(01-20-2012 07:32 PM)panama Wrote:  

(01-20-2012 07:26 PM)MeanGreenGem Wrote:  

(01-20-2012 03:37 PM)NoQuarter08 Wrote:  And pUNT also dropped by down to FCS because they ran their program into the ground. pUNT was NEVER one of the "big boys". ECU has never played a down of football at the FCS level.

OK, this post is mean't to be civil, but you tweaked my curiosity when you say East Carolina U was never FCS so what was ECU's classification in the 50's, 60's and 70's? I guess I could look it up on google but I'm too lazy.

I do know we played yall a few years after Hayden Fry left North Texas for the Big 10 and Iowa and his aura had worn off in Denton shortly thereafter; plus I also remember that the first time we played ECU yall hammered us and that was about the same the time we went down to NCAA 1-AA.

UNT leadership during that post-Fry Era had already started waving the white flag as far as our continued pursuance of intercolletiate athletics at the FBS level.

NCAA 1-AA was NCAA football purgatory and to some of us a literal hell for our program as far as where we had once been and where that then leadership was fixin' to take us. UNT leaders in the 80's never dreamed what going down an NCAA level would do to our fans/alums psyche.

We were a school located in a major league sports market playing minor league college football was the perception our alums had so many of them just gave up with our football program and to this day we are still trying to get many of that group back. I saw many of them back this last football season (and for Apogee Stadium's debut) and I know many of them came back because our present UNT leaders have made a committment (with check book in hand) to bring UNT back to the glory days of Abner Haynes Sun Bowl team in the 50's, Mean Joe Greene's great team of the 60's and then the Hayden Fry Era of the 70's.

Errr...you do know that I-AA/FCS did not exist until 1979 right.

I do know in 1979 they started talk about re-classification but did not pull the trigger as I recall, but I think it was actually 1982 when NCAA D1-AA officially began. I stand to be corrected.

It started in 1978. At any rate the original question was whether ECU was ever FCS or I-AA and the answer is no. I know I am old enough to remember ECU as a I-A Independent for a long time.

When NCAA football split into 2 divisions ECU & Southern Miss chose to take the harder path, I-A or FBS as it's now known. So NO we've NEVER played a down of football at the FBS level. There's nothing wrong with starting out at FCS now days but to chose to go Indy at the split took balls.

(01-20-2012 08:06 AM)NoQuarter08 Wrote:  Also that 32 team proposal somebody drew up is ridiculous. We might as well be our own division and expect the top 4 leagues to break away ASAP.

Forming a conference like that would cause the top 4 conferences to break away, just like that?

I believe the conference described would have a great deal of leverage when negotiating a TV contract. NBC and CBS are desperate for more college sports.

The 4 8 team divisions and 4 team end of season playoff would be unique. Plus it would fit in with the bowl system. The winner of the conference would have credibility because the championship was decided on the field against 31 other teams.

It's a great idea. It should happen tomorrow.

Kind of a shame that this ended up becoming smack fodder. It was a worthwhile discussion that was civil for a good while.

(01-21-2012 12:15 AM)jarmzet Wrote:  

(01-20-2012 08:06 AM)NoQuarter08 Wrote:  Also that 32 team proposal somebody drew up is ridiculous. We might as well be our own division and expect the top 4 leagues to break away ASAP.

Forming a conference like that would cause the top 4 conferences to break away, just like that?

I believe the conference described would have a great deal of leverage when negotiating a TV contract. NBC and CBS are desperate for more college sports.

The 4 8 team divisions and 4 team end of season playoff would be unique. Plus it would fit in with the bowl system. The winner of the conference would have credibility because the championship was decided on the field against 31 other teams.

It's a great idea. It should happen tomorrow.

NO....NO....NO....clearly you don't understand this. You can't have a playoff. Essentially we'd be the one's breaking away and doing our own thing. At that point we're not FBS as it's now known.