of times ?

Innovation is taking known information and processes and improving on them. Coming upon things randomly is just a happy accident mislabeled as innovation. Sac State is desperately putting random substances into a test tube to see what happens. This is a hail mary type of effort from them because they are in such bad shape if everything doesn't go perfectly. Let them succeed or fail first so it can be properly evaluated.

Last one then I think that's enough

Winning matters. Not because donors demand trophies or because fans crave ego boosts, but because competition at its core is about striving for excellence. Athletics isn’t a side activity—it’s a proving ground. It teaches resilience, teamwork, and ambition in ways no lecture hall can replicate. To dismiss winning as a tertiary concern in collegiate sports is to miss the point entirely. No student-athlete trains day in and day out to provide alumni with a "decent experience." They train to win. And we, as alumni and fans, owe it to them to support that mindset.

Of course winning matters to the competitors and coaches. However, they believe they are enough with the support (including coaches) they have if they rise to the occasion. They don't feel they need to be replaced or upgraded unless there's a mental health issue. Three or 10,000 people in the stands, they know what they have to do. A poor craftsman blames his tools, in this case coaches, fans, and home venue.

Marion and Bibby both just sent the message to returning players (unintentionally I'm sure), "Not only are you not enough, but I will fill a roster with players better than you in a jiffy." It's not as though a new player even outplayed and made them obsolete, just get lost. I don't see that as a positive activity to copy.

And athletics are most definitely a side activity. First and foremost they are students. Like any other students they will get out of college (and their athletic careers) what they put into them or more. Students can learn teamwork, resilience, and ambition working at McDonald's if they apply themselves-this is not exclusive to athletics. If it were all non-athletes would be losers who can't work with others, which is clearly not true. Achieving at a high level is not dependent on shiny new stadiums or celebrity coaches. If it is, then the athlete is the problem. The university places a lower priority (3rd or lower) on fans being entertained. I said as much before. Competing in athletics is a privilege, not a right. As such I do not believe they are entitled to any of the frills I mentioned simply for being athletes.

And it isn't as if they are currently being deprived now. Basketball has an NBA veteran for a coach. Baseball has new lights, scoreboard, and a team of analytics nerds to tell them how to hit less than .260 with aluminum bats. Football has what-367.5 coaches (1 guy is a part-time assistant defensive offensive coach for special teams on the road), new practice + training facilities ? Sounds like nobody's being left behind.

Will they be FCS when this class signs or not? They want to claim to be the best in something they aren’t a part of.

Wow. I don't know what they are going to do, but the high level of players they are getting is impressive. I still can't believe they got 5* QB Rashada from Georgia. Man they are going to be tough.

They are taking the 4-3-2-1 approach to recruiting:
4 previous colleges
3 star rating
2.0 GPA
1 felony conviction

*Before you get all over me about GPA: I know. It’s a joke.

They are going to be able to have 105 scholarships in 2026 if their FBS move is approved, where as the FCS teams they compare themselves to have lower scholarship limits, Big Sky is 63, so that is 42 more scholarships for Sac.

it’s actually 85 ‘full’ that can be split amongst 105. Still an increase of 20 of both sexes.

i read multiple sources that the 85 scholarship limit is gone, just the roster limit remains, conferences can set lower limits, as the SEC is keeping it at 83 in 2025. Big Sky keeping scholarships to 63.

Hero Sports: “ Athletic departments, FBS or FCS, that opt into the settlement will have a football roster limit of 105 players. With no scholarship limits, an FBS team could offer 105 scholarships if a conference doesn’t set a cap. Or, theoretically, an FBS school could have 95 players on scholarship and 10 walk-ons if they couldn’t fund all 105.”

NCSA:
“D1 FBS football programs will be allowed to offer up to 105 scholarships, up from the current limit of 85.
D1 FBS football programs will have a maximum roster limit of 105.
D1 FBS football, once a headcount sport, will now be classified as an equivalency sport. This change allows programs to offer a combination of partial and full scholarships to recruits”

105 Scholies??? Wow!

thanks. I thought I had read that there was a 85 limit splittable, but maybe that was old (line two weeks ago) news.

There is a lot of bad reporting, so who knows?
But this does raise an interesting point, which is that there is no longer a rule that gives FBS a depth advantage. What besides losing the FCS label do teams get for moving to a lesser FBS conference aside from the chance to play in the Idaho potato bowl instead of the FCS playoff? The name doesn’t define the thing,

Does an FCS Program Have One of the Deepest Backfields in the Country?

With the help of the transfer portal, one FCS program has assembled one of the deepest backfields in the country

By Mark Pszonak

There are plenty of deep backfields across the country, especially at the elite P4 programs who have a conveyor belt of impressive talent. However, when it comes to a mixture of talent, experience and production, one of the deepest is in the FCS.

Sacramento State has been an FCS recruiting juggernaut since the program hired Brennan Marion as their head coach on December 21st. The former UNLV offensive coordinator made numerous important additions through the transfer portal, which included a complete overhaul of the backfield.

First, one important member of the 2024 backfield does return, Curron Borders. After redshirting in 2023, Borders played in all 12 games last season, totaling 361 yards and one touchdown on the ground, while averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

Borders will face stiff competition during this off-season to attempt to earn playing time in 2025. First, two FBS transfers will try to make an immediate impact. Savion Red (Nevada) began his collegiate career at Texas before transferring to Nevada prior to the 2024 season. With the Wolf Pack, he rushed for 687 yards and a team leading eight touchdowns. The other FBS addition is Rodney Hammond Jr. (Pittsburgh), who in four seasons with the Panthers rushed for 1,546 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The most intriguing transfer addition by the Hornets may turn out to be Jamar Curtis (Lafayette). A two-time Walter Payton Award finalist, which is the FCS Heisman Trophy, Curtis rushed for 2,598 yards and 31 touchdowns over the last two seasons. On top of that he has added 49 receptions for 396 yards and three touchdowns.

How the Hornets will split the carries amongst Curtis, Hammond, Red and Borders is unclear at this point and likely will be a work in progress throughout summer camp and into the season. But this is a problem that many programs across the country would love to have. Splitting carries will keep the backfield fresh throughout the season, which should help make the Hornets a viable threat in the Big Sky Conference in 2025.

Since Coach Marion's hiring, Sacramento State has become one of the more polarizing programs in the country.

https://mikefarrellsports.com/college/does-an-fcs-program-sacramento-state-have-one-of-the-deepest-backfields-in-the-country

They got Jamar Curtis too???? Holy crap....that roster is a legit D1 program. I hate having to do it, but I might have to put money on SACST to win it all.

They will be ineligible if they get approved for FBS next week. They will be all dressed up with no place to go.

Either way, that team is going to win a lot of games. Great opportunity to make some money :)