Some thoughts about moving up ---

[WVAPPeer]

the posters on here are "hard-core" fans and I think it is fair to say that the majority on here favor a move up - any move up - I am not sure that is the feeling of the majority of fans - just right off hand I know 10 close friends or family - all big football fans, attend games and are APP grads - I don't believe there is 1 of the 10 who is adamant about moving up - all just enjoy APP football and the opponent is not of major importance - a few are really concerned about the possibility of moving into a conference which is basically far-removed from our locale --- my point being is even though the group I speak of is very small and not a true fair sample but it makes me think there are many others who also give big money who have the ear of Mr Peacock and they aren't in favor of moving up to a SB or MAC or even a disjointed CUSA --- Any thoughts? ---
we (the board fans) discuss daily pros and cons, who and where, this and that but, many, many fans don't - they know APP football won't disappear just because we don't move up and some of them enjoy the traditional rivalries --- Also just from my personal viewpoint (and I am more inclined to favor a move than I was before) I don't see the doom and gloom of FCS football - Look at the traditional powerhouses and the top conferences - CAA is loosing ODU but they weren't even playing football 5 years ago - JMU is positioned but I have heard nothing regarding Delaware or any others from there - Big Sky doesn't seem anyone is going anywhere - MVC - I have heard of no plans to move for any of them and of course the SoCon with us and GSU positioned - I've heard Liberty bantered about but that's about it --- How do we know that the conferences who really end up with the short end of the stick won't be the low tier FBS once the big boys totally take over the football playoffs - with FBS football playoffs are the low tier bowl games going to survive? - I have no answers just like most on here - there are a lot of questions ---
"MONTANI SEMPER LIBERI"THE DUDE ABIDES !!!!!

[WataugaMan]

just right off hand I know 10 close friends or family - all big football fans, attend games and are APP grads - I don't believe there is 1 of the 10 who is adamant about moving up

And, in my case - of family and friends (all local to Watauga County), plus App grads feel the opposite. We are ready for the move.

[WVAPPeer]

just right off hand I know 10 close friends or family - all big football fans, attend games and are APP grads - I don't believe there is 1 of the 10 who is adamant about moving up

And, in my case - of family and friends (all local to Watauga County), plus App grads feel the opposite. We are ready for the move.

as stated, my sample was not meant to be all defining - my point still is - how do the 30,000 who attend feel? - I know no one knows but I would think there are influential donors, supporters who have questions

[Gonzo]

I think it's safe to say that you and your group are in the minority.

[WVAPPeer]

I think it's safe to say that you and your group are in the minority.

well first I didn't say it was my feelings - personally I'm leaning toward a move - however what do you base your statement on? - you feel that 50+% of those attending games (15,000) are adamant about moving up? ---

[Gonzo]

I think it's safe to say that you and your group are in the minority.

well first I didn't say it was my feelings - personally I'm leaning toward a move - however what do you base your statement on? - you feel that 50+% of those attending games (15,000) are adamant about moving up? ---

Of course I haven't done any formal research.

I think of all the people that care, way more than half are ready for the move. I'm sure there is a healthy contingent of the 30k that are fairly indifferent.

[WataugaMan]

I've not completed any research either, however, from what I'm hearing from various individuals I'd say it's safe to assume there currently is approximatley a 50-50 split on the issue.

[nomadb]

I think most fans are indifferent and it will not ultimately matter to them.....they'll show up no matter whether we host Elizabeth City State or Marshall.

I will say this though......winning puts butts in seats....that's a fact. So......we better start winning pretty soon after the jump if/when it happens or there will be some major buyer's remorse going around.

I'm on board for the move, but know many of my friends I graduated with who are not as plugged in to everyday App Football comings and goings want to stay FCS.

[Rekdiver]

I think it's safe to say that if it does not make financial sense the Chancellor will not recommend a move.
AND regional teams make sense, not NMST.

[9Steelman]

My thoughts are: I think there will soon be 4 mega FBS conferences with 16 to 24 teams each, each with 2 divisions, each with a football championship game, with 4 winners advancing to a super 4 team playoff to determine national champion. In reality a 8 team playoff. Not sure how the other teams and lower tier bowls will carry on with any importance! The non Mega conferences teams might set up a playoff system similar to FCS with a new name and use the lower tier bowls as playoff venues.

Bottom line all the smoke and dust will not settle for 2 to 5 years! If all current FCS teams stay put, current system is not all that bad, at least we would always have a chance to win a national championship. If we move up and become a non mega conference team, what have you got???

Even if we could be 7-4, or 8-3, finish second in XYZ conference and play in Idaho at the Dot Com Bowl on third Thursday in December??? I for one would not be excited about that.

For the first couple of years moving up I was kinda in favor of, but with the current landscape of FBC, conferences problems, teams moving around, and schools like Maryland who in the ACC still operating in red with athletics???

No matter what happens in the future I will always support the Apps because I am a App and that is what we are suppose do.

It is a tough crap shoot call on what to do if we get the chance!

[ggasu]

My thoughts are: I think there will soon be 4 mega FBS conferences with 16 to 24 teams each, each with 2 divisions, each with a football championship game, with 4 winners advancing to a super 4 team playoff to determine national champion. In reality a 8 team playoff. Not sure how the other teams and lower tier bowls will carry on with any importance! The non Mega conferences teams might set up a playoff system similar to FCS with a new name and use the lower tier bowls as playoff venues.

Bottom line all the smoke and dust will not settle for 2 to 5 years! If all current FCS teams stay put, current system is not all that bad, at least we would always have a chance to win a national championship. If we move up and become a non mega conference team, what have you got???

Even if we could be 7-4, or 8-3, finish second in XYZ conference and play in Idaho at the Dot Com Bowl on third Thursday in December??? I for one would not be excited about that.

For the first couple of years moving up I was kinda in favor of, but with the current landscape of FBC, conferences problems, teams moving around, and schools like Maryland who in the ACC still operating in red with athletics???

No matter what happens in the future I will always support the Apps because I am a App and that is what we are suppose do.

It is a tough crap shoot call on what to do if we get the chance!

Our only hope is for fbs to go to a 16 team playoff....which they will, but it will take 15 years to get to it. So for now we are going to the Sundump and play in the .com bowl that only gamblers care about. even if we go undefeated (Marshall 1999)

[JCline0429]

I think it's safe to say that if it does not make financial sense the Chancellor will not recommend a move.
AND regional teams make sense, not NMST.

From reading the report, I didn't see how the move made sense financially. It was a close call at max. It was based on a lot of assumptions which didn't take into consideration the drop in support if we go .500 or less for a few years. Travel is going to cost us a ton of money especially for the Olympic sports.
An aside, I don't see us travelling well to some of the destinations in either CUSA or the Sun Belt.
It no longer matters since they are gone from either of our conference choices, but we diidn't purchase all the tickets that ECU allotted us to buy this past Fall. They were perhaps the only one in CUSA that we would travel to well other than UNCC and I see them filling their little stadium with home fans first leaving us not enough seats to fill with our own fans..like Elon tried to do perhaps justifiably so. I don't see anyone in the SunBelt we would travel to in sufficent numbers to show our team needed support.

[JCline0429]

I've not completed any research either, however, from what I'm hearing from various individuals I'd say it's safe to assume there currently is approximatley a 50-50 split on the issue.

I think your approximation is pretty realistic.

[ggasu]

I think it's safe to say that if it does not make financial sense the Chancellor will not recommend a move.
AND regional teams make sense, not NMST.

we diidn't purchase all the tickets that ECU allotted us to buy this past Fall.

We sold the first ticket allotment, and asked for more. We then returned some of those tickets.

[JCline0429]

My thoughts are: I think there will soon be 4 mega FBS conferences with 16 to 24 teams each, each with 2 divisions, each with a football championship game, with 4 winners advancing to a super 4 team playoff to determine national champion. In reality a 8 team playoff. Not sure how the other teams and lower tier bowls will carry on with any importance! The non Mega conferences teams might set up a playoff system similar to FCS with a new name and use the lower tier bowls as playoff venues.

Bottom line all the smoke and dust will not settle for 2 to 5 years! If all current FCS teams stay put, current system is not all that bad, at least we would always have a chance to win a national championship. If we move up and become a non mega conference team, what have you got???

Even if we could be 7-4, or 8-3, finish second in XYZ conference and play in Idaho at the Dot Com Bowl on third Thursday in December??? I for one would not be excited about that.

For the first couple of years moving up I was kinda in favor of, but with the current landscape of FBC, conferences problems, teams moving around, and schools like Maryland who in the ACC still operating in red with athletics???

No matter what happens in the future I will always support the Apps because I am a App and that is what we are suppose do.

It is a tough crap shoot call on what to do if we get the chance!

Our only hope is for fbs to go to a 16 team playoff....which they will, but it will take 15 years to get to it. So for now we are going to the Sundump and play in the .com bowl that only gamblers care about. even if we go undefeated (Marshall 1999)

How would a sixteen team affect us?

[ggasu]

How would a sixteen team affect us?

With a good season we could get into a 16 team field. An undefeated season may get a Sun belt or C-USA team into a 8 team field but doubtful.

So I was saying that until fbs gets a 16 team playoff we will be playing the regular season for nada

[JCline0429]

I think it's safe to say that you and your group are in the minority.

well first I didn't say it was my feelings - personally I'm leaning toward a move - however what do you base your statement on? - you feel that 50+% of those attending games (15,000) are adamant about moving up? ---

Of course I haven't done any formal research.

I think of all the people that care, way more than half are ready for the move. I'm sure there is a healthy contingent of the 30k that are fairly indifferent.

Our recent financial success has been due in a major part to having 27-3000 paying fans in attendance consistently. Will we get anywhere near that when we play the hyphenated directional schools especially if it takes afew years to put up winning seasons?. Personally I don't claim to know, but I fear not.

Think about University of Lousiana-Monroe, Louisiana-Laffeyette, Florida-Atlantic, Arkansas-Little Rock, Florida-Atlantic, etc. They're not house hold words in the in vocabulary of many of our 30,000 fans in attendance at our home games.
I see the Sun Belt option a desperate one.

[Deano]

just right off hand I know 10 close friends or family - all big football fans, attend games and are APP grads - I don't believe there is 1 of the 10 who is adamant about moving up - all just enjoy APP football and the opponent is not of major importance

I know what you mean, I mentioned the possibility of us moving up and the benefits to my wife last night (who attends ASU games with me) and she just gave me the blank stare like, I was talking greek. I think there are plenty of people like my wife who are fans of APP but don't follow sports as close as we do and just love to come to the APP games regardless of who we are playing.

[JCline0429]

How would a sixteen team affect us?

With a good season we could get into a 16 team field. An undefeated season may get a Sun belt or C-USA team into a 8 team field but doubtful.

So I was saying that until fbs gets a 16 team playoff we will be playing the regular season for nada

I don't see it considering the name brand recognition of major perenial powers with tons of political clout and drawing appeal. I'm an optimistic person, but reallistically I don't see it. We would have a tough time making the top 20 in a stellar year. ECU has a tradition even though I believe they are less than .500 since joining the FBS and I would doubt they would make it more than once in a blue moon, if then, and they decades head start on us

[Deano]

For those who feel like going to the Sun Belt is an act of desperation, I say of course we are not as familiar with the SB teams as we are with some of the other conferences but obviously we are not in a position to tell the conferences where we think we should be, they have to invite us! We are all biased on here and we know how good our program is. Let's just get in to FBS and prove to the world how good a program we are at the FBS level. Rivalries will eventually develop with the new teams and yes hopefully GaSouthern comes with us but again I don't know if we can control that. If the SB continues to improve their product they put on the field many of the big conferences are going to notice that and either we will get a bigger TV contract or we will get invited to a bigger conference, but none of that will happen while we are where we are at now. I just don't understand the resistance to move up.