http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5789078

Would the Sunbelt be interested in adding another none football school to replace Denver?

(11-11-2010 11:23 AM)abuc90 Wrote:  Would the Sunbelt be interested in adding another none football school to replace Denver?

I'm seriously not trying to be ugly, but where's the money going to come from???

1) Not sure what the entrance fee is for the Sunbelt, so there's one expense.
2) Don't know if there's an exit fee from the ASux, I'd personally go and punch someone if they signed a contact agreeing to an exit fee from that stank bucket.
3) The basketball facility is going to be an issue.
4) TRAVEL is going to be another financial issue.
5) Fanbase is going to be even more removed from attending, have you seen the towns these schools are in??? So much for Dave's sales pitch about great destination towns.
6) MONEY, MONEY, mo MONEY for coaches and staff

Where do we get the money??? There's no way replacing Sunbelt teams for ASux teams generates THAT much more to create a revenue flow to support the increases.

Of course, student fees.

Western Kentucky or Mercer
Middle Tennessee State or Upstate
FAU or Stetson
Troy or Kennesaw
Louisiana Lafayette or Lipscomb

Seems pretty dang obvious who I would rather see play in the dome. But honestly, I doubt the Sun Belt even wants another non football school.

(11-11-2010 03:13 PM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  Western Kentucky or Mercer
Middle Tennessee State or Upstate
FAU or Stetson
Troy or Kennesaw
Louisiana Lafayette or Lipscomb

Seems pretty dang obvious who I would rather see play in the dome. But honestly, I doubt the Sun Belt even wants another non football school.

I agree on the choices of WHO we'd want to see play... but the reality of thinking that basketball would generate the extra $4million or so dollars that would be needed to move "Up" isn't there... people are assuming that these schools are in the SunBelt to make lots and lots of money off Men's basketball.. not the reason. It helps but it sure isn't creating a self-supporting Athletics Program.

It actually becomes more of a burden on the student athletic fees... and the dreaded level of institutional support that would be needed to create a program that can "move up."

ETSU doesn't have a staff in place that can do it. The same people (pretty much) couldn't manage to find anything other than the ASux, I don't expect them to be able to figure out how to do the SunBelt without massive infusions of cash from student and institutional support.

Personally, I think the students would revolt. The ONLY WAY it works, announce you are bring back football to play at the FCS independent level for the first four years while the other sports USE the Sunbelt just like other teams have used AShame and Sunbelt.

We may have actually found the non-football spot for UCF if they do end up with that Big East football offer.

Who knows, but I do know, it won't happen at ETSU with this President and the puppets in the AD. Sorry.

We should have taken the OVC offer while it was on the table. Not the best scenario in the world but a heck of a lot better than where we are now.

The OVC is a much better fit for ETSU than the ASun.

(11-11-2010 09:15 PM)abuc90 Wrote:  The OVC is a much better fit for ETSU than the ASun.

Not according to the all-knowing Dave Mullins committee.

(11-11-2010 09:17 PM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  

(11-11-2010 09:15 PM)abuc90 Wrote:  The OVC is a much better fit for ETSU than the ASun.

Not according to the all-knowing Dave Mullins committee.

You see the problem with the OVC is that they play football not futbol. Maybe Dave makes the decision to move if they had soccer. This would be considered backwards thinking at most places, but it's par for the course at ETSU.

As a fan, the OVC would have instantly given:
1. A conference schedule against schools I've actually heard of.
-think about the chance to play Murray 3 times a year: Decent replacement for UTC.
2. The novelty of actually being able to go to some road games.
3. Instant regional rivalries with peer institutions and historical opponents (EKU, TTU)
4. Increased chance of playing football again someday.
5. Comfort in knowing I'd never see Derek Waugh again.

The Sun Belt could provide all of the above as well. It should be considered though that the OVC actually wanted us! ETSU really doesn't bring much to the table right now, so when a conference that is clearly superior in many ways invites you in I tend to think you jump at the chance.