Time to Welcome Coastal

[hapapp]

This is a panicked and desparate move. The City of Richmond and their basketball AND football history is far greater than Myrtle Beach, SC. Virginia is the 10th largest state and Richmond is the Capital. It has an awesome downtown. My point was just to throw out alternatives. I'm not talking about frigggin Kentucky. Can you get past that, please?
But why the heII argue with folks who are excited about schools that have strong golf programs and getting the opportunity to go to Myrtle Beach? It's pointless.
What a joke and a total embarrassment for the Sun Belt.

UofR has no interest in moving up to the FBS and certainly has no interest in moving its basketball from the A10. We were once in the same conference with them and they couldn't get out fast enough. Moreover they are a private school that would be joining a conference of public institutions. Would never happen.

[fjblair]

I despise this move. It's like the SoCon all over again.

[Gonzo]

Myrtle Damn Beach.

Hells yes.

[Saint3333]

Is CCU my first choice, heck no, but our fans are going to be surprised how often they beat us in non-football sports and likely a time or two in football down the line.

They were the best available team, especially from Apps perspective. They were going to add one member unless you would have rather had NMSU all sports we really can't complain.

[moehler]

the big question for me is, why were we in such a hurry to add them? I guess its okay if we add all sports except football immediately, and football 2 or 3 years down the road, but if football is brought in now, that would idiotic. They just aren't ready to play and support FBS football.

[AppfaninCAALand]

The City of Richmond and their basketball AND football history is far greater than Myrtle Beach, SC. Virginia is the 10th largest state and Richmond is the Capital. It has an awesome downtown.

These are all true statements, (though as a Richmond resident, I say downtown is more "interesting" then "awesome", to each their own I guess) but none of it has anything to do with the Sun Belt or potential expansion candidates, unless VCU plans on starting a football team. Which they don't. Another lovely Labor Day weekend is coming to Richmond and the city's biggest alumni base (including my wife) will once again be counting the days until hoops season. So sad.

[kiddbrewer]

the big question for me is, why were we in such a hurry to add them? I guess its okay if we add all sports except football immediately, and football 2 or 3 years down the road, but if football is brought in now, that would idiotic. They just aren't ready to play and support FBS football.

According to the timeline, CCU's football won't be in the Sun Belt as full members and bowl eligible until 2018, 3 years down the road. I know they play their Big South schedule this year, playoff eligible. 2016 will be their 1st transition year, Big South schedule or a hybrid FBS/FCS schedule (?). 2017 will be a Sun Belt schedule, but not bowl eligible.

By the time 2018 rolls around, their stadium expansion should be complete (that information may come out today) and maybe the excitement of a FBS schedule will boost their attendance.

I'm like you though, CCU is a small school (<10,000) and can they get their alumni and surrounding residents excited enough to watch FBS football there. Besides JMU (holding out for "better) and Liberty (holding out for anyone, but no one wants them), there really isn't anyone ready right now to play on the FBS level.

[CoastalFan2001]

Looking through the Big South website, CCU looks to field a decent track and field program. Their golf is good, and has potential to be great. Baseball has been a national power for some years. Recruiting to Myrtle Beach cannot be hard.

CCU has as much potential as their pocketbook will allow.

You're right, Beau. This move is more than football, and to focus solely on that is short-sided. Coastal is a damn good basketball, soccer, baseball, golf and track school. Football will come, but we're more than one sport.

With that said, I am looking forward to the matchups. I haven't been to Boone in years and am looking forward to seeing some of my ASU friends again.

Cheers!

[Niner National]

With JMU out of the equation, I think CCU was the next best pick.

I think they'll always struggle with support having an SEC team and one of the ACC's best football schools to compete with in state, which is something that isn't an issue in NC. The makeup of the Myrtle Beach area probably doesn't help either since there are a ton of transplants.

That said, they have a lot of good athletics programs and I think they'll be an asset to the SBC.

I look forward to seeing their stadium expansion plans today. Some tweets made it sound like it would be interesting.

[EastHallApp]

the big question for me is, why were we in such a hurry to add them? I guess its okay if we add all sports except football immediately, and football 2 or 3 years down the road, but if football is brought in now, that would idiotic. They just aren't ready to play and support FBS football.

You might be right about the support part. I'm not so sure about not being ready to play. Two teams that were .500 in the SoCon the previous year went a combined 13-1 vs. the rest of the Sun Belt in their first FBS seasons. Why shouldn't Coastal be able to compete?

[App91]

the big question for me is, why were we in such a hurry to add them? I guess its okay if we add all sports except football immediately, and football 2 or 3 years down the road, but if football is brought in now, that would idiotic. They just aren't ready to play and support FBS football.

This may surprise people. The people who do not like this are the ones Afraid of CC. They WILL be a very formidable opponent in all facets. Support will come, you will see alot of people transplanted to MRB adopt them and there is tons of money down there. I think they will rise fast, we had better get our house in order and quick!

[JTApps1]

This is a panicked and desparate move. The City of Richmond and their basketball AND football history is far greater than Myrtle Beach, SC. Virginia is the 10th largest state and Richmond is the Capital. It has an awesome downtown. My point was just to throw out alternatives. I'm not talking about frigggin Kentucky. Can you get past that, please?
But why the heII argue with folks who are excited about schools that have strong golf programs and getting the opportunity to go to Myrtle Beach? It's pointless.
What a joke and a total embarrassment for the Sun Belt.

Richmond has a good basketball program, a declining football program with a stadium that is land locked with no room to expand, it's a small private (the schools we wanted to get away from by moving to FBS), and they don't want to move up. Outside of hoops and academic profile Coastal blows them away. Give it up man.

[JTApps1]

One thing everyone seems to be forgetting is this add wasn't about finding the best football program available it was about the best athletic program available. I know it's hard for us as a football school to look at it that way, but Benson said exactly that during the search. Would JMU football be better? Absolutely, but they aren't interested. Also compare CCU's other sports to JMU and the chickens are better across the board.

Coastal isn't ready for football in terms of fan support right now, but they certainly aren't Georgia State either. When they start play in 2017 they won't be the worst team in the conference. Their support is already better than GSU, and not far off that of Idaho and NMSU.

My biggest issue with CCU is the size of their arena which is only a few years old.

[appchicago]

No, man. Richmond, California, man. Bay Area. An old shipbuilding center, man. Rosie the Riveter lived there. Eight cannabis dispensaries for your glaucoma.

The second largest metro in the largest state in the whole friggin nation. I don't think they have any colleges, but Contra Costa Community College is right next door in San Pedro. Let's think outside of the box, man. Throw out some alternatives.

[appst89]

I don't think this is a desperate move at all. We all know JMU was the first choice, but they thumbed their noses at the Sun Belt. CCU has tremendous upside. They already have a strong athletic program across the board, and they are in a very desirable location. I think people will be surprised at how quickly they develop support, i.e. attendance, for football when they start playing some recognizble teams. They will be only the third FBS program in SC, and they are three hours, at least, from either of the others. They have a real opportunity to do in SC what ECU has done in Eastern NC. People dismissing this are going to be surprised at how quickly CCU is competing for Sun Belt titles.

[EastHallApp]

Would JMU football be better? Absolutely, but they aren't interested. Also compare CCU's other sports to JMU and the chickens are better across the board.

Coastal Carolina football is better than JMU. They just play in a smaller stadium.

[moehler]

hold on 91, except for baseball have absolutely no fear of CC, especially when it comes to football for the next 4 or 5 years, my concerns are strictly based on whats best for the SBC. The facts are, this is an untested, unproven athletic program, that, again other than baseball has accomplished very little in terms of national, hell even regional levels.

[appchicago]

I'm not thrilled about the move either, to be honest, but I do think some folks here are selling CCU short.

They've had football since 2003, and by 2006, they were in the FCS playoffs (where they might have done pretty well had they not drawn a certain mid-Threepeat team in the first round). They won the Big South 7 times and have been to the playoffs 5 times, reaching the quarters twice. That's not a bad set of accomplishments for a team that's not even a teenager yet.

Joe Moglia is a legitimately interesting coach. As the chairman and former CEO at TD Ameritrade, he has a strategic mind and intriguing connections.

Their stadium is built to expand and the university as a whole has come a LONG way. I graduated from high school in SC 15 years ago and Coastal wasn't on anyone's radar. Now it's a viable option. Its enrollment has doubled (5k to 10k) since 2000 and it's well-positioned to continue growing.

The SBC could do a lot worse.

[Saint3333]

hold on 91, except for baseball have absolutely no fear of CC, especially when it comes to football for the next 4 or 5 years, my concerns are strictly based on whats best for the SBC. The facts are, this is an untested, unproven athletic program, that, again other than baseball has accomplished very little in terms of national, hell even regional levels.

Much like App has done for years, CCU has been proving people wrong since they stepped out to the shadows of the Gamecocks.

The only downside for could be their academics, but conference affiliation for academics is overblown as we aren't looking to partner with them for research. We do that with Wake and others in which we aren't affiliated with through athletics.

Of who we were choosing from their were the best for App.

[HeffnerIV]

I know CCU isn't the first choice, but what Benson is doing, at the least, is compiling a bunch of schools who value football success and whose fanbases demand wins. I think in the long run this will serve the conference well.