(04-06-2014 06:45 PM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  

(04-06-2014 06:19 PM)MJG Wrote:  

(04-06-2014 10:04 AM)ODUalum78 Wrote:  I have thought that EKU was ultimately the answer for the SBC eastern add for some time.
-It has the size and almost perfect geographic location for the SBC (and App State).
-It has good FCS playoff caliber football and has shown an ability to fill it's stadium (24,000 WKY 2004) when the competition was exciting, which should be the case most of the time in FBS.
-It has a perennial top 100 RPI men's basketball program. That has to be huge.
-It is in a very good television market (63).

Some negatives have been posted.
The football stadium may not be the best, but it DOES meet FBS capacity requirements right now.
The EKU athletic budget, while small is still a bit larger than that of GaSo, and Southern has done just fine.

IMO, the SBC should add UMass in the short term for football only; for the instant ccg, and then add EKU for the eastern long term program.
With it's continued success in mbb; UConn's longevity in the AAC is very suspect, and likely UMass replaces them in a few years.

Would EKU take an Olympic sports membership with a football inclusion promised. The next football spot being theirs pairing them with UMASS.

UMASS...like Idaho don't need to be paired with anyone since they would be football only members. EKU would be paired with Appalachian State.

Not as a travel partner but paired as in adding two who work as one. UTA, UALR are IDAHO and NMSU Olympic partners in a way. Twelve teams for Olympic or football gives EKU a promise to fundraise with . Time to make what ever improvements are needed. UMASS already being FBS and stadium construction currently going on helps the situation.