http://footballscoop.com/news/source-ida...op-to-fcs/

(04-27-2016 11:56 AM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  http://footballscoop.com/news/source-ida...op-to-fcs/

Only if you play in an isolated mountain state in a 15k seat stadium...

I posted this on the realignment board, but I wish the NCAA would enforce the attendance and stadium capacity rules (but much moreso the attendance rule). Example:

In 2014, there were 8 schools who averaged less than 15,000:

Akron (MAC)
Ball St. (MAC)
FAU (CUSA)
FIU (CUSA)
Idaho (SunBelt - now Big Sky)
Kent State (MAC)
NMSU (SunBelt)
NIU (MAC)

Four of those schools got off of the chopping block in 2015: Akron, FAU, FIU (which I found hard to believe), and NMSU. But six more joined the ranks of the Less than 15000 Club:

EMU (MAC) - averaged a whopping 4000 and change
Ga State - (SunBelt)
UMass - (IND)
ULM - (SunBelt)
UNT - (CUSA)
Charlotte - (CUSA)

So if the NCAA were enforcing the attendance requirement for FBS, four schools would be relegated to FCS:

Ball St (MAC)
Idaho (already to the Big Sky)
Kent St (MAC)
NIU (MAC)

That leaves six on notice: EMU, Ga St., UMASS, ULM, UNT, and Charlotte. This is a potential avenue to shake up G5 realignment if the NCAA all of a sudden decided to enforce this.

1 is not a trend.

(04-27-2016 12:11 PM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  I posted this on the realignment board, but I wish the NCAA would enforce the attendance and stadium capacity rules (but much moreso the attendance rule). Example:

In 2014, there were 8 schools who averaged less than 15,000:

Akron (MAC)
Ball St. (MAC)
FAU (CUSA)
FIU (CUSA)
Idaho (SunBelt - now Big Sky)
Kent State (MAC)
NMSU (SunBelt)
NIU (MAC)

Four of those schools got off of the chopping block in 2015: Akron, FAU, FIU (which I found hard to believe), and NMSU. But six more joined the ranks of the Less than 15000 Club:

EMU (MAC) - averaged a whopping 4000 and change
Ga State - (SunBelt)
UMass - (IND)
ULM - (SunBelt)
UNT - (CUSA)
Charlotte - (CUSA)

So if the NCAA were enforcing the attendance requirement for FBS, four schools would be relegated to FCS:

Ball St (MAC)
Idaho (already to the Big Sky)
Kent St (MAC)
NIU (MAC)

That leaves six on notice: EMU, Ga St., UMASS, ULM, UNT, and Charlotte. This is a potential avenue to shake up G5 realignment if the NCAA all of a sudden decided to enforce this.

Has the UNC scandal taught you anything? The NCAA doesn't enforce rules.

I know someone posted the CUSA attendance averages before but I'm too lazy to look them up, but Charlotte plays in a 15,314 seat stadium. They would have to sell out every game to be over the 15k limit... unless they're so far below it

(04-27-2016 12:15 PM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  1 is not a trend.

Hence the word "started'? I didn't say, "The trend continues".

(04-27-2016 12:20 PM)MonGNARch Wrote:  I know someone posted the CUSA attendance averages before but I'm too lazy to look them up, but Charlotte plays in a 15,314 seat stadium. They would have to sell out every game to be over the 15k limit... unless they're so far below it

Ended up 14,618, final game against UTSA (11,331) hurt the total.

Others will follow in the next few years.

Still think now maybe EMU has an out and ULM should be next with only a $12 million budget that includes football.

(04-27-2016 12:20 PM)MonGNARch Wrote:  I know someone posted the CUSA attendance averages before but I'm too lazy to look them up, but Charlotte plays in a 15,314 seat stadium. They would have to sell out every game to be over the 15k limit... unless they're so far below it

We had 17,700 for the FAU game. We have tons of room for standing room only.

(04-27-2016 12:48 PM)Niner National Wrote:  

(04-27-2016 12:20 PM)MonGNARch Wrote:  I know someone posted the CUSA attendance averages before but I'm too lazy to look them up, but Charlotte plays in a 15,314 seat stadium. They would have to sell out every game to be over the 15k limit... unless they're so far below it

We had 17,700 for the FAU game. We have tons of room for standing room only.

You guys will continue to grow and will be fine. Anyway, the NCAA hasn't enforced this at all.

(04-27-2016 12:17 PM)wh49er Wrote:  Has the UNC scandal taught you anything? The NCAA doesn't enforce rules.

No, I'm just saying...The NCAA loves to give the little guy (G5) the rectal exam with both hands on the shoulders.... This could be a way to stick in in a bit further.

Well I guess if the NCAA really wanted to stick it to the little guys, they would really enforce the rules and jam it in without even a hug first. They've been pretty lax on this stuff and in a lot of ways it degrades FBS football. I mean we are talking about the highest level of play here? These schools who have no support, have never had support but moved up? I just don't get it. It should have been regulated a long time ago, black and white, not all this gray stuff that exists now. If they couldn't comply with the lowest standard to be FBS, they shouldn't have been given the green light by NCAA. The Georgia Southern's and App States belong, they had fbs level support like we did while being FCS. South Alabama was kinda like USF, start up that has progressed well and will do fine, they belong.

A few of the schools mentioned have the ability to comply, like UNT, first year CUSA, did well, averaged low 20s. FAU could turn into a UCF but then again who knows. Tulane would have been kicked a long time ago, one could make a long list here.

I'm not worried about my 49ers. We sold 9,599 tickets for our Spring Game after a 2-10 season. Having been there in person I'd say about 5,000 were in attendance (season ticket holders have to purchase the tickets) with about 1,500 being students. We'll be OK long term.

I think Idaho, New Mexico St, EMU will all drop down. As a Tech fan and husband of a NLU alum, I cannot legally speculate about ULM. Its in my marriage vows.

How do you enforce that rule? Have a guy counting the people walking through the door? You can make the attendance number look like whatever you want. If you need some donor to buy 10,000 tickets to make sure you stay at FBS, you could do it. It would just be an accounting exercise.

UMass is probably more likely to drop down than ULM. UMass isn't going to move their other sports out of the Atlantic 10 to be able to be in the MAC and as long as they won't do that they don't have a home in FBS. They won't be able to last much longer as an independent.

(04-27-2016 02:07 PM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  I'm not worried about my 49ers. We sold 9,599 tickets for our Spring Game after a 2-10 season. Having been there in person I'd say about 5,000 were in attendance (season ticket holders have to purchase the tickets) with about 1,500 being students. We'll be OK long term.

Agreed. Yall will be fine considering how young your program is. Now if you were in year 15-20 I'd say it might be something to possibly worry about.

(04-27-2016 02:10 PM)pilot172000 Wrote:  I think Idaho, New Mexico St, EMU will all drop down. As a Tech fan and husband of a NLU alum, I cannot legally speculate about ULM. Its in my marriage vows.

As a man who is unencumbered by marital vows, I will speculate on ULM.

ULM is stuck.

They can't afford to be in FBS football and compete at anywhere close to a high level due to a number of reasons (i.e. smallest budget in FBS football, small group of supporters, low attendance/enrollment and salaries compared to other FBS programs).

However, ULM can't afford to drop down to FCS either. The athletic budget gets at least $2 million a year from the football program's money games. If they drop to FCS, the small savings the football program receives would be outweighed dramatically by the reduced revenue their football team could get from money games vs. FBS programs. The rest of their athletic budget is dependent on the money they get from money games in football.

If ULM makes a move at all, it would be to discontinue their football program instead of dropping their football program down to the FCS ranks.

(04-27-2016 12:28 PM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  

(04-27-2016 12:15 PM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  1 is not a trend.

Hence the word "started'? I didn't say, "The trend continues".

There will not be a #2.

so no