Okay, let me be more clear, for the App fans who make the trip up the mountain, to Boone, NC, on a regular basis, to watch a home football game, at Kid Brewer Stadium, on a Saturday afternoon, at 3:30 PM, or occasionally the Thursday night game at 7:30 PM, the move up pretty much guarantees sellouts, or at the very least large crowds.

(07-20-2015 12:46 PM)Potomac Wrote:  

(07-20-2015 12:10 PM)DolleyMadison Wrote:  

(07-20-2015 09:58 AM)moehler Wrote:  our administration noticed that our fans were becoming openly critical of OCC home games, they sent a clear message that if we keep scheduling the Garner Webbs of the world along with our normal SC conference schedule, they would spend their Sat afternoons elsewhere. As far as App joining the SBC not moving needle for our fans, and they still would rather watch an Acc school, ya, that probably true for a small number, but, can you imagine how many more would spend their afternoons elsewhere if we didn't join the SBC and start bring in better competition. The move up to the SBC and the improved home scheduling pretty much guarantees that the majority of App alum will be spending their Sat afternoons in Boone.

http://alumni.appstate.edu/

Quote:The Appalachian State University Alumni Association consists of 117,000 living Appalachian alumni.

You're going to have over 58,000 alumni at your games this year!?!?! Plus thousands students and non-alumni on top of that!?!?

Congrats guys! You'll be pulling in ACC attendance with those numbers

My thoughts exactly. His post had quite a few exaggerations in it. The number remaining loyal to BCS programs over a SBC school won't just be a "small number". A small number will be those that suddenly stop following UNC to follow App State when they weren't previously.
I'm sure he'll follow it up with "i meant they'll come to at least one game per season". No, 58k different individuals will not come to at least one app state game in person per season.

You guys are really splitting hairs about this? Instead of looking petty and dragging this guy over the coals why don't you appreciate the fact most App fans support us? I'd give my left nad to have taken the path they have, as would many on this board. If the day ever comes we're football peers again then you can give them sh!t.

I really do have respect for App State. I feel that they're very similar to us and are a NC equivalent on many levels.

However, I also believe that numbers never lie. Here's App's attendance the last four years. I fully understand that I'm throwing stones from a glass house.

2011 - 26,211
2012 - 26,358
2013 - 24,894
2014 - 23,166 (First FBS Year)

My point is that there's no attendance numbers to back up the effect that joining the SBC is supposedly having. They're breaking records with $$ but not with their butts in seats.

(07-20-2015 01:30 PM)Potomac Wrote:  I really do have respect for App State. I feel that they're very similar to us and are a NC equivalent on many levels.

However, I also believe that numbers never lie. Here's App's attendance the last four years. I fully understand that I'm throwing stones from a glass house.

2011 - 26,211
2012 - 26,358
2013 - 24,894
2014 - 23,166 (First FBS Year)

My point is that there's no attendance numbers to back up the effect that joining the SBC is supposedly having. They're breaking records with $$ but not with their butts in seats.

Sure, but I imagine their attendance will only increase. Last year they had teams like Campbell, Idaho and UL Monroe, all probably very foreign to their fans. This year should be a little better with Ga So and the better Sun Belt teams at home and their fans get to know their new conference mates.

But it's when their OCC home games change up they're really going to see the benefits (I know they have at least Marshall, ODU and a couple others at home over the next few years). They can also now be selective about their one FCS game and get us or some other rival that will draw. We'll go through the same thing as we transition, always having in-conference "dogs" but the handful of rivals we can build in the new conference with the stronger OCC and FCS games will draw so much more interest for us.

(07-20-2015 01:54 PM)2Buck Wrote:  

(07-20-2015 01:30 PM)Potomac Wrote:  I really do have respect for App State. I feel that they're very similar to us and are a NC equivalent on many levels.

However, I also believe that numbers never lie. Here's App's attendance the last four years. I fully understand that I'm throwing stones from a glass house.

2011 - 26,211
2012 - 26,358
2013 - 24,894
2014 - 23,166 (First FBS Year)

My point is that there's no attendance numbers to back up the effect that joining the SBC is supposedly having. They're breaking records with $$ but not with their butts in seats.

Sure, but I imagine their attendance will only increase. Last year they had teams like Campbell, Idaho and UL Monroe, all probably very foreign to their fans. This year should be a little better with Ga So and the better Sun Belt teams at home and their fans get to know their new conference mates.

But it's when their OCC home games change up they're really going to see the benefits (I know they have at least Marshall, ODU and a couple others at home over the next few years). They can also now be selective about their one FCS game and get us or some other rival that will draw. We'll go through the same thing as we transition, always having in-conference "dogs" but the handful of rivals we can build in the new conference with the stronger OCC and FCS games will draw so much more interest for us.

They were also transitional last year....no playoffs or bowls possible.

sorry guys, I didn't mean to piss off a couple of your members, I thought my original post was pretty non combative, just responding to another post. As far as attendance, not going to make excuses, in terms of attendance, last year was average, I don't think there was one specific reason, but there seem to be 5 or 6 smaller things that really hurt, still over 23 wasn't bad. Now, if attendance doesn't improve this year, being picked by a lot of publications to win the SBC, and go to our first bowl, and having Georgia Southern, Ark St. and ULL at home, then, ya, we have a serious problem. I predict the fans that stayed away last year will make a few more trips up the mountain, I'm hoping we are north of 26 by the end of the year.

I hope you all are too. I'm all in favor of going to the SBC tomorrow, but I'm also not going to be one of the more delusional posters on here that think that the needle with suddenly be moved big time by joining the sun belt. Most CFB fans across the country don't care about it.
I'm watching ESPN's CFB media days on espnu and they're only covering power conferences. The media creates the perception, but it is what it is.

I get what your saying, but, we aren't going to become a national brand over night, but atleast there is a chance in the FBS, albeit, small one, but there was no chance in the FCS. As far as media, your right, no one cares on ESPN, yet, but having said that, Its like night and day the coverage we are getting in sports publications. In the past, playing in the FCS, I would find one, maybe 2 small vague articles covering the upcoming season, this year, I have found 5 or 6 publications, that gives us much better coverage, and with much more detail. That is something our fans will take notice of, and perhaps help them with their decisions on how many ballgames to attend. One more thing, you talked about our attendance not really growing the first yr, fair enough, but that wasn't the goal. The goal wasn't to increase attendance the first yr, the goal was to PRESERVE attendance and keep it from dwindling below 20 thousand. If we had not made the move, I could almost guarantee in 2 yrs, our average attendance would be below 17 thousand, and all the hard work that had been put into the program the last 15 yrs would have been a waste.

(07-20-2015 03:26 PM)moehler Wrote:  I get what your saying, but, we aren't going to become a national brand over night, but atleast there is a chance in the FBS, albeit, small one, but there was no chance in the FCS. As far as media, your right, no one cares on ESPN, yet, but having said that, Its like night and day the coverage we are getting in sports publications. In the past, playing in the FCS, I would find one, maybe 2 small vague articles covering the upcoming season, this year, I have found 5 or 6 publications, that gives us much better coverage, and with much more detail. That is something our fans will take notice of, and perhaps help them with their decisions on how many ballgames to attend. One more thing, you talked about our attendance not really growing the first yr, fair enough, but that wasn't the goal. The goal wasn't to increase attendance the first yr, the goal was to PRESERVE attendance and keep it from dwindling below 20 thousand. If we had not made the move, I could almost guarantee in 2 yrs, our average attendance would be below 17 thousand, and all the hard work that had been put into the program the last 15 yrs would have been a waste.

exactly if you don't take advantage of the program momentum.....it is gonna stagnate out and begin to decline especially at FCS level. You have to look at NDSU/Montana/Montana St as outliers b/c they are the only game in town essentially in those parts of the country. Got the market cornered. Not exactly like you can drive <2 hours down the road for multiple FBS caliber games and NFL games.

App had one game is which it rained an inch and the game was delayed an hour for Tstorms, one game in Pctober in which 4 inches of snow fell, and one game thanksgiving weekend. Coming off a 4-8 season and starting 1-5 with no post season hopes a 1,500 decline in attendance isn't that bad.

Donations and merchandise sales are up and we are replacing A&T, Charleston Southern, and Gardner Webb with Wake, Marshall, ODU, and S. Miss OOC the next few years.

Many App fans are excited once again about the direction of the program.

To all the App State fans who like to visit our message board I think I can speak for most of us on here that we will cheer for your success in hopes it will open the eyes of our administration.

Go Dukes!

Go Mountaineers!

and good luck to you sir, we sincerely hope your administration sooner, rather than later, sees the light, and joins the SBC before its too late, it would be great to finally have you guys as a conference rival, have a great season.

(07-20-2015 10:15 PM)Rock House Duke Wrote:  To all the App State fans who like to visit our message board I think I can speak for most of us on here that we will cheer for your success in hopes it will open the eyes of our administration.

Go Dukes!

Go Mountaineers!

Yup. I'm actually going to the realGSU @ ASU Thursday nighter in October. Will be fun to see both teams on a national stage.

that game is going to be crazy, especially if both teams are still in the hunt for the conference title, might see north of 30 thousand.

(07-21-2015 10:24 AM)moehler Wrote:  that game is going to be crazy, especially if both teams are still in the hunt for the conference title, might see north of 30 thousand.

There'd also be a huge turnout if JMU ever got to play in Boone again.

no doubt, the interest in a JMU home game, would be off the charts, and it wouldn't surprise me to see JMU bring 8-10 thousand, that game might set a new attendance record.

(07-21-2015 09:47 AM)PurpleStreamers Wrote:  

(07-20-2015 10:15 PM)Rock House Duke Wrote:  To all the App State fans who like to visit our message board I think I can speak for most of us on here that we will cheer for your success in hopes it will open the eyes of our administration.

Go Dukes!

Go Mountaineers!

Yup. I'm actually going to the realGSU @ ASU Thursday nighter in October. Will be fun to see both teams on a national stage.

Should be a great game. It will be my first night game in Boone ever. I'll be there with three of my graduated long ago ASU buddies. Two of them were dead set against going FBS. Now they've caught the fever. We're already laying the groundwork for our first bowl game. It's good to be a Mountaineer!

Can't wait for JMU to make it's move somewhere. Even if not SB, it will be fun to play you again as an OOC.

Good luck!

great point, if not the SBC, hope they land in the MAC or CUSA soon.

(07-22-2015 07:41 AM)moehler Wrote:  great point, if not the SBC, hope they land in the MAC or CUSA soon.

I don't think JMU is going FBS....period.

Too many people have been there too long. Group think and risk adversity will kill any other FBS opportunity as well.