(09-20-2012 08:57 AM)mturn017 Wrote:  

(09-19-2012 12:42 PM)panama Wrote:  

(09-19-2012 12:32 PM)Crump1 Wrote:  Should have added App. St. and another and gone to divisions.

Great idea on paper until you start paying to send your Olympic sports there. I never want to go through that again. Travel cost us 2 to 4 MBB games in CAA play last season. I think we are the closest SBC school to App and we're 300 miles away. Troy is 480 miles away. ULM is 770 miles away.

You didn't really just blame BB losses on travel did you?

Dont go there VAA. LOL

Seriously though people in the stands noticed how lethargic our players were towards the end of the season especially after a long road trip. Like I said, we had zero bus trips. Our kids spent more time in hotels than the maids.

You could also fly into Bristol/Tri City airport in Tennessee. Just under 1.5 hour drive from there. What kind of airline service does Bowling Green Ky have??? What about Jonesboro Ar??? No body gets a direct flight to either of those places. So your arguement is not valid.

(09-20-2012 09:20 AM)panama Wrote:  

(09-20-2012 09:07 AM)Tennessee_Eagle Wrote:  

(09-20-2012 07:27 AM)panama Wrote:  You should see our CAA travel bill and that's flying from a hub. We have no bus trips in the CAA and 19 sports. It IS a consideration and a big one once travel starts going over $1M. All of those trips become 3 day trips all of a sudden. You're talking lost classroom time on top of the monetary costs. Our MBB team looked like they had played an NBA season 2/3 of the way through our season last year. It's also the reason why the $$$ HAVE tpo be there for the Big East. If the money doesn't develop that league will break up because the travel will be ridiculous and not worth it. Realignment is about a whole host of checklist items and travel distance is a huge one because it affects the bottom line.

I understand the situation you are in at the moment with the CAA. But I am referring to Georgia Southern and the SBC. I don't see travel being a deterrent. We currently travel to South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama while in the Southern Conference at the FCS level. Most of them nowhere near a major airport. I just don't see how travel will be greatly affected with a move to the SBC. Especially if we are split up in divisions. We would no longer travel to SC and would add and easy instate trip to Atlanta. Based on my assumptions for how the divisions would lay out, we would add Florida, Arkansas and Kentucky. I just don't see how that is a big deal.

Are you referring to just football? The issue is not fan travel but rather sports teams travel. Anything over 6 hours driving is likely a commercial flight for Olympic sports. Georgia Southern is only less than a 5 hour drive from one SBC member, GSU. You're under 7 hours from only 2 (add in Troy). USA is 8 hours. MT is 7 hours plus. Most of the conference's basketball, volleyball and golf would have to take 2 planes and a decent bus ride.

Right, but we currently go to Boone, Birmingham, Cullowee, Elon, Spartenburg and Chattanooga. All at least 4 hours away. Most of them more than 5 hours. I don't see how another 2 to 3 hours each way makes a big difference. At least not enough of a financial burden to us or anyone else if we joined the SBC. That's my point.

(09-20-2012 09:54 AM)Usajags Wrote:  You could also fly into Bristol/Tri City airport in Tennessee. Just under 1.5 hour drive from there. What kind of airline service does Bowling Green Ky have??? What about Jonesboro Ar??? No body gets a direct flight to either of those places. So your arguement is not valid.

Jonesboro would be Memphis; Bowling Green - Nashville. Both are an hour drive from those airports. Even the drive from Nashville to MTSU is about the same distance Statesboro is from Savannah.

I think we have to remember that this was all discussed by the Presidents and Benson 6 months ago. Remember, his original candidate list included over 20 schools including Appalachian State and Georgia Southern. They looked at a whole host of criteria and didnt feel compelled to add either.

(09-20-2012 10:09 AM)panama Wrote:  I think we have to remember that this was all discussed by the Presidents and Benson 6 months ago. Remember, his original candidate list included over 20 schools including Appalachian State and Georgia Southern. They looked at a whole host of criteria and didnt feel compelled to add either.

Yep, but I just don't believe travel was the issue. That's all.

IMO, the Presidents were not comfortable adding anyone else at that time. I think Benson wants it.

(09-20-2012 10:22 AM)Tennessee_Eagle Wrote:  

(09-20-2012 10:09 AM)panama Wrote:  I think we have to remember that this was all discussed by the Presidents and Benson 6 months ago. Remember, his original candidate list included over 20 schools including Appalachian State and Georgia Southern. They looked at a whole host of criteria and didnt feel compelled to add either.

Yep, but I just don't believe travel was the issue. That's all.

IMO, the Presidents were not comfortable adding anyone else at that time. I think Benson wants it.

It was. Heard that from multiple sources. Its $$$. Especially when you have schools sponsoring 18 or 19 sports and a conference from San Marcos, TX to Boca Raton, FL to Jonesboro, AR to Bowling Green KY.

(09-20-2012 10:01 AM)Tennessee_Eagle Wrote:  

(09-20-2012 09:54 AM)Usajags Wrote:  You could also fly into Bristol/Tri City airport in Tennessee. Just under 1.5 hour drive from there. What kind of airline service does Bowling Green Ky have??? What about Jonesboro Ar??? No body gets a direct flight to either of those places. So your arguement is not valid.

Jonesboro would be Memphis; Bowling Green - Nashville. Both are an hour drive from those airports. Even the drive from Nashville to MTSU is about the same distance Statesboro is from Savannah.

Murfreesboro to Nashville is 35 to 40 minutes. Savannah to Stateboro is 1 hour and 10 minutes according to google maps. Not really the same.

(09-20-2012 10:32 AM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(09-20-2012 10:01 AM)Tennessee_Eagle Wrote:  

(09-20-2012 09:54 AM)Usajags Wrote:  You could also fly into Bristol/Tri City airport in Tennessee. Just under 1.5 hour drive from there. What kind of airline service does Bowling Green Ky have??? What about Jonesboro Ar??? No body gets a direct flight to either of those places. So your arguement is not valid.

Jonesboro would be Memphis; Bowling Green - Nashville. Both are an hour drive from those airports. Even the drive from Nashville to MTSU is about the same distance Statesboro is from Savannah.

Murfreesboro to Nashville is 35 to 40 minutes. Savannah to Stateboro is 1 hour and 10 minutes according to google maps. Not really the same.

Well, I have made that trip many times and it has never taken me an hour and 10 minutes. Even if it does, 30 extra minutes is certainly not much all things considered.

It's a 16 mile difference between the airports to the schools basically.

(09-20-2012 10:32 AM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(09-20-2012 10:01 AM)Tennessee_Eagle Wrote:  

(09-20-2012 09:54 AM)Usajags Wrote:  You could also fly into Bristol/Tri City airport in Tennessee. Just under 1.5 hour drive from there. What kind of airline service does Bowling Green Ky have??? What about Jonesboro Ar??? No body gets a direct flight to either of those places. So your arguement is not valid.

Jonesboro would be Memphis; Bowling Green - Nashville. Both are an hour drive from those airports. Even the drive from Nashville to MTSU is about the same distance Statesboro is from Savannah.

Murfreesboro to Nashville is 35 to 40 minutes. Savannah to Stateboro is 1 hour and 10 minutes according to google maps. Not really the same.

Savannah Airport or Savannah? Downtown Savannah is 20 minutes to the airport.

From my house in midtown, it takes me about 50 minutes to get into the stadium parking lot.

Even less if you were coming from the airport because you're already right on the interstate.


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Sounds as if you could get from Savannah Airport to GaSo faster than you would probably get from Hartsfield to GaSt many times.

(09-20-2012 09:19 AM)Usajags Wrote:  You guys talk about App St being in a hole that no one can ever get in to or out of. You realize that they are in a conference now that brings teams in and out of Boone all the time right??? Boone is a great town and I promise your first visit there you will see why it is a great place to be. Boone is alot closer then south Florida to all of the rest of the conference.

Love me some Boone, esp. in the fall.

Blowing Rock a cool town, as well.

Accommodations ?--- I haven't a clue. We usually pull our camper there. I'm sure there are plenty of condo and chalet rentals there.

Maybe you guys should add the Citadel, Charleston is easy to get to.

(09-20-2012 10:39 AM)Tennessee_Eagle Wrote:  

(09-20-2012 10:32 AM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(09-20-2012 10:01 AM)Tennessee_Eagle Wrote:  

(09-20-2012 09:54 AM)Usajags Wrote:  You could also fly into Bristol/Tri City airport in Tennessee. Just under 1.5 hour drive from there. What kind of airline service does Bowling Green Ky have??? What about Jonesboro Ar??? No body gets a direct flight to either of those places. So your arguement is not valid.

Jonesboro would be Memphis; Bowling Green - Nashville. Both are an hour drive from those airports. Even the drive from Nashville to MTSU is about the same distance Statesboro is from Savannah.

Murfreesboro to Nashville is 35 to 40 minutes. Savannah to Stateboro is 1 hour and 10 minutes according to google maps. Not really the same.

Well, I have made that trip many times and it has never taken me an hour and 10 minutes. Even if it does, 30 extra minutes is certainly not much all things considered.

It's a 16 mile difference between the airports to the schools basically.

I think some of the teams fly into the Smyrna (TN) Airport, which is even closer to Murfreesboro. MT flies out of Smyrna on a charter.

Smyrna has one of the longest runways in the state (old military base).

CUSA uses excuses to add teams so lets not make excuses for passing over good programs.

(09-20-2012 11:22 AM)Crump1 Wrote:  CUSA uses excuses to add teams so lets not make excuses for passing over good programs.

I am sure there were a lot of reasons for not adding #11 and #12. From a fan perspective we're never going to agree or get a consensus about adding anyone or who to add.

(09-20-2012 11:18 AM)KAjunRaider Wrote:  Love me some Boone, esp. in the fall.

Blowing Rock a cool town, as well.

Accommodations ?--- I haven't a clue. We usually pull our camper there. I'm sure there are plenty of condo and chalet rentals there.

yeah, as much as I hate to admit it I like the place. Blowing Rock is cool place as well but I like just going dowtown near the campus.

Both times I have been up there, it was with family and we rented a house for the week in Banner Elk up on the side of a mountain. I guess about a 20 minute drive from the campus. It was pretty freaking cold in November when I was up there. Snowed one of the times. But the cold makes for great football weather IMO.

(09-20-2012 11:28 AM)panama Wrote:  

(09-20-2012 11:22 AM)Crump1 Wrote:  CUSA uses excuses to add teams so lets not make excuses for passing over good programs.

I am sure there were a lot of reasons for not adding #11 and #12. From a fan perspective we're never going to agree or get a consensus about adding anyone or who to add.

Hopefully (fingers crossed) the students vote for the stadium expansion next week for more student seats. At the same time they will also vote on the FBS fee that students will pay if the invite comes. The alumni seem to be doing their part with the 10 million needed for the Football Operations Building. Once these things happen, I think we are in a much better position for an invite than we were this time around.

Close to 30k a week say Boone isn't that difficult to get to.

(09-20-2012 03:43 PM)Saint3333 Wrote:  Close to 30k a week say Boone isn't that difficult to get to.

Fans were never the issue of the discussion Saint