NCAAbbs

GSU is forming an exploratory committee to see if going I-A is feasible. If I were them, I wouldnt go unless Conference USA agreed to take them. There is no point in going to the Sun Belt....where football programs die.

What football program has DIED in the Sun Belt?

It may be the weakest of the Division I-A conferences, but I don't know if the teams there are dying.

What program has played themselves out of the Sun Belt into a higher conference? There is just no hope of moving up from that point. I would rather compete for I-AA titles, than compete for a spot in the Toyo Tire.net Bowl or whatever.

That's a little harsh, since the conference has only had football play for six years.

But, I will say that three teams, Utah State, New Mexico State, and Idaho, have gone on to join the WAC.

You might make the arguement UAB moved to Conference USA from there, though not after the conference became a football conference.

And lots of schools have moved up there from Division I-AA.

The Sun Belt is much like the Atlantic Sun is for basketball- it is where a young Division I-A program goes to sprout wings.

And I'd like ETSU to someday be a Division I-A program sprouting wings.

I don't think the A-Sun is that bad of a conference for a program that is trying to do that. I've often said it's great for Stetson, USC-Upstate, North Florida, Gulf Coast, etc.

And it might be good for Belmont, Lipscolm, etc.

But what I know is it is NOT good for ETSU.

In fact, I have often thought of the Sun Belt as a "best case scenario for a medium range plan" for ETSU athletics. It would allow ETSU to be in a conference with a lot of public schools that are thinking forward, that are Division I-A, that are competitive with enrollment (ETSU would be one of the smaller schools but not THE smallest) and are MAJOR.

It's years away from happening but I'd like to see it happen. It's a long range goal.

Finally, someone with some vision!

ETSU has never been forward thinkers. If I'm Ga. Southern, I get my program and attendance back up after that glorious disaster known as the Van Gorder era there. Once they're back up, then consider it, but if you're Ga. Southern or App State for that matter, why waste away in the Skunk Belt for a shot at the New Orleans Bowl. Wait and see what happens with possible Big Ten expansion, and see where the chips start falling. C-USA or the MAC would be alot better or a place, even if it's just in name recognition.

If a larger conference were to expand, it's only logical to think they'd look for teams in 1-A before they'd look to 1-AA.

Duh!

I think Pitt's right. While you could try for a big jump to C-USA or whatever, you may have to "settle" for the sunbelt. I still think it's a step up for any championship I-AA team because it gives you the opportunity to do a lot of bigger things:

1. Play BCS teams more often
2. Play a BCS team at home
3. Play in a bowl game and even a BCS bowl (see Boise State) if the stars aligned just right.
4. Build more name recognition for your school.
5. Improve lots of other things at your school that come with an athletic program that has more overall support.

These are just a few of the reasons ETSU needs football in order to possibly get in that mix.

Personally I don't see the need for a future ETSU football program to jump up into 1-A. I think 1-AA is a perfect fit for them if they become competative. I'm not sure Georgia Southern will do well to realign as a 1-A team. But we'll see.

I like Division I-AA, but when Appalachian State beat Michigan, it was "the biggest upset in history."

When Louisiana-Monroe beat Alabama it may have been a major upset, but it wasn't quite the shock.

And the reason why is because Louisiana-Monroe is a more respected program because they are Division I-A.

I'm a fan of Division I-AA, but quick- tell me the four teams right now in the playoffs. They were in the paper today.

I submit to you many more fans nationwide will be able to tell you that Navy and Utah will be meeting in the Poinsettia Bowl. And I'm guessing the $750,000 payout that bowl gives- which is an eighth of ETSU's entire yearly athletic budget- would also be of benefit- moreso than even a Division I-AA national championship.

The main point that I have is I don't like the path ETSU athletics is on, which is beat up on the little kids and act like that's something. Nobody around here is paying any attention to it. I honestly can't remember when ETSU has received less media attention- and there is now more media than there ever was before!

Personally, yes, I think the way to get ETSU on the map is to openly speak of a plan in which the Bucs want to be a major player in the world of college athletics.

They'll tell you they already are. Remember those horrible PR radio spots saying ETSU is a "world reknowned athletic department?"

Again, they take us for fools and anyone going to Memorial Center to support it is a fool.

We know different.

My idea is to try and get into a major conference.

And I'm not alone. We've had tons of posters here wanting to see ETSU make a try for the CAA or Atlantic 10.

Clearly ETSU isn't going to get into the SEC tomorrow. They aren't getting into C-USA or the Sun Belt tomorrow, either.

But if ETSU made public statements about trying to get to that level, which could, in time, be feasible, then you'd see a buzz about ETSU athletics and the money they wish to raise for the new facilities would actually come in instead of the new facilities just being talking points as they are now.

The final note is there is a very strong arguement that can be made the Sun Belt would be a better home for ETSU than either the So Con or A-Sun not because of the level that they play, but the company they keep.

The enrollment, percentage of public schools, and the age of the member institutions of the three conferences makes the Sun Belt a much better match for a public school with an enrollment of 13,000 that started in 1911.

There's also a good chance with the number of teams- and the make up of teams in the conference- that the Sun Belt would take on new members in the years ahead.

MTSU mortaged the farm for Louisville, Uva and Maryland to come to the boro and Nashville, as did Troy for OK. State.
I didn't say for Ga. Southern to jump to the Big Ten, but the Sun Belt is terrible, you're automatically grouped with those directional Louisiana teams, as well as North Texas, which are all looked upon as a joke.
Ask Alabama fans how shocking the ULM loss was.
The SBC schools play the BCS teams to pay their coaches salaries, and hell may actually freeze over before a Sun Belt team gets into the BCS. Boise and Hawaii are in the WAC, which does have some name recognition, though not alot. The Sun Belt is considered the A-Sun of college football.
If I had the choice between the Sun Belt or I-AA football, I'd stick with I-AA.

That's a very Rollins College view of things. If USC-Upstate, Gulf Coast, and North Florida had those philosophies, none of them would be Division I now.

The fact is I and everyone else would rather see ETSU morgage the farm for Oklahoma State to come to Johnson City than be known as East Tennisee State.

Then build a facility that's worth playing in and worth having a big name come into. The dome isn't, plain and simple, it wasn't for football, it's not for basketball, it's a great place to practice and have an indoor track team. If Upstate, Gulf Coast and/or North Florida had football with what they already have, they wouldn't have came to the A-Sun. They're in the same boat we're in, the A-Sun was all that would take them based on not having a program.

IF they ever do get around to building a basketball gym it better be in vein of Chattanooga and not what Appalachian State did. It better be unique and a place that screams GLORY!

Andy- I agree with everything you say.

And why you come to the conclusion that East Tennisee State administration should be defended for these moves and I'm a bad guy is beyond all of us.

Gold- What I think ETSU should do, but they incredibly are not smart enough, is go into a partnership with the local government.

This area's arenas are obsolete. The area needs a new arena not just for ETSU hoops, but for local concerts and events and minor league sports.

It's not just about Memorial Center, but Freedom Hall as well.

So, why Stanton and Mullins wouldn't use some of their political pull to get public money for this arena is beyond me. They'd be able to shut up the football people with an indoor team.

But I guess when you're too focused on building up the tennis and golf teams, the obvious escapes you.

I fear that if the dome is ever replaced it will be replaced with something very uninspiring. That is one reason I don't want a new arena.

Most arenas are uninspiring.

Baseball parks and golf courses are inspiring. Maybe even race tracks.

Football stadiums and arenas are pretty much all the same.

I like the roundhouse..I liked ASU's old gym. I like the Charelston arena where the Southern Conference tournament was held. I like the Asheville Civic Center (if one were to make an enlarged version of it)

What I do not like is Appalachian State's new place, which is a slightly larger version than Western Carolina's half-assed Ramsey Center. It goes without saying that I've never been to an A-sun gym that I've been impressed with.

If ETSU were to build a place that would look unique, have at least two distinct levels, and yet feel claustrophobic (in a roundhouse sort of way) that would create a snake pit like atmosphere..then I'm all for a new arena. Anything short of that...keep the dome.

I don't disagree.

My thing is that I don't think a new arena is going to be built until after Mullins and Stanton leave. There is just no way Joe Johnson City is going to give him the money to build a new arena.

I agree with you there....Also notice the priority level...A new basketball arena is secondary to every other sport facility at ETSU. And as you've pointed out many times, the soccer stadium is insanely over schedule.

Let's say Stanton steps down after this year or the next (which I hear from a very good source he will) Who is in line to replace him? Because we need someone who will come in and with a strong desire to restore our honor.

Hope you're right about Stanton, but I've heard he wants to stay on until 2011, which would be the 100th Anniversary of the school.

You'd think someone might actually, I don't know- ASK HIM!?!?!!?!?

Let us hope he retires next year. I agree about the arena and making it a special place to watch games. Another cookie cutter we do not need but instead a real pit that other teams would dread coming to. But sadly a new arena is not even on the wall poster in the dome with renderings of facilities to come. Not even a picture.

I have to laugh when a fan of a directional school sneers at other 'directional' schools for striving to achieve in an arena his school is not even competing in.

The Sun Belt is much better than just six years ago and it will continue to get better. And for your information, Middle Tennessee did not "mortgage the farm" to have home games with any of the above. IIRC, $200K, for Virginia to come to the 'boro' with no return trip by MT is a bargain. Maybe for etsu, you would have to mortgage the farm, but consider the neighborhood you're in. Also, beside the teams you named, we have Georgia Tech coming to the boro in a few years and we just signed a 1 for 1 deal with Mississippi State - they'll be the first $ec team to come to the 'boro' - we would have liked vandy to come visit first, but they're too chicken-**** since they're 0-3 against Middle Tennessee this century.

No, we're not paying our coaches salaries off of revenue games. Another falsehood by someone who evidently has no clue as to what he's talking about. Matter of fact, looking on our schedule in coming years, outside of a game with Clemson in 2009 we do not have an out of conference game away that the school does not return the trip to Floyd. Our attendance is growing and will continue to grow. Our athletic budget ($17.3M) is one of the largest in the Sun Belt and we've won three out of the last five all sports trophies. In the last year, we've added a new track and soccer stadium, we're building a $6.6M baseball stadium, we've added new open air boxes to the FB stadium because of the demand, and just this fall added three state of the art video board displays to our FB stadium and Murphy Center. Despite some struggles in men's basketball we're #2 in attendance in the conference, women's basketball leads the conference in attendance. No, contrary to the picture your'e trying to paint, we're not in bad financial shape for a Sun Belt program.

As for as the BC$, who knows, give the conference a few more years, we'll see. I do know one thing, there's not one real MT fan that would want to go back to the bad old days of 1aa. In the early nineties, Middle Tennessee had a set of leaders who saw that staying 1aa was not a viable option and made the decision to move ahead with a plan to go 1A. I can't say it's not been painful at times, but after 9 years in 1A/FCS, we would never vote to go back. It's been a good thing for the university, one that continues to grow, one now with an enrollment that exceeds 23,000 and we'll continue to see that rise in coming years.

81- Is that really even a surprise?

Our athletic mission is to boost the non-revenue sports ahead of the revenue ones. That comes from hiring a tennis coach as the AD, and is why you don't hire a non-revenue sport guy to be the AD.

You know who has a non-revenue sport AD? Juniata. Remember them- the game Ed DeChellis scheduled to improve his lot to get the Penn State job? Their AD is the volleyball coach.

So we have a Division III mentality running the athletic program.

It's gotten to the point where you have to call them liars. Tell a regional TV audience your softball field will begin construction in April and don't even accept a bid until the fall.

Don't have your soccer stadium built by the beginning of the season? Say it will be built by November- like that does any good when the season will be over then.

And here it is, December 7, and the stands aren't completed yet.

I don't know whether the Johnson City Press staff are a bunch of lapdogs because they print stories like "Memorial Center to be raised by 2014" and the recent feature on the proposed new baseball park or if they are brilliant because they are simply letting East Tennisee State hang themselves.

Gotta remember this about Lover- I've tweaked his nose so much and have so much more knowledge than he does it bothers him.

So his only agenda on here is to just try to refute what I say.

As you proved with that post, he generally posts absurd notions that bend over backwards to defend an athletic administration he claims he does not agree with.

Taking a look back- every ETSU and UTC fan should look at MTSU and was themselves "Why wasn't that us?"

Think "The Boro" and you think Nashville metro. Think Chattanooga and ETSU and you think of the leading athletic entity in their market.

Perhaps that's why ETSU and Chattanooga are sort of resigned to their positions and don't make significant strides to get better, though I would say the Mocs have made some strides to that end- new football stadium- hiring Jeff Lebo- changing the name to Chattanooga to gain more identity.

Still, that's not like what MTSU has done.

It does resonate. If I want to put a branch for my corporation in Tennessee- do I want to do it in a metro area that now has TWO major universities- or do I want to do it in an area that allows it's University to be fat and regressive?

Oh. Wait. There's the pharmacy school.

Which has about as much influence as keeping graduates in the area once they graduate as ETSU's drama department does.

Pitt---

I'm not defending them, I'm just saying there's plenty of blame to be placed upon the previous administrations as well. Lee Harvey Oswald was just as guilty as the people who told him to shoot JFK. I'll always believe that Stanton and Mullins are spineless jellyfish, the sad thing for Paul E is he was too damn stupid to realize that when he did what he did, it immediately pigeon-holed him at ETSU forever. He had no shot at the UT job. They'll be gone soon enough.
Next, SpaceRaider,
I wasn't sneering at you guys for doing what you did. One of my roommates is friends with two of the guys that play at MTSU, and I'm extremely happy you guys are atleast heading in the right direction. What a shame you're not in Nashville, recruiting would be ten times easier. I've been to Murfreesboro, you have a psycho girl that we ran out of Johnson City and a great shoe store (French's kicks ass), that about covers it. So MTSU and Troy are doing great, okay good, that's about two CURRENTLY playing football schools that are in good shape. Other than ULM's little suprise at Alabama, how is the rest of the league? We know FIU for the Miami brawl, and the rest of the programs for living in the espn.com Bottom 10, and that includes MTSU quite alot. Don't get me going on Howard Schnellenberger, who's next to join the Sun Belt, Mike Dubose and Chan Gailey? Like I said, I'm glad for MTSU, I want the program down there to succeed, just as I do UT-Martin and until we get our program back, Chattanooga.
Go take a look at your per semester student fees vs. private fundraising.
BTW, 10,000 people on senior day for a conference game and a possible bowl bid. It's possible there will be more people at Salem Stadium tommorrow for Gate City vs. Gretna.

You're right, and the attendance number will not need to be inflated.

Sadly enough there wasn't 10,000 at the Blue Cross Bowl this weekend. I just wish the mid level teams (ourselves included) would realize where we are as of right now. I'm not saying to be happy with it, I'm saying be realistic about all things ETSU, atleast until we can get Grindstaff and daddy warbucks to shell out some $$$ to get the program back.