Any player who doesn't put making the NFL as his exclusive priority will find much to like about Robert Morris. Most comparisons between RMU and MAC or D-II schools look very favorable for the Colonials.
For starters, you'd be hard-pressed to ever find a better-located campus than RMU. Many MAC schools are in the heart of fading industrial cities where crime is higher than the high-rise dorms. Other MAC schools and most D-II schools are in tiny towns where there is literally nothing to do off campus. RMU's beautiful wooded 230-acre suburban campus is bigger than most MAC schools, but gives students room to breathe. It is less than 5 minutes from the Pittsburgh International Airport, 10 minutes from the region's largest shopping mecca at Robinson Town Center, and only 20 minutes from a world-class city with first-rate entertainment and sports.
For those who crave the experience of the big town, shuttles take students downtown and back without having to worry if "their ride" will ditch them or be more intoxicated than they are. Those who are interested in fraternities can take their pick of a number of leading national organizations, but Greek culture does not dominate RMU like it does many college campuses - and you don't have to be a heavy drinker and partier to fit in.
RMU is a place where someone can be a big man on campus before he is a senior. It is small enough to have new friends and acquaintances say "Hi" on the way to class, without being so small that everyone on campus knows everything you do. With roughly 20,000 students each, MAC schools are more like transient cities in which most everyone you pass will be a stranger. Many D-II schools have only 1,000 to 2,000 students - making them little larger than many athletes' high schools. RMU is an up-and-coming school that is growing smartly and strategically - with enrollment up 15% since 2008.
Anyone looking for a little space of their own will find RMU's dorms among the biggest in the nation - and after one year in conventional dorms and one year in a suite with an oversized living room, players can live 2-3 years in beautiful new on-campus apartments with private bedrooms. Very few other schools even have equivalent space within walking distance - and the few that do are generally 80-year-old houses off-campus.
Unlike a lot of commuter schools, RMU offers the full college experience - but also takes care of business. In fact, the School of Business is one of many nationally-recognized programs at RMU. Actuarial Sciences, Computer Information Systems, Engineering, Marketing, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Sport Management, and a number of other programs are highly respected and competitively ranked.
Unlike every MAC school, there are no 300-person lectures at RMU. Classes are much smaller, teachers get to know you, and can provide personal attention. Most RMU professors have significant "real world" experience, and they teach because they love to educate - not because their research contract demands it or they can't earn a living in the area any other way but farming.
If an athlete wants to be home for the summer or to finish up his degree off-campus, RMU's Online Program is rated in the Top-10 in the nation. Players who redshirt can take advantage of the 5-year MBA program or one of at least six 5-year integrated Undergrad/Masters programs in other fields to graduate with advanced degrees and earning power.
Most students have more to learn about life in college than academics, and RMU both encourages that and "makes it official" with the innovative Student Engagement Transcript. My son is only a sophomore, but has already been involved in numerous charitable, professional, and leadership training initiatives - and has the "official transcript" to prove it.
Ultimately, though, unless a student can get a good job when he graduates, the 4-5 years he invests in college is not a great investment. That's where RMU shines. Nationally, 60% of recent college graduates cannot find work in their field - but RMU's 93% placement rate is among the highest in the nation. That is not by accident - and not by schooling alone. RMU partners with many of the world's leading companies - including Bayer, PNC Bank, PPG, BNY-Mellon, U.S. Steel, Dicks Sporting Goods, and many others.
Employers want to hire people with experience, and 90% of RMU students complete at least one internship or co-op assignment prior to graduating - with most of them getting paid while earning college credit. RMU is also a great place for networking - especially for athletes. With close ties to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates, RMU offers many opportunities for student athletes to build relationships and get noticed.
RMU also has many ties to the NFL - from Coaches Banny, Walton, and Hurley to Kevin Colbert and the Rooney family. RMU athletes get noticed - with AJ Dalton and Antwan Eddie earning All-American honors last year, and Brad Banas joining 3-time Academic All American Nolan Nearhoof - who also was a National Football Foundation award winner. RMU athletes get good grades and graduate on time.
Pittsburgh is home to nine Fortune-500 companies - one of the highest concentrations of leading companies per capita in the nation. It also hosts 1,600 technology companies that range from robotics manufacturers to Google. Pittsburgh ranks 2nd in the nation for intergenerational economic mobility - creating unmatched opportunity for graduates to be able to give more to their kids than their parents were able to give them.
The football team for the MAC school that is most like RMU just went 0-12 and got outscored by over 300 points. Four MAC schools signed fewer 3-Star recruits this year than RMU, two only signed as many, and RMU’s win/loss record is better than 77% of MAC schools. D-II programs might win some football games at a lower level, but the only time they ever compete against nationally-known teams in other sports is on the losing end of a preseason blowout. RMU is a perennial national power in hockey and always a contender to make the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. Even in disappointing years when the Colonials don't win the NEC's automatic bid, magic can happen - like beating the University of Kentucky 10 months ago in the NIT.
With a history that includes a league-leading six conference championships and recent trip to the playoffs, the Colonials' football program is also on the rise - led by 3-time Super Bowl Champion John Banaszak. After 20 years of top defenses, the Colonials are ready to open it up on offense with a system similar to Auburn's - taking advantage of mismatches to score more than it ever has. New Nike gear is icing on the cake for a team that is pouring more resources into the program than ever before.
So… having the chance to compete early instead of being guaranteed to ride the bench is one of many advantages RMU offers versus MAC schools - and graduating with a degree and a job that mean something are among the many advantages versus D-II schools. I've studied opportunities from D-III programs at elite engineering schools to the biggest Big-Name D-I universities, and few schools offer a more compelling overall college experience than RMU. Any athlete who is able to come here and take advantage of all that RMU has to offer will be a better person for doing so - and will be well positioned for a lifetime of success.
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