Can you tell me about Thrasher? One more note about realignment, I know it will probably never happen, but wouldn’t it be a great regional conference with ETSU, Chattanooga, JMU, APP, GS, Charlotte, Marshall fill in 3 other schools, would be a lot of fun.

(08-22-2019 05:51 PM)moehler Wrote:  Can you tell me about Thrasher? One more note about realignment, I know it will probably never happen, but wouldn’t it be a great regional conference with ETSU, Chattanooga, JMU, APP, GS, Charlotte, Marshall fill in 3 other schools, would be a lot of fun.

He was pretty highly rated out of high school, got to Coastal and kept getting injured. Is a graduate transfer for ETSU.
And yes, the state schools willing to fund from the old SoCon reunited would be a lot of fun.

(08-22-2019 05:51 PM)moehler Wrote:  Can you tell me about Thrasher? One more note about realignment, I know it will probably never happen, but wouldn’t it be a great regional conference with ETSU, Chattanooga, JMU, APP, GS, Charlotte, Marshall fill in 3 other schools, would be a lot of fun.

Yes it would be great. Here is my list:

Marshall, MTSU, Chatt, ETSU, App, Charlotte, Western Carolina, East Carolina, Ga Southern, Ga State, Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky

That would be a very appealing confernce and a great geographical alignment.

The one university that would be way behind the DI requirements is ETSU. The University would have to more than double the capacity of Greene Stadium, practically double the athlectic budget and maintain an average of 15,000 attendance average over each two years.

Love to see it happen but don't see those requirements being met anytime soon.

(08-23-2019 06:59 AM)brock20 Wrote:  Yes it would be great. Here is my list:

Marshall, MTSU, Chatt, ETSU, App, Charlotte, Western Carolina, East Carolina, Ga Southern, Ga State, Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky

Good list but don't you feel like that would be a huge drop for East Carolina, at least from a football standpoint. I don't see them moving down, so I would replace ECU with Coastal.

(08-23-2019 09:56 AM)Bucster Wrote:  

(08-23-2019 06:59 AM)brock20 Wrote:  Yes it would be great. Here is my list:

Marshall, MTSU, Chatt, ETSU, App, Charlotte, Western Carolina, East Carolina, Ga Southern, Ga State, Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky

Good list but don't you feel like that would be a huge drop for East Carolina, at least from a football standpoint. I don't see them moving down, so I would replace ECU with Coastal.

I get what you are saying but take Memphis, Houston and Cincy out of the AAC (I feel like they will be leaving soon like UConn did) and there is no difference between the AAC, CUSA and the Sun Belt. When those 3 schools inevitably leave, those 3 conferences needs to combine, add a few teams and then split of into 3 more regional conferences.

(08-23-2019 10:16 AM)brock20 Wrote:  

(08-23-2019 09:56 AM)Bucster Wrote:  

(08-23-2019 06:59 AM)brock20 Wrote:  Yes it would be great. Here is my list:

Marshall, MTSU, Chatt, ETSU, App, Charlotte, Western Carolina, East Carolina, Ga Southern, Ga State, Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky

Good list but don't you feel like that would be a huge drop for East Carolina, at least from a football standpoint. I don't see them moving down, so I would replace ECU with Coastal.

I get what you are saying but take Memphis, Houston and Cincy out of the AAC (I feel like they will be leaving soon like UConn did) and there is no difference between the AAC, CUSA and the Sun Belt. When those 3 schools inevitably leave, those 3 conferences needs to combine, add a few teams and then split of into 3 more regional conferences.

When the Power Five schools, give or take a few, make their separation from the rest of NCAA in football in the next five or so years official and establish a true playoff system (driven by TV/streaming contracts), the remainder of NCAA football will enter into that proverbial state of every-man-for- himself. Perhaps out of that, driven mostly by costs, more compact regional conferences will emerge. But, by then, how many fans and media types will still be around to remember when ETSU used to play Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, Marshall, App State, GA Southern, Middle Tennessee for example on a regular basis and those like James Madison and East Carolina on occasion? When the shake down comes, schools like East Carolina have the most to lose in that they’ve spent decades and mega bucks trying to get into the big boys fraternity but forever remaining a pledge. Anyway, on that day it will be war.

As for NCAA Division I basketball, let’s hope that remains in place, even if cutting loose the Power Five football schools is necessary to make it so.

This, of course, without saying will drive the next shakeup:

https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances/

(08-23-2019 09:54 AM)Buc76 Wrote:  That would be a very appealing confernce and a great geographical alignment.

The one university that would be way behind the DI requirements is ETSU. The University would have to more than double the capacity of Greene Stadium, practically double the athlectic budget and maintain an average of 15,000 attendance average over each two years.

Love to see it happen but don't see those requirements being met anytime soon.

The list I had was: Marshall, MTSU, Chatt, ETSU, App, Charlotte, Western Carolina, East Carolina, Ga Southern, Ga State, Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky.

We are ahead of Chatt, Western Carolina and Eastern Kentucky as far requirements go. We spend more and make more than those schools. The attendance requirement is ridiculous and should be removed. No way schools like Coastal Carolina and Charlotte are averaging 15k.

ETSU is behind W.Car., Chatt and E. KENT. in facilities for both major sports, BB and FB. As far as money spent only real despairity is W. Car and they are supposed to increase the athletic budget this year to close gap to socon conference schools.

Also ETSU has no outdoor track.

(08-23-2019 02:23 PM)Buc76 Wrote:  ETSU is behind W.Car., Chatt and E. KENT. in facilities for both major sports, BB and FB. As far as money spent only real despairity is W. Car and they are supposed to increase the athletic budget this year to close gap to socon conference schools.

Also ETSU has no outdoor track.

I was thinking our football facilities were as good or better than anyone in the SoCon? Now for basketball yes we do need an on campus facility.

Only Samford has a smaller stadium. ETSU has a newer stadium but small capacity, approx 7,400.

(08-23-2019 03:11 PM)Buc76 Wrote:  Only Samford has a smaller stadium. ETSU has a newer stadium but small capacity, approx 7,400.

Capacity isn't everything. Quality over quantity is the name of the game for stadiums nowdays.

(08-23-2019 03:11 PM)Buc76 Wrote:  Only Samford has a smaller stadium. ETSU has a newer stadium but small capacity, approx 7,400.

Yes this is true but I was not judging by how big the stadium is. Ours is top quality and made for fan comfort. Going forward, I think this will bode well as smaller may be better. Our indoor practice facility is second to none as well as the weight room. We have to be right up there at the top of the SoCon. Now our field house is not the best I am sure but that will be a project for the future.

I responded to the post that ETSU could be in a new FBS conference. ETSU does not meet the required facilities to move to FBS.

I in no way implied that Greene Stadium was not a good venue. It is one of the nicest stadiums in the SoCon. It's simply not big enough for FBS qualification.

(08-23-2019 04:37 PM)Buc76 Wrote:  I responded to the post that ETSU could be in a new FBS conference. ETSU does not meet the required facilities to move to FBS.

I in no way implied that Greene Stadium was not a good venue. It is one of the nicest stadiums in the SoCon. It's simply not big enough for FBS qualification.

Understood. But for now in the FCS we are in great shape.

Meanwhile:

Oddsmaker has App by 45.
SB Nation has App win 44-10.
ESPN gives Bucs 1.4% chance to win.

Wonder how much their will be.

(08-23-2019 05:55 PM)bucfan81 Wrote:  

(08-23-2019 04:37 PM)Buc76 Wrote:  I responded to the post that ETSU could be in a new FBS conference. ETSU does not meet the required facilities to move to FBS.

I in no way implied that Greene Stadium was not a good venue. It is one of the nicest stadiums in the SoCon. It's simply not big enough for FBS qualification.

Understood. But for now in the FCS we are in great shape.

I must agree. With relation to this discussion and the two schools, we are a basketball school while App State is a football school. They spend some $14 million more a year on athletics than us. To kick our athletic budget up that much, plus the expense of a stadium expansion, to be in the Sun Belt makes little sense at this time given the uncertainty of college football over the next decade. The SoCon is a nice place for various reasons and a rather good mid-major basketball spot. Like I’ve said, it certainly would be much better for NCAA Division I basketball to remain untouched in the next shuffle. Moving up to FBS has lost much of its appeal these last ten years. And, schools outside the Power Five have not reaped the financial rewards that they once envisioned. They’re still heavily subsidizing their athletic departments. The money just didn’t flow down. And going forward, the big boys are poised to keep it all. When a true Power Five playoff system is in place, many of these outside-looking-in bowls will vanish. At one time on here the drumbeat was for ETSU to “move up”. Things are changing with college football, and we’re in decent niche (SoCon) spot at present with our athletic program.

The only problem I see in the thinking of staying just as we are, is the fact that if there is a resuffle or opportunities to move to a better conference,ETSU will not be a serious contender because of their facilities. There are many other universities that already are prepared or are preparing for a move up.

(08-24-2019 01:00 PM)Buc76 Wrote:  The only problem I see in the thinking of staying just as we are, is the fact that if there is a resuffle or opportunities to move to a better conference,ETSU will not be a serious contender because of their facilities. There are many other universities that already are prepared or are preparing for a move up.

James Madison certainly is one of those. They spend much more now than a good number of FBS programs. As for ETSU, if the right opportunity comes with the accompanying big bucks donations, we certainly have a very nice football stadium to quickly expand. I just wonder if the group of usual regional schools mentioned on here that ETSU could align with would generate such additional interest, as opposed to our current SoCon opponents, to kick average football attendance up into the 15,000, 20,000, or 30,000 range? It just didn’t pan out at a number of the more recent “move ups”. Even App State has not seen an increase with its Sun Belt opponents and they’ve been super successful on the field.

If your not a power 5 school. No one really cares. I would prefer to stay in the FCS and have the opportunity to play for a National Championship. Than participate in another bowl game that no one really cares to watch.