Sports

Fordham football faces UConn in opener

Fordham football coach Tom Masella is a sharp guy, although he might question that Thursday night when his Rams, with just 32 scholarship players, open at Connecticut, the 2010 Big East Conference champ.

Masella sees the big picture.

Opening at an FBS program is one of the steps an FCS program must take if it intends on establishing its credentials. And Masella has big plans for Fordham.

“Our goal is to become a national championship caliber program,” Masella said. “We’re going to do it and we’re going to do it the right way.”

Masella is doing it in steps. He knows he can’t sell Fordham’s storied past. Today’s high school recruits don’t know about the 1929 national championship, the Seven Blocks of Granite and a guy named Lombardi.

But they do know this: Fordham offers a great education in the greatest city in America. They know if they buy into Masella’s vision, they can be the foundation of a program. They know they can get playing time early.

Masella will start a freshman, Pete Maetzold, at quarterback. Maetzold could be one of as many as eight freshman starters. No one would blame the Huskies if they were licking their chops.

“We know exactly what we’re getting into,” said Masella. “We want to make it through the first half and still be in position. But for us, there’s no downside. Our kids will get a chance to play against the best and we’ll see where we are.”

The story of Fordham football really is about where it is headed.

By 2013 the university has committed to an FCS (formerly Division I-AA) full complement of 63 scholarship players. The vision is to one day compete with other elite FCS programs such as Delaware, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, which is transitioning to the FBS level.

“People aren’t sure, in terms of football, who we are and what we are,” said Masella. “By playing teams such as Connecticut, and we’re going to play teams of that caliber every year, it helps get the word out.”