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Elizabethton Star column on football vote
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etsuwes Offline
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Exclamation Elizabethton Star column on football vote
Quote: [quicksearch] Tu01/29/2013 Elizabethton Star Sports Page A7

East Tennessee State athletics reach new crossroads

East Tennessee State’s Student Government Association will have a meeting today that could help shape the direction of the school’s athletic program for years to come. On the agenda, a resolution supporting a fee increase to help bring football back to ETSU.

We’ve seen this before. In 2007, former president Dr. Paul Stanton and athletic director Dave Mullins rolled out the ticker tape and proclaimed football would make a return to campus — if the student’s approved a fee hike of $350 per year.

The students voted no. Stanton and Mullins had their “out.” The $350 fee? It was added anyways to help defer the costs occurred in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Five years later, ETSU could have a football team, be playing a conference with natural rivals and seeing an increase of alumni donations, participation and attendance at athletic events. Instead, men’s basketball — the focus of Stanton and Mullins’ vision — is declining, student attendance has dropped and become nothing more than a social event as very few cheer and pay attention to the games. Overall season ticket sales, walk-up tickets and overall attendance has looked like Wile E. Coyote after missing the Road Runner. A once proud Buccaneer hoops program has gone from being a perennial contender among its regional peers to losing regularly to programs who have made the jump from NCAA Division II to Division I within the last five to 10 years.

What a plan, right?

It’s not a revelation to any that the drop of football and ensuing exit from the Southern Conference, where ETSU had natural rivals in Appalachian State, Western North Carolina, Furman, Chattanooga, UNC-Greensboro, Charleston and Davidson, into a league with schools that an average fan and student had never heard of has played a big part in this.

ETSU jumped into one of the lowest-tiered Division I conferences in America, tried to build it up to be the next coming of Conference USA upon its entrance and, while winning league championships in sports much of the general public overlook, has regressed from a title contender in men’s and women’s basketball, arguably the two sports that matter most in the public eye, and suffered a sharp decline in media coverage and exposure across the board in this region.

Today’s vote matters because football can correct this. Football can help boost a university, which in its absence has made some wonderful improvements on the academia and athletic side as far as facilities is concerned, in the public eye in ways that soccer, track, volleyball and tennis can’t.

For one, football can revive ETSU pride in athletics.

You know, the old slogan and sign that used to be in every window and across many yards in the region. Pride that occurred on football homecoming weekends when thousands of alumni would come in and meet with their friends and families. Pride in the form of donations and alumni contributions that has been absent since football was sliced. The Buc Football and Friends Foundation has money lined up, donors ready to go as soon as ETSU’s leaders give them the word.

The absence of pride is also on campus.

When is the last time ETSU students have filled both student sections, stood on their feet, cheered and willed their team to victory? Not since there was also a football team on campus. Not since they were in a conference the vast majority of its alumni have been familiar with.

ETSU recently hosted a Top 25 VCU basketball team that was two years removed from a Final Four appearance and drew only 3,600. A program that drew 10,000 for Michigan State in 2001 and as many as 7,500-8,000 for big conference games in the final years of the SoCon has gone to averaging a generous 2,500 per game (counting season ticket sales).

It’s not only about the sport. Many first-generation students were given an opportunity at a college education through a football program, many young men and young women were given financial assistance to be a part of a proud marching band program that was revered and now, should football return, many additional young women — whose sports will be added to fulfill Title IX requirements — could receive an opportunity.

It’s no secret why ETSU’s Atlantic Sun peers Mercer and Kennesaw State are adding football. It’s no secret why schools like Davidson, Georgia State and Charlotte are adding football. Nor is it a secret why the remainder of the large universities in Tennessee still have football programs.

If done correctly, in an outdoor venue with the picturesque East Tennessee mountains and colorful campus as a backdrop, it will be embraced by the community and will create revenue for the area. Look at Boone, N.C. and Appalachian State after their championship run. Many new restaurants, hotels, shops and more students thanks to the publicity that came with its football program.

ETSU’s student representatives have an opportunity to take that next step today. Will they show pride and faith in the alumni and community to help them make this happen? Or will they continue to sit in the bleachers, play with their phones and care less about what’s in front of them.

— — —

Wes Holtsclaw is a sportswriter for the Elizabethton Star. He may be reached via e-mail at wholtsclaw@starhq.com

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01/29/2013
01-29-2013 02:57 PM
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ETSUfan1 Offline
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RE: Elizabethton Star column on football vote
Excellent!
01-29-2013 03:02 PM
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etsudolfan Offline
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RE: Elizabethton Star column on football vote
great piece!
01-29-2013 03:03 PM
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RodShaw2 Offline
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RE: Elizabethton Star column on football vote
I think this article should get more love but got pushed to bottom due to all the other threads.
01-30-2013 09:57 AM
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posterformerlyknownasthedoctor Offline
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RE: Elizabethton Star column on football vote
Yep. Great article, Wes....
01-30-2013 12:43 PM
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Buc Offline
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RE: Elizabethton Star column on football vote
Agree. Good job Wes
01-30-2013 12:48 PM
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missletoe9 Offline
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RE: Elizabethton Star column on football vote
Preach it Brother!!!!!!!!!
01-30-2013 05:33 PM
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Bucfan4life Offline
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RE: Elizabethton Star column on football vote
Awesome article Wes!!
01-30-2013 08:29 PM
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ReturnOfMommaBear Offline
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RE: Elizabethton Star column on football vote
(01-29-2013 02:57 PM)etsuwes Wrote:  
Quote: [quicksearch] Tu01/29/2013 Elizabethton Star Sports Page A7

East Tennessee State athletics reach new crossroads

East Tennessee State’s Student Government Association will have a meeting today that could help shape the direction of the school’s athletic program for years to come. On the agenda, a resolution supporting a fee increase to help bring football back to ETSU.

We’ve seen this before. In 2007, former president Dr. Paul Stanton and athletic director Dave Mullins rolled out the ticker tape and proclaimed football would make a return to campus — if the student’s approved a fee hike of $350 per year.

The students voted no. Stanton and Mullins had their “out.” The $350 fee? It was added anyways to help defer the costs occurred in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Five years later, ETSU could have a football team, be playing a conference with natural rivals and seeing an increase of alumni donations, participation and attendance at athletic events. Instead, men’s basketball — the focus of Stanton and Mullins’ vision — is declining, student attendance has dropped and become nothing more than a social event as very few cheer and pay attention to the games. Overall season ticket sales, walk-up tickets and overall attendance has looked like Wile E. Coyote after missing the Road Runner. A once proud Buccaneer hoops program has gone from being a perennial contender among its regional peers to losing regularly to programs who have made the jump from NCAA Division II to Division I within the last five to 10 years.

What a plan, right?

It’s not a revelation to any that the drop of football and ensuing exit from the Southern Conference, where ETSU had natural rivals in Appalachian State, Western North Carolina, Furman, Chattanooga, UNC-Greensboro, Charleston and Davidson, into a league with schools that an average fan and student had never heard of has played a big part in this.

ETSU jumped into one of the lowest-tiered Division I conferences in America, tried to build it up to be the next coming of Conference USA upon its entrance and, while winning league championships in sports much of the general public overlook, has regressed from a title contender in men’s and women’s basketball, arguably the two sports that matter most in the public eye, and suffered a sharp decline in media coverage and exposure across the board in this region.

Today’s vote matters because football can correct this. Football can help boost a university, which in its absence has made some wonderful improvements on the academia and athletic side as far as facilities is concerned, in the public eye in ways that soccer, track, volleyball and tennis can’t.

For one, football can revive ETSU pride in athletics.

You know, the old slogan and sign that used to be in every window and across many yards in the region. Pride that occurred on football homecoming weekends when thousands of alumni would come in and meet with their friends and families. Pride in the form of donations and alumni contributions that has been absent since football was sliced. The Buc Football and Friends Foundation has money lined up, donors ready to go as soon as ETSU’s leaders give them the word.

The absence of pride is also on campus.

When is the last time ETSU students have filled both student sections, stood on their feet, cheered and willed their team to victory? Not since there was also a football team on campus. Not since they were in a conference the vast majority of its alumni have been familiar with.

ETSU recently hosted a Top 25 VCU basketball team that was two years removed from a Final Four appearance and drew only 3,600. A program that drew 10,000 for Michigan State in 2001 and as many as 7,500-8,000 for big conference games in the final years of the SoCon has gone to averaging a generous 2,500 per game (counting season ticket sales).

It’s not only about the sport. Many first-generation students were given an opportunity at a college education through a football program, many young men and young women were given financial assistance to be a part of a proud marching band program that was revered and now, should football return, many additional young women — whose sports will be added to fulfill Title IX requirements — could receive an opportunity.

It’s no secret why ETSU’s Atlantic Sun peers Mercer and Kennesaw State are adding football. It’s no secret why schools like Davidson, Georgia State and Charlotte are adding football. Nor is it a secret why the remainder of the large universities in Tennessee still have football programs.

If done correctly, in an outdoor venue with the picturesque East Tennessee mountains and colorful campus as a backdrop, it will be embraced by the community and will create revenue for the area. Look at Boone, N.C. and Appalachian State after their championship run. Many new restaurants, hotels, shops and more students thanks to the publicity that came with its football program.

ETSU’s student representatives have an opportunity to take that next step today. Will they show pride and faith in the alumni and community to help them make this happen? Or will they continue to sit in the bleachers, play with their phones and care less about what’s in front of them.

— — —

Wes Holtsclaw is a sportswriter for the Elizabethton Star. He may be reached via e-mail at wholtsclaw@starhq.com

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01/29/2013

Love it!! Keep 'em coming!!
01-30-2013 10:53 PM
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