Home  > 2009 FAQ

2009 Georgetown Football Frequently Asked Questions

With the continued growth in interest in the program, this would be a good time for some facts (and a little opinion) for those interested in what the program is all about. Let's answer some frequently asked questions about Georgetown Football:

• Basic Facts on Georgetown Football
• Scholarships and Admissions
• Opponents & Scheduling
• Student Life
• Facilities
• Media Coverage
• The Future
• About This Web Site

"What level of football does Georgetown play?"
Georgetown University competes in NCAA Division I as an associate member of the Patriot League. The Patriot League's football alignment consists of Bucknell, Colgate, Fordham, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Lafayette and Lehigh. The United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy are Patriot League members but play football at the Division I-A level.

The champion of the Patriot League receives an automatic bid to the NCAA I-AA playoffs, while its runner-up occasionally receives an at-large bid.

"When did Georgetown start a football team?"
Georgetown has played varsity football at least since 1887 (records of extramural games date back as far back as 1881 but are not presently recognized in current Georgetown records.) During the 1940's, Georgetown appeared in two New Year's Day bowls and played a variety of Eastern and national powers, from Syracuse, Boston College and Maryland to Miami and Penn State.

In 1951, Georgetown dropped the sport but revived the sport thirteen years later on a club level. In 1970, Georgetown joined what is now Division II, and was reclassified as Division III in 1973. Georgetown rejoined Division I-AA football for the 1993 season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), and accepted an invitation to the Patriot League in January, 2000.

"What was Georgetown's 2007 record?"
The Hoyas finished 2-8 in 2008.

"Why so low?"
With injuries, Georgetown went to an young lineup early and paid the price.

"What is Georgetown's all-time record?"
At the close of the 2008 season, the all-time mark is 479-368-32 (.563)

"I'm interested in playing at Georgetown. What should I do?
This is an unofficial site, so contact the University directly. A web page for prospective student athletes is available from the University.

"Where does Georgetown recruit football players?"
Georgetown recruits nationally. Its 2008 roster contained players from 22 states and the District of Columbia.

"How do I get a scholarship to play football? How many scholarships does Georgetown offer?"
The Patriot League provides financial aid to student-athletes based on need.

However, "there is a huge difference between the Patriot League and the MAAC and the NEC", said former Colgate athletic director Mark Murphy. "The Patriot League schools have the full allotment of coaches and allow the full number of spring practices. Also, our equivalencies are much higher and we provide full grants to meet need, as opposed to packaged aid--job and loan."

"So why not just offer scholarships?"
Cost issues notwithstanding, the Patriot League was founded on the philosophy similar to that of the Ivy League, that scholarship aid would be given on the basis of demonstrated financial need. This philosophy is consistent with Georgetown's position on football aid since the program was revived in 1964.

"What does it take to get into Georgetown?"
Applicants to the University face a rigorous admissions process, regardless of football. Prospective student-athletes tend to be top students at their high school level, have taken a college prep level of courses, and have demonstrated excellence through grades, test scores, and extracurricular pursuits.

"Does that mean that all players just walk on?"
No. Georgetown's staff works closely with its Admissions office in identifying, recruiting, and selecting student-athletes who meet both the standards of the admissions pool and the needs of the team. For more information, please see the official Georgetown site for contacts and details.

"What type of teams does Georgetown play?"
In addition to the Patriot League schools, Georgetown will play Yale, Howard, Richmond, Old Dominion, and Marist in the 2009 season.

Georgetown does not schedule teams below the Division I level.

"Does Georgetown play any Big East schools?"
Georgetown does not play Big East schools in football.

"So who are Georgetown's biggest rivals during the season?"
Holy Cross and Fordham are two Jesuit schools which are big games for the team. It was Georgetown's consecutive wins over Holy Cross in 1998 and 1999 that led many to realize that Georgetown would be a good fit for the more competitive Patriot League.

"What's it like being a football player on Georgetown's campus?"
A lot like any other student. While football players have additional time commitments (such as weight training, team meetings, and practice), student-athletes are just as much a part of campus life and activities as any other students.

"Do football players compete in other sports?"
A few play in more than one sport, although it is a difficult time commitment. In recent years, football players have competed on the basketball, track and lacrosse teams.

"Is there a football dorm at Georgetown?"
No. Players live in the same accommodations available to any other student. All freshmen and sophomores must live on campus, while upperclassmen may choose to remain on-campus or live off campus.

"What kind of majors do players take?"
Academic majors vary across the board, in such areas as the liberal arts, the sciences, business, and international relations. There are no "physical education" or "parks and recreation" majors at Georgetown, so players are expected to take their education seriously.

For the 2008 season, nearly a third members of the team were awarded All-Academic status from the Patriot League for grade point averages exceeding 3.20. Georgetown's 32 selections led all PL schools, with Bucknell adding 22 players, Fordham 20, Holy Cross 19, Lafayette 18, Lehigh 11, and Colgate with nine

"What is the graduation rate?
According to the NCAA's 2006 Graduation Success Rate formula (GSR), 97% of the incoming freshman football classes from 1996 through 1999 graduated within six years.

"What does Georgetown's stadium look like? I've heard people say bad things about it."

Games are played on what is now known as the Multi-Sport Field, a temporary name for an ongoing fundraising project. When fully completed, the complex will not only provide a modern field, but coaches offices and weight rooms, all positioned in the geographic center of campus.

A name for the facility has not been announced, nor a completion date.

"Why is it also being called a "multi-sport" facility?"
The field space may also be used by other programs in the spring, such as Georgetown's nationally ranked lacrosse teams.

"What about football practice facilities?"
At present, the team conducts its practices on the field. When the new facility is built, additional practice and intramural facilities will be gained by reconfiguring other fields to accommodate more field space.

"What about the weight room?"
A major renovation to the weight room took place in 2001. Further upgrades may be available in the new facility.

"Are Georgetown games broadcast on radio?
Home and away games are available via the Internet at the GUHoyas.com web site.

"Are Georgetown games broadcast on television?"
In 2009, two games may bee broadcast on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), available regionally and on satellite providers such as DirecTV. The GUHoyas.com site provides video footage of home games on a nominal pay per month charge.

"Do other Patriot League teams playing Georgetown have television deals?"
Lehigh, Lafayette and Holy Cross broadcast games regionally, with an occasional game making its way to a cable outlet that can be picked up locally or from DirecTV.

"What does the future hold for Georgetown's football team?"
The future is very promising on a number of fronts.

As discussed earlier, the new facility will bring Georgetown the most modern home field in the league and end any negative recruiting over its present circumstances. Scheduling is improving as well, with selected games against Ivy League opponents. And, as awareness of the program grows, recruiting is expected to rise rapidly, allowing Georgetown a more competitive position against its peer institutions.

Finally, with these ingredients and the support of the overall Georgetown community, success will undoubtedly follow. With that success follows a further renewal of a tradition whose Georgetown roots extend over 130 years.

"Is this the University's football site?"
No. The site is independent from the official site at GUHoyas.com.

"What's the difference between your site and GUHoyas.com?"
GUHoyas.com (the official Georgetown site) provides updates and news on all teams from Sports Information, and they do a fairly good job of keeping people informed. HoyaSaxa.com provides regular updates on only two sports, football and men's basketball.

"When did this page get started?"
In late 1996, I was working on a web page for the Georgetown alumni club of Dallas-Ft. Worth, when Georgetown called and said they were bringing their web pages in-house, so there was no need for my effort. But having paid for a personal web page and not wanting it to go to waste, I decided to convert the club's site into a series of links for Georgetown sports. The first page was for football (an early version of that page can be seen here) and by late 1996, a basketball page.

The site's original address was admittedly hard to find and existed on a a word of mouth basis. In late 1997, we made the move to HoyaSaxa.com (a domain owned by an alumnus in the New England area) and the results have been great.

"Does Georgetown provide you with all the information on the site?"
No. While we may link to an article or cite a statistic from their site, the information here is largely separate from their activities, which is fine for both of us.