(06-20-2022 11:43 AM)freshtop Wrote:  Thanks for the data dump Gem. Reiterates what I have previously said on WKU's board about us being smack dab in the middle of growing markets but only getting any credit for the Bowling Green, KY DMA which is sandwiched so hard on all sides (Nashville to the south, Louisville to the northeast, Evansville to the northwest) that it is hard to really show how much value there is to our brand locally. I won't pretend we are major players in those other markets listed, but WKU is pretty well known in them and has a lot of students and alumni hailing from those areas. I would wager that our games shown on major broadcast/linear networks are well viewed in those markets.

Sorry for the amount of data but I got started and decided what the heck, listed them all.

Most people have no idea how close Jacksonville is to a lot of folks. And like WKU we are not the big dog but our alums can stay close and find a job.

(06-20-2022 11:43 AM)freshtop Wrote:  Thanks for the data dump Gem. Reiterates what I have previously said on WKU's board about us being smack dab in the middle of growing markets but only getting any credit for the Bowling Green, KY DMA which is sandwiched so hard on all sides (Nashville to the south, Louisville to the northeast, Evansville to the northwest) that it is hard to really show how much value there is to our brand locally. I won't pretend we are major players in those other markets listed, but WKU is pretty well known in them and has a lot of students and alumni hailing from those areas. I would wager that our games shown on major broadcast/linear networks are well viewed in those markets.

Agreed like WKU, JSU may not be the most popular team in Birmingham, Atlanta, Huntsville, or Montgomery but we have a good base in those cities which fills up a huge recruiting base and fan base.

Disney Cruise started with the goal to pull a small percentage of their park goers to go on a cruise. It seems to I have worked. If JSU can pull a small percentage of good to great sized metro areas (like it already does) they are good to go. Recruiting wise we can hold our own against Florida State and other FBS teams with more scholarships already so going FBS would probably help pull some of those on the fence who decide to sit on the bench for a year at Auburn before transferring to JSU like a Roc Thomas.

Sam Houston should be in the same situation we are in maybe Texas thinks everything is better in FBS

Probably because the fans just don't give a d@mn.

Should be enough fans to grow the attendance. Not sure how much media, TX state, SMU, Rice, UTSA and others not Texas or TXAM get but Sam will probably start getting more and more until its the same media as the others.

Not sure if they get any airtime on the Houston news channels but I don't remember seeing anything about their natty on the Austin or Waco channels.

(06-23-2022 08:13 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  Not sure if they get any airtime on the Houston news channels but I don't remember seeing anything about their natty on the Austin or Waco channels.

They did. It wasn't the amount of coverage that U of H would have gotten for something big, but SHSU got some local airtime in Houston during their playoff run and when they won their NC.

(06-22-2022 10:34 PM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  Should be enough fans to grow the attendance. Not sure how much media, TX state, SMU, Rice, UTSA and others not Texas or TXAM get but Sam will probably start getting more and more until its the same media as the others.

FCS may be fine in other parts of the country but it does not move the needle in Texas. You are either FBS or you are "D2". To be honest there isnt much difference in the stadiums or campus cultures between the D2 Lone Star Conference and the FCS Southland/WAC schools. Texas State, UTSA, and Sam Houston's leadership recognized this and thats why they moved. Its part of the reason that Tarleton, who is still transitioning to FCS is trying to move onto FBS as quickly as possible.

Sam's move to FBS lets them join the club and places on the other side of the line.
Dave Campbell's Texas Football is the bible for Texas football. Each year, every FBS team receives pages dedicated to their program. However, if you are FCS, D2, or D3 your team's coverage is lumped into a larger Conference section. Even their sports website only highlights the FBS teams.


Sam could be "Texas State level" bad, but they would be included in those little ways that they aren't now.

Tbf the FCS teams do at least get their own page in Dave Campbells, which is a lot more than they get from probably every other publication.

(06-23-2022 10:09 AM)johnintx Wrote:  

(06-23-2022 08:13 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  Not sure if they get any airtime on the Houston news channels but I don't remember seeing anything about their natty on the Austin or Waco channels.

They did. It wasn't the amount of coverage that U of H would have gotten for something big, but SHSU got some local airtime in Houston during their playoff run and when they won their NC.

Can back up and confirm this.

SHSU may have the GaState problem worst than GaState itself. It may he that they are simply overlooked as the C or D tier team in the area. GaState has similar issues with overall apathy towards their program, but like Houston, they at least try to fight to stake claim of Atlanta. I'm not sure how you fix such an issue. Honestly, now that I'm thinking about it...GT would have similar issues as well if it were not for the ACC.

(06-22-2022 03:07 PM)SMUstang Wrote:  Probably because the fans just don't give a d@mn.

This is true in a ton of places that have football - arguably most of them.

For all the alleged popularity of football, at most schools, attendance isn't anywhere near where it needs to be for football to actually sustain itself. The places where it is - Ohio State, LSU, Notre Dame, etc and maybe 20 other places - get all the attention. But everywhere else, football is one of the biggest 'welfare programs' a university has.

Fans just do not care enough to pay for it.

The worst thing is schools that find a way to soak kids with big student fees to pay for athletics that not even the students support. I’m talking in general terms and not about SH, but they lump all sorts of things students DO vote yes for like rec facilities and other student activities in with lots of money for athletics that no one wants.

The higher percent paid for student fees the worse IMO. Shows a lack of community/alum support that should indicate the school can’t handle big money athletics. I’m not opposed to student fees paying for some things if students aren’t dupes into supporting it to get a few crumbs for themselves in the process. But it leaves the next crop of kids paying for it as well. Some schools I’ve seen have fans almost gloating that they have athletics fees apply to off campus students at extensions so they have to support them even tough they are adults who live far from campus. Seems like a poor way for public education to treat the public.

(06-23-2022 02:46 PM)chrisattsu Wrote:  

(06-22-2022 10:34 PM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  Should be enough fans to grow the attendance. Not sure how much media, TX state, SMU, Rice, UTSA and others not Texas or TXAM get but Sam will probably start getting more and more until its the same media as the others.

FCS may be fine in other parts of the country but it does not move the needle in Texas. You are either FBS or you are "D2". To be honest there isnt much difference in the stadiums or campus cultures between the D2 Lone Star Conference and the FCS Southland/WAC schools. Texas State, UTSA, and Sam Houston's leadership recognized this and thats why they moved. Its part of the reason that Tarleton, who is still transitioning to FCS is trying to move onto FBS as quickly as possible.

Sam's move to FBS lets them join the club and places on the other side of the line.
Dave Campbell's Texas Football is the bible for Texas football. Each year, every FBS team receives pages dedicated to their program. However, if you are FCS, D2, or D3 your team's coverage is lumped into a larger Conference section. Even their sports website only highlights the FBS teams.


Sam could be "Texas State level" bad, but they would be included in those little ways that they aren't now.

Alabama is similar, except even the G5 FBS schools get very little pub. More than FCS but it very local. JSU area of the state gets no/little news about USA or troy state. UAB we get the bleed over from Bham but its not much.