Does culture matter anymore?

[agentpaul001]

We should/should've concentrated on what makes App different as opposed to getting into the trenches on the NIL / wannabe SEC coach train. Anyone wowed by DL's history prior to here? Let's be real about those teams and their records in aggregate...

App won't ever compete on a dollar to dollar basis so I think it was asinine to pursue a similar route from a coaching and NIL perspective. Instead take a fraction of that NIL money, invest it into App's great communications department & student/alumni run social teams. App has a social media presence far outweighing the size of our university and while I'm not on tiktok the players are (and future fans). Reach them where they are. If you can't pay the players in actual cash, pay them in media (to an extent). The university already produces great content for the team. Do more of it on a personalized basis for the players and prospective recruits. Build their social networks & have them tied to the university to the greatest extent possible. Support the alumni running some of the fan socials (hosting, access, limited support, and so on).

As far as DL, I genuinely hope it gets better, but if not I hope whoevever we get has a history of actually winning football games... (regardless of level)

Genuine question, but have you been paying attention for the past year? How would you expect Loggains to build that type of program in 1 short offseason after being hired in early December?

This is the double edged sword of the fanbase. The fanbase wants to win and SAYS they want to build a different type of program than the portal/NIL but they don’t have the patience for that to occur.

I am not sure you can build a strong program in current environment without NIL being a strong part of the program. Before the beginning of last basketball season, UNC thought they could lure players to Chapel Hill due primarily to the name and history. They lost out to other schools two or three big men to fill a desperate need. Yes, some will choose a school for an opportunity to win. However, schools will have to pony up dollars to a certain extent. For App. St., that is not competing with SEC or other Power schools. That is competing with Group peer schools and doing well recruiting players out of high school. The coaching staff needs time.
Social media branding is not going to get us there in terms of finishing/closing the deal. It may get out foot in the door potentially. Most football players in our primary recruiting territory know who App. St. is.

Thanks to the GOAT coach and previous coaches and players that made it happen. We have to return to getting great recruits and supplementing it with transfers. NIL plays a part in that. Assuming DLo is here for 4 or 5 years and we progress, I would think we have another heavy portal year and then year 3 may be where the high school recruits show their presence if the coaching staff turn out to be great recruiters. Just my opinion.

Well said. Yah the NIL as part of a cohesive strategy makes total sense.

[ASUFan4863]

NIL has and will always be focused on retention vs acquisition at App. The largest difference (and goal moving forward) will be in retaining a higher level of player through a higher level of recruiting. Loggains has mentioned privately and publicly that is the goal with Boise as standard in that regard.

[Saint3333]

The days of competing with the top 40 teams in a given year is much less likely in the current setup.

BUT

We should be competitive with our SBC peers three out of four years (>.500 in conference) and competitive with the top G6 programs (9+ wins) one of four years at a minimum.

There will be cycles and they will be shorter than in the past. There is no excuse to not competing for a SBC title (top two in the east) every 2-3 years given the competition and their similar resources.

[appchicago]

Could we drop back down to fcs? It’s better than going 4-8 or 5-7 which seems to be the path we are heading.

And go where? We belong where we are. We lead the SBC in attendance and the SBC East is a very reasonable conference in terms of geography and competition. We are competing with our peers.

Only one SoCon school averaged more than 10K/game last season. How many people on this board could tell us which school that was? Heck, how many people here could even tell you what schools are in the SoCon anymore without looking it up?

The concerns we have right now are not unique to App State. The new reality of college football makes it very difficult to be middle class, which is what we are. But we are well positioned relative to a number of G5/6 teams. We're having a bad run, and no one on this board is used to that. Nor should we be. We're fans, not coaches or administrators. This is no place to be rational.

[appstate24]

Could we drop back down to fcs? It’s better than going 4-8 or 5-7 which seems to be the path we are heading.

Just Stop…

Good lord…

[ASUFan4863]

Could we drop back down to fcs? It’s better than going 4-8 or 5-7 which seems to be the path we are heading.

I hope the loud minority that bashed me for saying we weren’t as good as Boise bashes you for saying we aren’t good enough to be FBS

[ASUTodd]

Could we drop back down to fcs? It’s better than going 4-8 or 5-7 which seems to be the path we are heading.

I hope the loud minority that bashed me for saying we weren’t as good as Boise bashes you for saying we aren’t good enough to be FBS

What gripes me about it is they aren't willing to suck it up and battle through this adversity and come out on top.... they just want to run away to FCS and be a big fish in a little pond. We made the move and now we make it work.... That's the App State way.

[BambooRdApp]

Could we drop back down to fcs? It’s better than going 4-8 or 5-7 which seems to be the path we are heading.

Good grief...on that take, one of the two has to be true... are you a Western Carolina grad or a Furmam grad?

[Bootsy]

Agreed. Can we stop with the FCS talk and the hand-wringing that goes along with it?

[ASUFan4863]

Could we drop back down to fcs? It’s better than going 4-8 or 5-7 which seems to be the path we are heading.

I hope the loud minority that bashed me for saying we weren’t as good as Boise bashes you for saying we aren’t good enough to be FBS

What gripes me about it is they aren't willing to suck it up and battle through this adversity and come out on top.... they just want to run away to FCS and be a big fish in a little pond. We made the move and now we make it work.... That's the App State way.

That is a great way to put it. It’s funny, those that want that probably also gripe about the portal and people running from challenges.

[Pikapp79]

Culture is produce and leave.

[bcoach]

I was fine with being in FCS back then. The problem is our FCS no longer exists. The teams we wanted to play are now at our level. With that said if I were a coach at our level I would be looking there instead of P4 for future talent. In other words I would at least have to look at the guys who have been playing instead of the guys riding the bench. Everybody loves Joey correct? We didn't find him in the SEC.

[BambooRdApp]

Not sure I agree. . We found both 7s, two years ago at LB and this year RB at Power school.. just buried on the depth chart.
It does not matter where they come from... The coach just needs to be able to properly evaluate talent.

[ASUFan4863]

I was fine with being in FCS back then. The problem is our FCS no longer exists. The teams we wanted to play are now at our level. With that said if I were a coach at our level I would be looking there instead of P4 for future talent. In other words I would at least have to look at the guys who have been playing instead of the guys riding the bench. Everybody loves Joey correct? We didn't find him in the SEC.

Well Joey came from JUCO so no relevance to the FCS comment. Barnes, Manuel, Willis, and Flowers are all some of our best players this season who came from FCS/D2 so to act like we don’t do that is disingenuous. The issue with your comment about going after FCS starters is that starting experience comes with a price and considering you don’t believe in NIL, it will be impossible to fully implement your groundbreaking theory.

[bcoach]

I was fine with being in FCS back then. The problem is our FCS no longer exists. The teams we wanted to play are now at our level. With that said if I were a coach at our level I would be looking there instead of P4 for future talent. In other words I would at least have to look at the guys who have been playing instead of the guys riding the bench. Everybody loves Joey correct? We didn't find him in the SEC.

Well Joey came from JUCO so no relevance to the FCS comment. Barnes, Manuel, Willis, and Flowers are all some of our best players this season who came from FCS/D2 so to act like we don’t do that is disingenuous. The issue with your comment about going after FCS starters is that starting experience comes with a price and considering you don’t believe in NIL, it will be impossible to fully implement your groundbreaking theory.

Not unexpected.

[ASUFan4863]

I was fine with being in FCS back then. The problem is our FCS no longer exists. The teams we wanted to play are now at our level. With that said if I were a coach at our level I would be looking there instead of P4 for future talent. In other words I would at least have to look at the guys who have been playing instead of the guys riding the bench. Everybody loves Joey correct? We didn't find him in the SEC.

Well Joey came from JUCO so no relevance to the FCS comment. Barnes, Manuel, Willis, and Flowers are all some of our best players this season who came from FCS/D2 so to act like we don’t do that is disingenuous. The issue with your comment about going after FCS starters is that starting experience comes with a price and considering you don’t believe in NIL, it will be impossible to fully implement your groundbreaking theory.

Not unexpected.

It’s just the facts of the portal. More playing time and success = more money. An FBS starter is more valuable than an FCS starter who is more valuable than a D2 starter who is more valuable than a JUCO starter. Right now, we can only afford a small handful of those players.

[boonetodd]

Could we drop back down to fcs? It’s better than going 4-8 or 5-7 which seems to be the path we are heading.

Good grief...on that take, one of the two has to be true... are you a Western Carolina grad or a Furmam grad?

Wrong on both accounts. I am a realist and we are awful right now and trying to figure out what will change that.

[ASUFan4863]

Could we drop back down to fcs? It’s better than going 4-8 or 5-7 which seems to be the path we are heading.

Good grief...on that take, one of the two has to be true... are you a Western Carolina grad or a Furmam grad?

Wrong on both accounts. I am a realist and we are awful right now and trying to figure out what will change that.

Recruiting and player development.

[Saint3333]

I'd like to see their position on moving up when we did, my assumption is they weren't pro-FBS in 2010-2012.

[WVAPPeer]

I'll speak as a non-App grad but a fan since our daughter was accepted in 1998. We never missed a game until OldMan Time kicked us in the ass. This was the first pre-season since 1998 that I had no excitement about the upcoming football season. Personally I do not blame NIL or the portal because I still love college football - the Oregon-Penn St. - Bama-UGA - Miami-ND - UVA-Fla St and others were very exciting to watch. The atmosphere of going to Boone for a game, the drive up, the tailgate, the pregame, the game, the bands playing after the game, the ride back down listening to David and Steve Brown are all memories both myself and my wife will cherish. I even had 4 of my grade school buddies from as far away as Texas meet me in Boone for a couple of years - even crashed AppGrad78's tailgate - All told me how cool is was and went back to WVA, GA, TX and VA and told their friends about APP. I know I have read recently on here about gameday traditions, music played and other little things that made APP special. Since I have not personally attended any game for a few years I can't comment on that as it now exists or not. I do believe the firing of Coach Clark really caused me problems - a man who did give everything to APP St starting at age 18 or so hit hard. I did not know Coach at all, never even said hello to him but he was APP STATE - fired with a record of 40-24 not good enough for some.
My question is how do you guys/ladies who still are active and care - how do you bring things back - other than DJ we have no coaches who have any feelings toward APP ST. We had a connection from Coach Moore to Coach Satterfield (Drink) to Coach Clark that to me created and continued the APP Family feeling. Is that now gone forever?
I was hesitant to move from FCS and FireMoose spent many an hour discussing it with me and convinced me it was the right move - He was right as many of you were also. We are where we should be in the big picture but the odds of making a playoff even if it went to 24 are next to zero.
Some of you guys who really care please find something to soothe my concerns as I have found this season to truly be one of "going thru the motions" to one of overall sadness.