(03-24-2013 09:08 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote: (03-23-2013 06:47 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote: Oh we're definitly expanding, I just pray we don't do something foolish like add NMSU and/or Idaho. Stretching our footprint to encompas that much realestate is just dumb, especially when there are so many quality FCS program we can choose from here in our current footprint.
NMSU would be a good add. Their best football was played in the Belt, and with coaching and AD replacements they could improve. I'd much rather add NMSU with the possibility of their football getting better than adding these FCS teams "in our footprint" and further diluting our basketball product. It's weak enough already. I get it, football drives the bus and a lot of people don't care about basketball, but I like basketball. It's how small conferences like ours can make a lot of money. NMSU is a great basketball add, consistently in the top 15% of the RPI. The FCS would be move-ups are consistently in the bottom 15% of the RPI. I understand they are in New Mexico, but they aren't a terrible option.
Love me some option !
Really being a conference outsider I have been hesitant to be critical of any in conference program for any reason, because being polite is my first priority, and yet keeping it real is another. However, this post sort of requires a splitting of hairs. Here we have a comment about these lowly FCS programs from a fan of a program that just started football three years ago. Isn't that like the ninety pound weakling criticizing the eighty seven pound weakling ?
I mean what truly separated Georgia State and South Alabama when they both started football ? Two things, one year and classification. USA began in 2009 and GaSt in 2010. One was in an FBS conference, while the other was in an FCS conference. They both were as of recently non football, and could have both been in the A-Sun or A-10. No real difference.
Now to USA's credit they have had a much better start than our in state downtown Atlanta brethren. I applaud your successful start. But come on, you've only been at this for three years and we all know how the first two years go, and then in 2012 reality. But hey USA beat FAU kudos on that !
Now Texas State has been at this college football thing for years, and years and has risen out of the football classification primordial soup. The Bobcats of Texas State became 1AA in 1984, the same year as Georgia Southern (a then restarted program from 1941), and reclassified in 2011-12. But they have had years of football development. The Sun Belt is comprised largely of former 1AA/FCS programs. Not entirely, but do we really need to revisit them all. Your senior in state conference partner was D2 until 1992, and became FBS in 2002.
So, I'm sure I wouldn't look down my nose at programs who are well established just because they are of a lesser current classification. NDSU was D2 from 1973 to 2007 . In '08 they reclassified and won an FCS NC in 2011 and to prove it wasn't a fluke they repeated last year.
Programs move at different paces. Some enjoy the benefit of having a municipal stadium to claim as home field so the $30 million investment in a venue is not an obstacle. USA and GStU being case in point. Other programs where an NFL franchise did not exist or a local government had not invested in a venue years ago meant that an campus stadiums was a necessity in order to compete, and those venues tend to grow as the demand for additional seats becomes necessary (see Kidd Brewer Stadium).
We have a D2 program in Georgia that has invested $29 million for 9,000 seats and an end zone facility, a fine small college venue. Where would USA be presently if it were set back to the tune of $30 million or more, much more in fact. One needs only to look at UAB and their venue dilemma. Alabama State got theirs, UAB did not.
Two other analogs in the shake-n-bake of college football, Old Dominion and Charlotte. ODU had a stadium, another college football program that was a WW2 casualty. UNCC a new comer. ODU renovated and spent good money bringing their facility up to current standards. UNCC built new from the ground up. Both programs doing what IMO was right for them. I'm sure that is also true for USA and Georgia State for their situation. But don't ya just feel a little fortunate to be in that position.
Insofar as MoSt is concerned, that would be more easy to balance the conference.
I know people will balk about FCS, but everyone starts somewhere, and do you want to be viable or not. It's about survival and thriving in a new environment.
