(09-27-2019 12:58 PM)The Demoralizer Wrote:  

(09-27-2019 12:41 PM)Yosef84 Wrote:  

(09-25-2019 08:21 PM)Goronic Wrote:  It took App State decades of making a very compelling case for us to even get so much as a phone call. We practically stood on the C-USA doorstep every day for years hoping to get noticed.

We had great football - 30K crowd sizes for what seems like forever - reliable winning seasons and conference championships. We were so happy when an FBS conference finally came calling we about pissed ourselves and tripped running to sign the damn contract. Glad we did - and I think we have met expectations from the other SBC teams.

My point - give NC A&T time to grow and claw to get to FBS. It may not happen anytime soon (next 10 years), but it is good to have goals.

That's not exactly accurate. App State fans had been talking about it for a long time but the administration had not. Earlier administrations did a study and concluded NOT to pursue a move up (based on a pre-determined direction according to some reports). As the new era came in, the NCAA had a moratorium in place and nobody was moving up for a while. Once the moratorium was lifted we got some attention. Charlie almost blew it with his insulting comments about the SunBelt but ultimately I think the moratorium was lifted in 2011 and we were invited in 2013.

Our former AD also made some very disparaging remarks about the Sun Belt when we were first invited around 2001/2 timeframe. Essentially, he said the conference would fold due because of a wave of teams being forced back down to FCS by (someone please correct me if I'm mistaken here). I can't remember the exact verbiage, but he didn't make any friends with that conference. We were never mentioned again by the SBC until we got a new President that pushed for it.

Could you imagine the difference in our rivalry, though, if we had taken that Sun Belt offer almost 20 years ago and App stayed in the SoCon? Or, does anyone know if App was approached by the SBC back then? That was before the 3peat and explosion of support, so I didn't even know if App was considered a viable option back then (of course they were, but how were they seen in the eyes of those SBC Presidents?).

App was a solid team in the 90's but the administration at that time wasn't open to entertaining offers. I have no idea if there were any actual discussions but I believe the original "study" was done in the mid to late 90's. Jerry Moore became the coach in 1989 and the only losing seasons App had since then were 1993 (Satterfield's first year at the starting QB) and 2013 (Satterfield's first year as head coach). Always thought that was amusing considering he went on to do a great job in both roles.

NMSU best hope is to do a 5 game agreement with the MWC similar to what ND has with the ACC.

(09-26-2019 10:22 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

(09-26-2019 10:19 AM)JoeJag Wrote:  

(09-26-2019 10:09 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  Yeh, I'm not a fan of telling schools to move down to FCS. I like our conference mates and see zero reason for any of them being stuck in FCS

Seems some on this board have ordained themselves as experts on what teams need to move up or down.

Yeh, and it's dumb for sure. I was shocked and saddened Idaho dropped down. With all recent the movement to Indy I think they'd have had a go at it.

If they had the two similar guaranteed games that NMSU has (UTEP and UNM), in Idaho's case that would be Wazzou and Boise), the decision to go FCS might have been different. The Big Sky had already accepted them into the conference for all other sports, and they COULD have had the best Olympic conference for them (Big Sky, with close rivals), and FBS football.

But without those pre-built games (add NMSU), it was a tall order to get enough games in Moscow.

(09-27-2019 02:43 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(09-26-2019 10:22 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

(09-26-2019 10:19 AM)JoeJag Wrote:  

(09-26-2019 10:09 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  Yeh, I'm not a fan of telling schools to move down to FCS. I like our conference mates and see zero reason for any of them being stuck in FCS

Seems some on this board have ordained themselves as experts on what teams need to move up or down.

Yeh, and it's dumb for sure. I was shocked and saddened Idaho dropped down. With all recent the movement to Indy I think they'd have had a go at it.

If they had the two similar guaranteed games that NMSU has (UTEP and UNM), in Idaho's case that would be Wazzou and Boise), the decision to go FCS might have been different. The Big Sky had already accepted them into the conference for all other sports, and they COULD have had the best Olympic conference for them (Big Sky, with close rivals), and FBS football.

But without those pre-built games (add NMSU), it was a tall order to get enough games in Moscow.

nmsu is kinda in a spot. as a state flagship school they want to position their sports at the highest level but they are in a small state that has a low interest in football. unm practically never has a good team either and struggles to compete. they should probably try to align with Idaho and the montanas. pretty good level of competition in all sports and are at least schools people have ever heard of..unlike utrgv or litech or chicago state for exemple..

If the WAC would form a football league like the CAA that would solve a lot of people's problems.

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(09-24-2019 05:02 PM)Bronco85 Wrote:  

(09-24-2019 03:24 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  in the modern age of NCAA football with plenty of indy teams to play and so many bowls you can get in as an 'at large' I don't see their rush...go be cannon fodder for the Pac-12 and make money that way.

That is what they are doing. They are fortunate to have 2 local and historic rivals who will play them every year (UNM & UTEP). The MWC teams seem willing to schedule them as do some of the independent schools. UI on the other hand, did not have these advantages (and they have a 15,000 seat stadium in the middle of nowhere) so they joined the only D1 conference that would have them (excepting the WAC), the BSC. Unless you advocate Memphis leaving the AAC and becoming "cannon fodder" for the SEC and ACC, you understand why the Aggies do not favor independence but rather tolerate independence until they can get an FBS home.

I would prefer we didn't but if Memphis suddenly found itself conference-less I'd like to think we would no issue getting home-home series from local squads like Ark State, MTSU, UAB, and USM...schedule UT-Martin/UA-Pine Bluff as our yearly FCS home game...then reach out to Ole Miss, Ark, Vandy, Miss State, and TN for some 2-for-1 deals that pay a million+

it would hold things together for awhile.