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+----- Thread: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? (/thread-527119.html)
Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - Buc66 - 11-01-2011 03:37 PM
With the Big East impending raid on C-USA, looks like there will be opportunity for App State to move to C-USA. Will ETSU take advantage of this and re-enter the Southern Conference? Could this be the first athletic challenge of the new president, to reorganize the $11 million a year ETSU athletic department in order to go back to the SoCon? Why not play football in the Dome while an outdoor football stadium capital campaign is conducted? Can ETSU afford to let this opportunity slip by?
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - abuc90 - 11-01-2011 03:44 PM
It would be perfect timing for us if App moved out, but I have zero faith that ETSU would take advantage of the opportunity. I would LOVE to be wrong on this.
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - missletoe9 - 11-01-2011 04:41 PM
Oh that would be the best case scenario, but I feel that it won't happen. I do however see App moving to C-USA. That would leave 8 football playing schools in the SoCon. They then would have a 7 game conference schedule and be able to maybe pick up additional games against D-1A schools for paydays. Add ETSU back in andyour back to 8 conference games which limits the # of D-1A possibilities as most D-1AA schools like to try and schedule as many home games as possible after thier money games.
What a schedule for the New Bucs::
Furman, Wofford, UTC, Samford, Citadel, Elon, WCU, and Ga Southern as long as they stay in SoCon (as they are also looking at a jump to D-1A.) Then add a game against App after they go up and maybe even MTSU every other year or so. Then for the final 2 games play a Brevard or another SAC school to prepare for the conference schedule.
The only problem with these D-1A mergers is that going to 14-16 schools expands those conferences schedule to 9 games. This then in turn limits the # of opportunities for D-1AA schools to pick up the $$ games. The FBS schools like Clemson for example must always play S.Carolina as an out of conference opponent. It's a state law. This means they have 2 other games to fill most seasons and would try and fill one with another FBS school. That leaves one opportunity to get a game with an FBS school for an ETSU and any other D-1AA program. But we can hope.
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - BucNut22 - 11-01-2011 09:19 PM
One can only hope.
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - slappywhite - 11-02-2011 08:01 AM
if etsu pushed, they could probably get back in without football...if they pushed. but will they?
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - bucfan81 - 11-02-2011 08:11 AM
If I were SoCon I would not consider us back without football.
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - etsuBucsFan1988 - 11-02-2011 09:52 AM
If we want change we should be pushing for better than that. How about a REAL league, say the CAA or A10?
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - Buccaneerlover - 11-02-2011 10:24 AM
Why the SoCon? Look at the direction the conference has been heading. They keep going the private school route. I wonder if there will come a point in time where we do see Ga. Southern, UT-C, Western Carolina and Greensboro move out? For the Carolina based public schools, it just seems the Big South would be a better home for them. I just see the SoCon as not being what we want it to be once Appalachian is gone.
And like 88 says, why not set the sights higher? For me, I would like to see ETSU set its' sights higher. Bring back football with the clear understanding that we are investing in it to move to FBS level football. Get to the Sun Belt. Spend and throw money at it, WIN and get butts in the seats. Position this team where a conference like the Sun Belt would find us attractive, good football and good basketball with a geographic location that could appeal to MTSU, WKU and possibly Appalachian State.
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - posterformerlyknownasthedoctor - 11-02-2011 11:01 AM
(11-02-2011 10:24 AM)Buccaneerlover Wrote: Why the SoCon? Look at the direction the conference has been heading. They keep going the private school route. I wonder if there will come a point in time where we do see Ga. Southern, UT-C, Western Carolina and Greensboro move out? For the Carolina based public schools, it just seems the Big South would be a better home for them. I just see the SoCon as not being what we want it to be once Appalachian is gone.
And like 88 says, why not set the sights higher? For me, I would like to see ETSU set its' sights higher. Bring back football with the clear understanding that we are investing in it to move to FBS level football. Get to the Sun Belt. Spend and throw money at it, WIN and get butts in the seats. Position this team where a conference like the Sun Belt would find us attractive, good football and good basketball with a geographic location that could appeal to MTSU, WKU and possibly Appalachian State.
Good comments in there. If indeed Appy moves up, then the SoCon is a bit less attractive, although still better than the ASun. Now would be an ideal time for some university prez with a vision to try and organize a completely new league, maybe mostly of public schools, in the TN/NC/VA/SC area. Or maybe, as has been mentioned before, expand the A10 Southward - make two divisions. I'm not going to get ahead of ourselves here, but this would be a better time than when we talked a lot about this 2-3 years ago.
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - buckys - 11-02-2011 11:32 AM
ETSU will not be able to move to Sun Belt, A10. C-USA or CAA.....We have no basketball or football facilities that meet their equirements and there is nothing on the drawing board to show these conferences that ETSU is committed too building them.
ETSU doen't even have a track facility for one of the most respected coaches in the country, another black eye for the athletic program.
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - etsuBucsFan1988 - 11-02-2011 11:52 AM
Please direct us to where each of those conferences you mentioned list requirements of member school's facilities. It sure isn't capacity. Have you seen the arena capacity for most of the A10 basketball arenas?
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - Buccaneerlover - 11-02-2011 12:23 PM
Facilities are imperative with alot of these mid tier conferences. When you look at the CAA for instance, most of those schools are building up and working to greatly improve facilities. Smaller stadiums capacity wise but have all the amenities that major programs with huge fan bases have.
C-USA is no different. Look at East Carolina, UCF, SMU, etc... Some of their programs are struggling for higher football/basketball facilities, but for the most part we're seeing a trend towards upgrades at all of those universities. ETSU will have to make some major changes on that front to compete.
I guess also I should've been more clear in what I said. A returning ETSU football program will have to start at the FCS level, but the infrastructure for football will need to be in place to build up. It's not something that will happen overnight, but is something that this university can achieve with the right leadership in place.
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - slappywhite - 11-02-2011 01:05 PM
(11-02-2011 09:52 AM)etsuBucsFan1988 Wrote: If we want change we should be pushing for better than that. How about a REAL league, say the CAA or A10?
Heck...why not the ACC or better yet, lets talk to App and go to the SEC as a package. They said they wanted two more teams!!!!
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - bucfan81 - 11-02-2011 01:37 PM
(11-02-2011 01:05 PM)slappywhite Wrote:(11-02-2011 09:52 AM)etsuBucsFan1988 Wrote: If we want change we should be pushing for better than that. How about a REAL league, say the CAA or A10?
Heck...why not the ACC or better yet, lets talk to App and go to the SEC as a package. They said they wanted two more teams!!!!
Going nowhere without football. Except straight down.
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - slappywhite - 11-02-2011 01:45 PM
(11-02-2011 01:37 PM)bucfan81 Wrote:(11-02-2011 01:05 PM)slappywhite Wrote:(11-02-2011 09:52 AM)etsuBucsFan1988 Wrote: If we want change we should be pushing for better than that. How about a REAL league, say the CAA or A10?
Heck...why not the ACC or better yet, lets talk to App and go to the SEC as a package. They said they wanted two more teams!!!!
Going nowhere without football. Except straight down.
went nowhere WITH football...
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - bucfan81 - 11-02-2011 02:09 PM
(11-02-2011 01:45 PM)slappywhite Wrote:(11-02-2011 01:37 PM)bucfan81 Wrote:(11-02-2011 01:05 PM)slappywhite Wrote:(11-02-2011 09:52 AM)etsuBucsFan1988 Wrote: If we want change we should be pushing for better than that. How about a REAL league, say the CAA or A10?
Heck...why not the ACC or better yet, lets talk to App and go to the SEC as a package. They said they wanted two more teams!!!!
Going nowhere without football. Except straight down.
went nowhere WITH football...
If there is anything proven over the last eight years and that is ETSU is going nowhere without football. With football it might even elevate the soccer program.
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - Buccaneerlover - 11-02-2011 02:42 PM
You don't quit the program because it's unsuccessful. You make changes to ensure success. It's not something that happens within a year, it's more of a long term vision and goal. When you get into grown up land you'll understand the difference between doing something that looks good in the short term but can be devastating long term. But hey, ETSU people were right. Kill football, push Olympic sports hard, it'll really generate community/alumni interest! It'll certainly keep students from skipping homecoming and going to Knoxville!
Bottom line son, as long as they're winning football games and looking at the next expansion at that school on the side of the mountain with no interstate access or airport then ETSU's approach will continue to be proven wrong. Programs are succeeding in places like Troy, Alabama, Jonesboro, Arkansas, Huntington, West Virginia, Boone, NC, etc... because they had people who didn't take no for an answer and didn't quit. They aren't accepting mediocrity and when they are mediocre, they make changes to try and not be. They don't make excuses even though the schools I mentioned above have to fight for fans against Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Arkansas, Missouri, WVU, Ohio State, UNC, NC State, Va. Tech, Clemson, South Carolina and yes, even Tennessee.
You should listen to Vanderbilt coach James Franklin. He talks about those challenges at length. Here in Nashville he competes against most other SEC schools, the Titans, Predators, and Vandy's history. He doesn't worry about it. Instead of accepting losing he's fighting it tooth and nail, and in one season has taken a team that was 2-10 a year ago to 4-4, with a legit shot at BEATING Florida and Tennessee on the road. Nevermind the beating they'll put on Kentucky and Wake Forest. Instead of quitting, they fight and WORK. It's an attitude and approach. ETSU has always said "We can't." That MUST CHANGE.
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - slappywhite - 11-02-2011 02:55 PM
(11-02-2011 02:09 PM)bucfan81 Wrote:(11-02-2011 01:45 PM)slappywhite Wrote:(11-02-2011 01:37 PM)bucfan81 Wrote:(11-02-2011 01:05 PM)slappywhite Wrote:(11-02-2011 09:52 AM)etsuBucsFan1988 Wrote: If we want change we should be pushing for better than that. How about a REAL league, say the CAA or A10?
Heck...why not the ACC or better yet, lets talk to App and go to the SEC as a package. They said they wanted two more teams!!!!
Going nowhere without football. Except straight down.
went nowhere WITH football...
If there is anything proven over the last eight years and that is ETSU is going nowhere without football. With football it might even elevate the soccer program.
might...might not. FB did not elevate ANY other program at etsu. why would it now?
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - straightfromthehorsesmouth - 11-02-2011 03:05 PM
(11-02-2011 11:52 AM)etsuBucsFan1988 Wrote: Please direct us to where each of those conferences you mentioned list requirements of member school's facilities. It sure isn't capacity. Have you seen the arena capacity for most of the A10 basketball arenas?
I think it's more about the cave atmosphere of the Dome and not just a stated "requirement." ETSU probably can't recruit with the Dome as the home base as compared to some of the other venues in other conferences.
RE: Will ETSU Grab SoCon Opening? - straightfromthehorsesmouth - 11-02-2011 03:15 PM
(11-02-2011 02:55 PM)slappywhite Wrote:(11-02-2011 02:09 PM)bucfan81 Wrote:(11-02-2011 01:45 PM)slappywhite Wrote:(11-02-2011 01:37 PM)bucfan81 Wrote:(11-02-2011 01:05 PM)slappywhite Wrote: Heck...why not the ACC or better yet, lets talk to App and go to the SEC as a package. They said they wanted two more teams!!!!
Going nowhere without football. Except straight down.
went nowhere WITH football...
If there is anything proven over the last eight years and that is ETSU is going nowhere without football. With football it might even elevate the soccer program.
might...might not. FB did not elevate ANY other program at etsu. why would it now?
Other than baseball having to eat at McD's instead of Golden C, ETSU football really didn't drag down any of the other sports either. Would you honestly ever look at that and say, I guess football really wasn't hurting us so bad. Men's basketball was just fine when there was football, tennis did good (they couldn't fly in private jets and couldn't go hang out on the West Coast as much, but hey, that's life), men's golf held their own, women's basketball slipped up and beat UTC from time-to-time, it's all in the priorities and the mentality, the coaching and the ability to recruit.
I guess it's nice to brag about winning a meaningless trophy for All Sports, but where you are beating up on schools with half the funding, kind of makes more of a bad taste to some people than doing the happy dance.
Go ahead, do you typical slamming. At the end of the day, you'll be sitting by yourself at a men's soccer game while the rest of the real world is looking forward to the end of another "sit at home and watch other people play football season."
You will never convince anyone that's not been brainwashed by the Mullins-Stanton-Breedlove Love Triangle that ETSU is "better off" today than we were 10 years ago. Empty seats, draining students pockets for little in return, offending most alumni, pissing off people with common sense.
Please.