what do you want 66? you want me to "cross my heart and hope to die"? good lord...like with anything. things happen that get in the way. granted, that was meant more for the murray deal than the conference mish-mash.

look it, the murray to samford has many more opportunities to hit a land mine. family votes it down, second thoughts, alumni resistance at samford, money, an over zealous ad signs him to an extension to avoid having to save face....and many others. i still think it very well could happen, and i have good reason to believe it. bet my house on it...not yet (see above)

the conference change will happen. i have seen and heard too much to disuade that opinion. if lover is not willing to "wager" on it, maybe you will? etsu is a good school to have in your conference and has alot to offer...even without football.

maybe thats what got me on the pro-footballers hit list in the first place. i dont see football happening anytime soon. i dont see the ad being fired....and i have seen nothing that would indicate anything contrary to that belief. i dont necessarily like it, but thats what it is. football is gonna take alot of support and momentum before it can get off the ground. not just money, real support and momentum. its not there in any way, shape, or fashion right now. a better conference affiliation is a start to that momentum and support.

First, an invite to the Socon would be fantastic news (in my opinion) and it is what we've all wanted, but its nothing more than a move back to the previous status quo. We still have to "step it up" even if we do get in and not blow this opportunity.

Second, it is time for Bartow to go. There have been good times and bad times during his time, but his whining and attitude have been exhausting. It's still a basketball school and apparently our expectations are higher than his.

Finally, football hasn't been done correctly since the Dome was built. A new conference and a new vision will help provide the momentum we need to get it going. I get the money argument...its valid. But this is a "chicken and egg" debate. We have to stop saying it can't be done and figure it out.

(03-20-2012 10:45 PM)abuc90 Wrote:  First, an invite to the Socon would be fantastic news (in my opinion) and it is what we've all wanted, but its nothing more than a move back to the previous status quo. We still have to "step it up" even if we do get in and not blow this opportunity.

Yes, after almost ten years of the Stanton Experiment we are finally on the cusp of getting to back to where we started from.

(03-20-2012 12:12 PM)slappywhite Wrote:  here is what i am thinking...

the socon is not the asun. they forward think and are wanting to stabilize the conference amidst all the movement. app is playing the waiting game. nobody is calling. if app stays it only strenghtens the conference. the socon wants etsu back in for a host of reasons. all they are waiting for is an olive branch and "we would love to get back in the socon"....maybe that has already happened.

I certainly don't discount your methodology or conclusions and I hope the Bartow/SoCon rumors are true. My question is why wasn't the olive branch extended four or five years ago? If Stanton and Mullins truly burned that bridge then would Mullins have to be gone too before ETSU can rejoin the conference?

And would a possible conference change by ETSU affect Murry's decision? Would he be more likely to stay if we went back to the conference he was originally hired to coach in?

Personally, I would like nothing better than for him to go to Samford, then we kick his butt every year.

Dave was asked about conference affiliation in his fireside chat this morning. So, we're not the only ones talking about it.

(03-20-2012 09:59 PM)slappywhite Wrote:  what do you want 66? you want me to "cross my heart and hope to die"? good lord...like with anything. things happen that get in the way. granted, that was meant more for the murray deal than the conference mish-mash.

look it, the murray to samford has many more opportunities to hit a land mine. family votes it down, second thoughts, alumni resistance at samford, money, an over zealous ad signs him to an extension to avoid having to save face....and many others. i still think it very well could happen, and i have good reason to believe it. bet my house on it...not yet (see above)

the conference change will happen. i have seen and heard too much to disuade that opinion. if lover is not willing to "wager" on it, maybe you will? etsu is a good school to have in your conference and has alot to offer...even without football.

maybe thats what got me on the pro-footballers hit list in the first place. i dont see football happening anytime soon. i dont see the ad being fired....and i have seen nothing that would indicate anything contrary to that belief. i dont necessarily like it, but thats what it is. football is gonna take alot of support and momentum before it can get off the ground. not just money, real support and momentum. its not there in any way, shape, or fashion right now. a better conference affiliation is a start to that momentum and support.

Yes, ETSU is a good school with degree programs that lead to actual jobs and careers. I am very proud of all the solid, well respected, fully accredited undergraduate and graduate degree programs added over the last several decades - beginning with the medical school.

You would agree that athletics can be a good front porch, a good window onto academic ETSU. And, a better conference affiliation is needed to provide that. OK, I'll take you at your word, we're headed to a better conference. Who could be opposed to that? Finally, does this better conference sponsor football? If so, sounds like you're saying that this could be a first step to bringing football back.

(03-21-2012 07:46 AM)Buc66 Wrote:  

(03-20-2012 09:59 PM)slappywhite Wrote:  what do you want 66? you want me to "cross my heart and hope to die"? good lord...like with anything. things happen that get in the way. granted, that was meant more for the murray deal than the conference mish-mash.

look it, the murray to samford has many more opportunities to hit a land mine. family votes it down, second thoughts, alumni resistance at samford, money, an over zealous ad signs him to an extension to avoid having to save face....and many others. i still think it very well could happen, and i have good reason to believe it. bet my house on it...not yet (see above)

the conference change will happen. i have seen and heard too much to disuade that opinion. if lover is not willing to "wager" on it, maybe you will? etsu is a good school to have in your conference and has alot to offer...even without football.

maybe thats what got me on the pro-footballers hit list in the first place. i dont see football happening anytime soon. i dont see the ad being fired....and i have seen nothing that would indicate anything contrary to that belief. i dont necessarily like it, but thats what it is. football is gonna take alot of support and momentum before it can get off the ground. not just money, real support and momentum. its not there in any way, shape, or fashion right now. a better conference affiliation is a start to that momentum and support.

Yes, ETSU is a good school with degree programs that lead to actual jobs and careers. I am very proud of all the solid, well respected, fully accredited undergraduate and graduate degree programs added over the last several decades - beginning with the medical school.

You would agree that athletics can be a good front porch, a good window onto academic ETSU. And, a better conference affiliation is needed to provide that. OK, I'll take you at your word, we're headed to a better conference. Who could be opposed to that? Finally, does this better conference sponsor football? If so, sounds like you're saying that this could be a first step to bringing football back.

it is the first step...but it is also the easiest step in the re-establishment of the sport to etsu.

He was asked because A: They were told they could ask about it publicly and talk about it and B: This board is read by alot of people who aren't registered users or posters.
Look, a move back to the SoCon would be great for a few reasons.
1. It makes Jim Powell happy. He can splooge all over playing Chattanooga and Western games again.
2. It makes the old guard fans happy. They remember the "good old days" of the SoCon.
3. Dr. Noland either is the greatest b.s.er in the world, or he had to make some pretty stout promises for ETSU to go back. (ie Dave "retires," football returns, etc...)
Keep this in mind, no one bid league in their right mind will go above 12 basketball playing schools, and there's really no reason for an FCS football conference to get to 12, splitting into divisions and playing a conference championship. There's not some pot of TV gold at the end of the rainbow for the SoCon football championship game. In short, some folks are going to have to leave, and those are the folks that ETSU has enjoyed playing over the years. Of course with the scandal at App. State, who knows what that will do to their program. It's stupid for a university to cover up a rape, it eventually WILL come out.
Also, no way in hell in Charlotte and Ga. State are candidates for the Southern Conference. Visions of FBS and larger affiliations are in their heads. It's an interesting time with Murry potentially leaving, Dr. Noland needing to make a splash, etc... Who knows what will happen.

So what did Mullins say? "We are happy with the ASUN and aren't looking"?

lover, you used to be such an optimist. what happened?

does not matter how noland gets us out of the asun...just as long as we get out. if the socon is willing...lets do it. etsu cannot do ANY better at this point in time.

the ovc was a couple minutes from being a two bid league. if davidson would have lost in curry's last year, the socon would have gotten two in. it can be done...especially the more teams that are in a conference. if the socon, with 14 or 16 teams in it, had two teams the likes of murray st and belmont the past two years, you dont think the conference could get both in? mid-majors are catching up to the big boys across the counrty. times are changing in college basketball. the mid-majors are getting more respect and deservedly so. why not a large mid-major conference? could make some noise.

as far as football goes, same question. why not a "power fcs conference"? they dont need a socon championship, they have a playoff system in fcs. two divisional socon champs could (and should) get in the playoffs automatically. but if they choose to have a championship game, if promoted correctly, could draw some attention and possibly a lower tier network would pay for the rights. who knows? i think uncc and ga state would be interested in competing in that instead of getting beat down in crappy lower tier fbs conference and they are going nowhere competing in them in basketball.

think big lover...

oh and we are going to disagree on this...i dont think app is going anywhere. i very well could be wrong there though...

Slappy, have herad postive proof that this may happen? Or are you just guessing?

(03-22-2012 07:52 AM)bucs77 Wrote:  Slappy, have herad postive proof that this may happen? Or are you just guessing?

proof to which?

I have heard these claims from variety of sources (within the University) corroborating Slappy's claims (of returning to the SOCON).

I do know (for a fact) Noland was in Asheville @ the SoCon tournament. Doesn't mean we are absolutely headed there, but I have checked the source and it did check out - he was there.

(03-22-2012 08:12 AM)slappywhite Wrote:  

(03-22-2012 07:52 AM)bucs77 Wrote:  Slappy, have herad postive proof that this may happen? Or are you just guessing?

proof to which?

To move back to the SoCon. Thanks for the info.

Guarantees for fbs teams money games are around 1.2 million dollars. They're 500k for fcs teams. It's more expensive to go fbs, but there's more prestige. Like I said, Charlotte tried last year to get in as a football only and the conference said no.
On app st, the rape scandal is hurting but from what I know about Larry Stone, who's been involved heavily with their processes he'll makes it happen. Hews go new from building stuff together to now never stop improving. They'll move up.
Look, I hope it happens. Less travel, better games, and the hope for football. He's just gotta rebuild a bridge that the current a.d. Firebombed.

(03-22-2012 08:41 AM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  I do know (for a fact) Noland was in Asheville @ the SoCon tournament. Doesn't mean we are absolutely headed there, but I have checked the source and it did check out - he was there.

This president has his **** together. Quite refreshing isn't it?

(03-22-2012 10:30 AM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  

(03-22-2012 08:41 AM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  I do know (for a fact) Noland was in Asheville @ the SoCon tournament. Doesn't mean we are absolutely headed there, but I have checked the source and it did check out - he was there.

This president has his **** together. Quite refreshing isn't it?

Yes and I think it is a RELIEF to have Dr. Noland on board. He has bolstered my spirits greatly. I believe that as much as Dr. Stanton burned bridges to the SoCon, Dr. Noland will BUILD bridges. How refreshing indeed.

Hes gonna need a big damn hammer and nail. Perhaps his theme song should be working man blues. I have faith in him but its a big challenge with everything else he has to do.