(10-07-2021 12:58 PM)Buc76 Wrote:  Sanders was asked on the radio show last night if he would like to move to FBS like APP ST, Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina and others have done. He said he would have no problem with moving to FBS. He pointed out the crowds and how they were definitely helping the team. He said he had talked with AD Carter last year and this year about adding seats. He said it's all up to the AD and President.

The SoCon has provided a good home but ETSU cannot continue to grow in a conference that is losing ground to other mid major conferences. There are schools in nearly all of the sponsored sports that do not field a team in the high profile sports. For example, baseball and womens basketball are not represented by all members. This causes big problems in scheduling.

When football was brought back, supporters were shown renderings of a football stadium that ETSU was going to build. It was modeled after Charlotte and Coastal Carolina stadiums. We were told the first phase would be 10-12,000 at a cost of appox 26mil. That didn't happen. Instead, someone changed the plans to a 7600 stadium with an additional 3000 to be added the year after completion of first phase. That didn't happen. We were told ETSU will be ready move to a better conference when next reorganization of Conferences took place. We were told by the AD, ETSU goal was to be the preeminent mid major university. None of that has happened and six years have passed.

Bucs fans have been treated to a very good basketball program and a rising football program plus what has to be one of the best mid major bands in the country. Buc fans have also paid, IMO,, someone can correct me, the highest ticket prices in the SoCon.

ETSU does not have the burden of maintaining a basketball arena. ETSU has a new but one of the smallest football stadiums. Gardner Webb as an example, a small private school just over the Mtn, has a 9000 seat stadium. The Dome was built in 1974 with 12,000 seats. Johnson City and ETSU has maybe doubled in size since then. Why was 7600 thought to be adequate?

ETSU has the best overall attendance for all sports. How can ETSU Athletics continue to grow?

What happened to the promises that were made to the supporters? Where did the money go for the second phase of the football stadium? Why do football fans have to walk 50- 80 yds to concessions and bathrooms. So many promises, few if any, kept.

ETSU has and is improving in all phases of a university but what is the future? Is the current state of Athletics static? If it is static and this is the end of the road, I believe ETSU Athletics has achieved all it can in the SoCon with the exception of winning a game in in the 'Big Dance'.

Fans and supporters kept their promises. They have showed up in great attendance and they paid the asking price. When is ETSU Athletics going to keep their promises?

Sorry for the rant. I was in Boone, NC yesterday for the first time in 15 years Marvelled at what App St has become and the unbelievable growth of Boone. I envy App St and their fans. I saw first hand [/u]what could have been and what could be the future of ETSU. I can only hope.

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“By the end of the first phase of construction, the stadium will include a significant portion of its planned facilities, including 7,000 plus seats, a skybox, restrooms, concession stands and stands on the west and east sides of the field, but further work will be performed after the beginning of the fall 2017 football season.

Phase two of construction will include an additional 3,600 seats along a grass bank in the stadium and potential expansions to concessions and restrooms.”


https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/living/...c24db.html

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