(03-07-2012 07:33 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote: (03-07-2012 07:27 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote: (03-07-2012 07:18 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote: Why GA State? Are they going to fill Denver or New Orleans spots in non-football sports? If we expand to Georgia we need Georgia Southern, not a start up football program with no tradition/prestige.
Georgia State makes much more big picture sense than Georgia Southern does. It's an easy decision.
The only plus with GA State, that I can see, is Atlanta. No offense to GA State, but the only teams people care about are UGA, Tech, and Southern. GA State has that "commuter campus" feel to it. Of course that's just my opinion and I'm from Georgia.
Yeah and I live in Marietta and can assure you that Georgia State is the better addition.
Furthermore, your assertion that "the only schools people care about are UGA, Tech and Southern" is flat out wrong. For starters it probably goes
1)UGA
2-5)some order of Tennessee, Florida, Auburn, Bama
6)Tech
7-???)Some order of most of the rest of the SEC/Clemson/FSU
Then Southern
Then State
Georgia Southern has a bigger fanbase today, but they also have a lower ceiling.
With a move to FBS, Georgia State should have little problems getting their average attendance up to what is expected in the Sun Belt and they put us in Atlanta, albeit at the bottom pecking order of Atlanta, but Georgia Southern is a non-factor in the city as well, so as long as we're picking a school that's a non-factor, why not make it the one that's actually located in Atlanta, not the one 200 miles southeast of Atlanta.
Is Georgia Southern more ready to be a Sun Belt member tomorrow? Sure, but that's literally the only advantage they have, Georgia State brings much more upside as a program.