By Denny O'Brien
©2012 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.

View the Mobile Alpha version of this page.

The past 12 months have been uncertain times for East Carolina supporters. The Pirates’ future conference home and long-term standing within the monetary structure of collegiate athletics have been the underpinning concerns.

Within the ECU constituency, there has been a philosophical divide on the program’s ultimate fate: those who believe the lack of BCS AQ access will lead to financial ruin, and those steadfastly convinced the Pirates will find a way to thrive regardless of the scenario.

Count me among the latter. History and the details behind the new postseason structure of college football are largely the reason why.

The recent announcement of a six-bowl rotation for college football’s semifinals was a giant step forward for the current conferences that lack AQ access. Those leagues, combined with the Big East, will send the highest rated champion from among them to one of the big money bowls.

That’s better access than East Carolina has had before. With smart non-conference scheduling — i.e., the inclusion of more winnable games — the Pirates can position themselves among the annual favorites to capture that slot.

Success, or lack of it, will be entirely up to ECU. And that extends far beyond the athletics director, football or basketball offices in Ward.

It drives deep into the cheapest seats in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Historically, East Carolina’s greatest asset has been its fans, particularly those who are current members of the old guard purple and gold. Their decades-long persistence forms the reason the Pirates currently call a 50,000-seat stadium home.

Their contributions and allegiance laid the foundation for East Carolina to escalate its status from Southern Conference member to Division I-A Independent to full membership in Conference USA. They stayed in the fray while fighting uphill battles that aren’t significantly different than the ones ECU faces today.

They just have different names. The more important footnote — the one on which ECU’s younger supporters should be focused — is not the battle, rather the manner in which it is fought.

Former Chancellor Leo Jenkins, whose athletics vision had football at the epicenter, did so with passion, pride, and unwavering resolve.

The weathered segment of the ECU fan base followed that battle cry, never questioning 'why' the Pirates should even bother with large scale ambitions, instead responding, “Why not?” Status within the state and regional pecking order was shrugged off as a minor obstacle that wouldn’t knock ECU off its path.

Jenkins was the catalyst behind an unbridled passion for East Carolina and a deep-seeded belief in its mission. The most pressing question today is whether or not fans will embrace that same battle cry and charge ahead.

Pirates head coach Ruffin McNeill thoroughly embraces each victory, regardless of opponent, and regularly notes that wins are “hard to come by.” That sentiment is not only profound within the context of an ECU football game, but also within the timeline of Pirates athletics as a whole.

Success at East Carolina has never been easy. Probably never will. And with the possibility that Maryland and Rutgers are packing for the Big Ten, we could be on the doorstep of another conference Armageddon.

Should both bolt, that will surely spark the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East and potentially other leagues to make responsive moves to fortify their respective memberships. For ECU, that translates into another period of uncertainty and a stressful waiting game for fans desiring a better conference home.

If the conference situation does not shake out favorably for East Carolina, some fans will wonder if it is time to abandon ship or press forward. The more appropriate question is one that has largely shaped East Carolina’s athletics legacy:

What would Leo do?