I usually just skim over this thread from time to time to see what the thoughts of SEC fans are (though lately it's much more ECU fan posting than ECU in this particular thread) but since I've already chimed in twice today, might as well make it three times.
ECU only ends up in the SEC as a +1 with Virginia Tech. On it's own, ECU doesn't bring enough of the NC market due to USC being so close, and though ECU has a sizable alumni base and traditionally good TV numbers in the DC market, they just don't move the needle enough from a pure market share standpoint.
What ECU does bring on it's own is the most loyal fanbase in NC that travels well over distances much larger distances than SEC travel would be, and more favorable ratings against SEC/ACC opponents than most other G5 schools, as well as first rate athletic facilities and the largest G5 attendance with stadium expansion plans already on the table.
IF and only if expansion to 16 becomes necessary for the SEC, ECU can find it's way in as a partner with Virginia Tech. Together the schools would increase viewership in markets containing 7.4 million TV sets and would deal a double blow to the ACC by taking one its more successful programs on late, and completely surrounding 5 of it's members. ECU, clearly the weaker of the two, drew over 682k viewers in 6 of their 12 games last year. If ECU experiences a similar bump to what A&M and Mizzou experienced, they could potentially land in the top 25.
Stealing a member from the ACC and surrounding their strongest remaining teams would have to be part of the SEC's plan for any expansion to make sense at this point if ECU ends up in the SEC. ECU would quickly become the biggest ticket in NC for football, and VT would solidify their ratings hold in VA.
Culturally both schools fit, and would be solid additions that would compete quickly. It's going to depend on a new paradigm shift that makes 16 teams necessary for it to happen.
(05-26-2015 02:57 PM)eagle9098 Wrote: Speaking as one of the rejects you spoke of, I think Georgia Southern will pass you guys. GS probably has a tougher ladder to climb but the university is one of the fastest growing schools in the country and the football program won its conference in its first year FBS going undefeated, in the reject conference. Winning is a culture there. Winning has its way of creating good things. If Georgia Southern keeps winning, in another 10 years, I think you will see people saying Georgia Southern should be in a P5 conference. You cant ignore winning. I will be interested in seeing if ECU can continue to win the way they have the last 2 seasons. If you guys can continue that kind of pace, good things will happen, but that question still remains unanswered.
East Carolina has 6 losing seasons since joining a conference nineteen years ago and just three with less than 5 wins. East Carolina has demonstrated the ability to win at every level they've played over multiple conferences with changing memberships. I think the question has been answered.
Ok so in 19 years you have had 13 winning seasons, which is fine. Although that can mean you were 6-5 or 7-4 many of those years which is better than average but not owning the conference. How many times have you won your conf the last 10 years? I mean you guys are talking moving to the SEC. I would be more intrigued with the argument had ECU had more 10-2 or 9-3 seasons with some big OOC wins and owned your conf over the last 10 years. I know you guys have been good the last 2 years.
In 08 you lost 5 games including kentucky in a bowl.
2009 lost 5 games including loss to Ark in bowl
2010 lost 7 games
2011 lost 7games
2012 lost 5 games including loss to ULL (sunbelt)
2013 lost 3
2014 lost 5 games. Did beat a not so good VT team, lost to a not so good Florida team in a bowl.
Not dominate to me. I think ECU has potential and could become much better but they havent quite dominated the conf they are in.
(05-26-2015 02:57 PM)eagle9098 Wrote: Speaking as one of the rejects you spoke of, I think Georgia Southern will pass you guys. GS probably has a tougher ladder to climb but the university is one of the fastest growing schools in the country and the football program won its conference in its first year FBS going undefeated, in the reject conference. Winning is a culture there. Winning has its way of creating good things. If Georgia Southern keeps winning, in another 10 years, I think you will see people saying Georgia Southern should be in a P5 conference. You cant ignore winning. I will be interested in seeing if ECU can continue to win the way they have the last 2 seasons. If you guys can continue that kind of pace, good things will happen, but that question still remains unanswered.
East Carolina has 6 losing seasons since joining a conference nineteen years ago and just three with less than 5 wins. East Carolina has demonstrated the ability to win at every level they've played over multiple conferences with changing memberships. I think the question has been answered.
Ok so in 19 years you have had 13 winning seasons, which is fine. Although that can mean you were 6-5 or 7-4 many of those years which is better than average but not owning the conference. How many times have you won your conf the last 10 years? I mean you guys are talking moving to the SEC. I would be more intrigued with the argument had ECU had more 10-2 or 9-3 seasons with some big OOC wins and owned your conf over the last 10 years. I know you guys have been good the last 2 years.
In 08 you lost 5 games including kentucky in a bowl.
2009 lost 5 games including loss to Ark in bowl
2010 lost 7 games
2011 lost 7games
2012 lost 5 games including loss to ULL (sunbelt)
2013 lost 3
2014 lost 5 games. Did beat a not so good VT team, lost to a not so good Florida team in a bowl.
Not dominate to me. I think ECU has potential and could become much better but they havent quite dominated the conf they are in.
(1) ECU has won 2 conference championships in the last 7 years.
(2) ECU has won 8 or more games in 6 of the last 8 seasons and the only 2x that wasn't accomplished was Ruff's 1st 2 seasons
(3) ECU has played in bowl games 8 out of 9 years).
(4) During that span ECU has beaten VT 2x (both times ranked), UNC 3x (one time ranked), UVA, Duke, #8 WVU, NCSU 3x (one time ranked when Russell Wilson was a Junior), #22 Boise St. & ECU has beaten several conference members that were either ranked at the time or were ranked at the end of the season including UCF, UH, Tulsa, etc. during that time period as well).
(5) ECU has a winning record all-time vs. nearly every team in our conference including UH, Tulsa (won 6 consecutive dating back to when they were competitive), Memphis (6 consecutive and we have owned them over the years) and has beaten UCF & UC at least twice as many times as they've beaten us.
We haven't had a lot of double digit win totals because of the tough OOC schedules but make no mistake, ECU is a solid football program that can give even elite programs and teams fits. ECU certainly has a lot of potential considering that the only G5 team that has ever finished ahead of us in attendance numbers is BYU. We are set to expand the stadium from just over 50k to 62k and that's while selling games featuring C-USA & AAC teams...just think about that for a second. If ECU joined the SEC next year we would be selling out an 80,000 capacity stadium in no time.
(This post was last modified: 06-12-2015 12:35 AM by Indiana Bones.)
We'll Darn, guess we better give up :) You know Starfox, I am thinking all this will happen biblical style like a thief in the night. We will wake up and be in the B14 Cowboy League or SEC. Until then, here is too the American, the P5 feeder league. See you in Dowdy this Fall.
(06-17-2015 01:13 PM)VirginiaPirate Wrote: We'll Darn, guess we better give up :) You know Starfox, I am thinking all this will happen biblical style like a thief in the night. We will wake up and be in the B14 Cowboy League or SEC. Until then, here is too the American, the P5 feeder league. See you in Dowdy this Fall.
So is the Big 14 purgatory and the SEC "The Rapture"?
JRSEC..I would say you are right on with the B14 Purgatory. I would argue that the SEC would in fact be heaven for ECU :). The Rapture would be ECU getting the call up to the SEC :)
Why not take all 4 and make a strong case to have 2 teams in the playoff every year with 18 teams completely covering the southeast? It's actually not a bad distribution of tradition and power. 3 pod system! Here's the key to getting 2 teams in to the 4-team playoff over 1/2 the time: Petition to have the #2 & #3 seeds/division winners play each other while the #1 seed gets a bye into the championship game. The extra big win by the lesser seeded challenger the week before the championship game only serves to bolster both the winner as well as the loser of the championship game thereby increasing the likelihood of 2 SEC playoff teams.
(06-28-2015 02:56 AM)Indiana Bones Wrote: If ECU is #15 then who is #16? VT? WV? OU?
Why not take all 4 and make a strong case to have 2 teams in the playoff every year with 18 teams completely covering the southeast? It's actually not a bad distribution of tradition and power. 3 pod system! Here's the key to getting 2 teams in to the 4-team playoff over 1/2 the time: Petition to have the #2 & #3 seeds/division winners play each other while the #1 seed gets a bye into the championship game. The extra big win by the lesser seeded challenger the week before the championship game only serves to bolster both the winner as well as the loser of the championship game thereby increasing the likelihood of 2 SEC playoff teams.
(05-26-2015 02:57 PM)eagle9098 Wrote: Speaking as one of the rejects you spoke of, I think Georgia Southern will pass you guys. GS probably has a tougher ladder to climb but the university is one of the fastest growing schools in the country and the football program won its conference in its first year FBS going undefeated, in the reject conference. Winning is a culture there. Winning has its way of creating good things. If Georgia Southern keeps winning, in another 10 years, I think you will see people saying Georgia Southern should be in a P5 conference. You cant ignore winning. I will be interested in seeing if ECU can continue to win the way they have the last 2 seasons. If you guys can continue that kind of pace, good things will happen, but that question still remains unanswered.
East Carolina has 6 losing seasons since joining a conference nineteen years ago and just three with less than 5 wins. East Carolina has demonstrated the ability to win at every level they've played over multiple conferences with changing memberships. I think the question has been answered.
Ok so in 19 years you have had 13 winning seasons, which is fine. Although that can mean you were 6-5 or 7-4 many of those years which is better than average but not owning the conference. How many times have you won your conf the last 10 years? I mean you guys are talking moving to the SEC. I would be more intrigued with the argument had ECU had more 10-2 or 9-3 seasons with some big OOC wins and owned your conf over the last 10 years. I know you guys have been good the last 2 years.
In 08 you lost 5 games including kentucky in a bowl.
2009 lost 5 games including loss to Ark in bowl
2010 lost 7 games
2011 lost 7games
2012 lost 5 games including loss to ULL (sunbelt)
2013 lost 3
2014 lost 5 games. Did beat a not so good VT team, lost to a not so good Florida team in a bowl.
Not dominate to me. I think ECU has potential and could become much better but they havent quite dominated the conf they are in.
(1) ECU has won 2 conference championships in the last 7 years.
(2) ECU has won 8 or more games in 6 of the last 8 seasons and the only 2x that wasn't accomplished was Ruff's 1st 2 seasons
(3) ECU has played in bowl games 8 out of 9 years).
(4) During that span ECU has beaten VT 2x (both times ranked), UNC 3x (one time ranked), UVA, Duke, #8 WVU, NCSU 3x (one time ranked when Russell Wilson was a Junior), #22 Boise St. & ECU has beaten several conference members that were either ranked at the time or were ranked at the end of the season including UCF, UH, Tulsa, etc. during that time period as well).
(5) ECU has a winning record all-time vs. nearly every team in our conference including UH, Tulsa (won 6 consecutive dating back to when they were competitive), Memphis (6 consecutive and we have owned them over the years) and has beaten UCF & UC at least twice as many times as they've beaten us.
We haven't had a lot of double digit win totals because of the tough OOC schedules but make no mistake, ECU is a solid football program that can give even elite programs and teams fits. ECU certainly has a lot of potential considering that the only G5 team that has ever finished ahead of us in attendance numbers is BYU. We are set to expand the stadium from just over 50k to 62k and that's while selling games featuring C-USA & AAC teams...just think about that for a second. If ECU joined the SEC next year we would be selling out an 80,000 capacity stadium in no time.
I could name some other schools that if joined the SEC would be able to sell out 80,000 in no time as well. I never said ECU was a bad program I have stated that I think they are better than average program who seems to be on the rise right now. Thats the thing for me though. You saw some of the records over the past years I posted. ECU hasnt exactly been Boise though. Yes ECU has beatn some quality P5 teams over the years and yes I think ECU is doing well. What I would personally want to see though is for ECU to win the way they have the last 2 years and beat some teams like they did the last couple seasons, and do that for another 5 or so years. They do that and I would be more convinced with the argument that ECU is a football program that might be a candidate for the SEC. Til then I just dont see it because the last couple years at ECU have been much more impressive than any of their previous years. Keep that up and ECU will be more in the conversation IMO.
(05-26-2015 02:57 PM)eagle9098 Wrote: Speaking as one of the rejects you spoke of, I think Georgia Southern will pass you guys. GS probably has a tougher ladder to climb but the university is one of the fastest growing schools in the country and the football program won its conference in its first year FBS going undefeated, in the reject conference. Winning is a culture there. Winning has its way of creating good things. If Georgia Southern keeps winning, in another 10 years, I think you will see people saying Georgia Southern should be in a P5 conference. You cant ignore winning. I will be interested in seeing if ECU can continue to win the way they have the last 2 seasons. If you guys can continue that kind of pace, good things will happen, but that question still remains unanswered.
East Carolina has 6 losing seasons since joining a conference nineteen years ago and just three with less than 5 wins. East Carolina has demonstrated the ability to win at every level they've played over multiple conferences with changing memberships. I think the question has been answered.
Ok so in 19 years you have had 13 winning seasons, which is fine. Although that can mean you were 6-5 or 7-4 many of those years which is better than average but not owning the conference. How many times have you won your conf the last 10 years? I mean you guys are talking moving to the SEC. I would be more intrigued with the argument had ECU had more 10-2 or 9-3 seasons with some big OOC wins and owned your conf over the last 10 years. I know you guys have been good the last 2 years.
In 08 you lost 5 games including kentucky in a bowl.
2009 lost 5 games including loss to Ark in bowl
2010 lost 7 games
2011 lost 7games
2012 lost 5 games including loss to ULL (sunbelt)
2013 lost 3
2014 lost 5 games. Did beat a not so good VT team, lost to a not so good Florida team in a bowl.
Not dominate to me. I think ECU has potential and could become much better but they havent quite dominated the conf they are in.
(1) ECU has won 2 conference championships in the last 7 years.
(2) ECU has won 8 or more games in 6 of the last 8 seasons and the only 2x that wasn't accomplished was Ruff's 1st 2 seasons
(3) ECU has played in bowl games 8 out of 9 years).
(4) During that span ECU has beaten VT 2x (both times ranked), UNC 3x (one time ranked), UVA, Duke, #8 WVU, NCSU 3x (one time ranked when Russell Wilson was a Junior), #22 Boise St. & ECU has beaten several conference members that were either ranked at the time or were ranked at the end of the season including UCF, UH, Tulsa, etc. during that time period as well).
(5) ECU has a winning record all-time vs. nearly every team in our conference including UH, Tulsa (won 6 consecutive dating back to when they were competitive), Memphis (6 consecutive and we have owned them over the years) and has beaten UCF & UC at least twice as many times as they've beaten us.
We haven't had a lot of double digit win totals because of the tough OOC schedules but make no mistake, ECU is a solid football program that can give even elite programs and teams fits. ECU certainly has a lot of potential considering that the only G5 team that has ever finished ahead of us in attendance numbers is BYU. We are set to expand the stadium from just over 50k to 62k and that's while selling games featuring C-USA & AAC teams...just think about that for a second. If ECU joined the SEC next year we would be selling out an 80,000 capacity stadium in no time.
I could name some other schools that if joined the SEC would be able to sell out 80,000 in no time as well. I never said ECU was a bad program I have stated that I think they are better than average program who seems to be on the rise right now. Thats the thing for me though. You saw some of the records over the past years I posted. ECU hasnt exactly been Boise though. Yes ECU has beatn some quality P5 teams over the years and yes I think ECU is doing well. What I would personally want to see though is for ECU to win the way they have the last 2 years and beat some teams like they did the last couple seasons, and do that for another 5 or so years. They do that and I would be more convinced with the argument that ECU is a football program that might be a candidate for the SEC. Til then I just dont see it because the last couple years at ECU have been much more impressive than any of their previous years. Keep that up and ECU will be more in the conversation IMO.
We were probably at least as good in 2008 & 2009 than we are now when we won back to back C-USA titles after coming off a bowl win over Boise State. We were ranked #14 at one point in 2008. We became the only team in C-USA history to beat 3 ranked teams in consecutive games.
I think we really dropped the ball down the stretch last year although I do believe we are poised for success this season despite the loss of #Cardy.
I think ECU probably is as well. I just, based on this particular debate, would want to see more consistency with ECU over the next 4-5 years, and keep up the high level they have shown over the last couple years.
As a Georgia Southern fan I know what its like to want to be recognized at the highest level of College football. I would love to be in ECU's shoes right now at GS. We achieved that in FCS for a long time and people wanted us to move up and had our opportunities but didnt take them. Now we have and are doing very well, as I suspected we would, even though the SunBelt folks said it would take us several years to get acclimated and we wouldnt win 5 games the first year. I knew we had quality enough players to win at that level though. Heck we should have won at GT and NC state and lost by a total of 5 points combined to both in the last 1 and 2 minutes of the games. I think folks will see GS rise quickly.
ECU is in a great situation right now. I think it will be important for them to continue to keep up the winning as they have the last couple years. If you guys do that over the next few years it will be hard for others to ignore you.
I've thought before that ECU might be a good addition to the SEC with its growth potential. I think Charlotte is a non-starter, however. Nothing against them, but the program barely exists right now. It wouldn't be wise to take them.
If other Power 5 schools were truly off limits then I think Cincinnati and ECU should receive consideration. Possibly UCF as well, but that would be a repetitive market so maybe not.
I wondered about Mizzou being a good fit when they announced, and Mizzou was a bit ahead of ECU in football at the time they came in. Although its first two seasons in the SEC have been good ones, I think what we saw was just a decent team that they had coming in at the time and was able to compete. Now I will be interested in seeing how they do. When you look at their recruiting, its not quite on par with the other SEC programs, even after two years of being there, looking at their 2016 list, they are behind the bar some compared to the other SEC teams as far as recruiting. I would think that a smaller team like Mizzou coming in would start to reap the reward of being an SEC member and start seeing recruiting jumping up. It doesnt seem to be the case which sort of says to me that its important where a school is located. Most the SEC players come from Bama, Georgia, Florida, Miss, LU. Im sure Mizzou will get some but they dont seem to be getting the highly ranked players out of these states like the regular teams are. I think this may be a future problem for them because kids from these states are not going to be interested in going to Mizzzou, as they are Auburn, Georgia and so on.
ECU actually has a better location for this. That would be one reason I could see ECU being a better fit than Mizzou.
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