I was talking with some friends today and we were trying to figure out exactly what "is" USA football. Meaning....

A) What division will they technically be when they snap the football for the first time?
B) What is the timeline for getting to I-A?
C) How many recruits did you sign, and do you plan to sign each year? Are you bound by the yearly limits?
D) How does the moratorium set by the NCAA effect your transition?
E) What will the make-up of your schedule be for during each transition year?

(02-13-2009 10:45 PM)galojah Wrote:  I was talking with some friends today and we were trying to figure out exactly what "is" USA football. Meaning....

A) What division will they technically be when they snap the football for the first time?
B) What is the timeline for getting to I-A?
C) How many recruits did you sign, and do you plan to sign each year? Are you bound by the yearly limits?
D) How does the moratorium set by the NCAA effect your transition?
E) What will the make-up of your schedule be for during each transition year?

A. USA will start playing in the FCS.
B. They will start a 2-year transition from 2011-2012 and will be full FBS in 2013.
C. USA’s first-ever recruiting class is comprised of a total of 47 players, including a dozen who have already enrolled in school. I assume this is all of their players?
D. The moratorium shouldn't affect USA's move to FBS. They've already been approved to move up I believe.
E. From all I could find, USA plays at Tennessee starting in 2013 and has a four-game home-and-home series with Navy starting in 2013.

Here is a pdf of the timeline.

wow, that Navy game will be HUGE for them. with all the Naval bases in that area they should sell that one out quick!

(02-14-2009 09:27 AM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote:  wow, that Navy game will be HUGE for them. with all the Naval bases in that area they should sell that one out quick!

Troy needs to put South Alabama on their schedule sometime before 2013. I think that would be a great game, especially considering a possible sellout crowd. I don't think we've ever had 30,000. I think 26,000 at the Alcorn State game, of all of game no less, was the highest. We'll see about that UAB game this year.

Mizzou and OK State were both larger crowds than Alcorn State. I think Bama State was bigger too.

What makes anyone think USA can draw for football when I have since and heard of pathetic size crowds for its current key sport, basketball? Market size does not always directly afect attendance.

Bob brings up a good point. i think it'll be quite a while before South will be able to build a significant fan base. Troy will undoubtably dominate the early series with the Jaguars, as will most of their opponents. until they are able to bring in enough big recruits to match the rest of us, their following will be light. Since they are an upstart, they will also be plagued by the Auburn/Alabama controlled student body. Troy has had to deal with it and we've been playing football for over 100 years, so imagine the obstacle that sits in the way of South Alabama. I wonder if any of the students at USA are big Troy fans? Now THAT would be funny.

(02-14-2009 01:20 PM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote:  Bob brings up a good point. i think it'll be quite a while before South will be able to build a significant fan base. Troy will undoubtably dominate the early series with the Jaguars, as will most of their opponents. until they are able to bring in enough big recruits to match the rest of us, their following will be light. Since they are an upstart, they will also be plagued by the Auburn/Alabama controlled student body. Troy has had to deal with it and we've been playing football for over 100 years, so imagine the obstacle that sits in the way of South Alabama. I wonder if any of the students at USA are big Troy fans? Now THAT would be funny.

You guys, I hate to say it, are wrong. USA has absolutely no worries about attendance. They are having one down year in basketball and there are so many people in Mobile who have been without D1 football for a long time.

Their larger population and, hopefully, future home bowl game (GMAC) will help support their fan base for football. Their recruiting class in basketball this year will ensure their success at that level as well.

You want to talk about changes in basketball attendance? Talk about Troy...

We were probably averaging 700 or so to a game before the streak. Now we are getting 2,500 + at games.

Just reverse it and you have the same situation. No one except hard core fanatics go and see their school play sports during down times.

(02-14-2009 12:43 PM)BMarkey Wrote:  What makes anyone thin USA can draw for football when I have since and heard of pathetic size crowds for its current key sport, basketball? Market size does not always directly afect attendance.

USA is currently #4 in Belt basketball attendance with an average of 3,454.

(02-14-2009 06:53 PM)MeanGreen61 Wrote:  

(02-14-2009 12:43 PM)BMarkey Wrote:  What makes anyone thin USA can draw for football when I have since and heard of pathetic size crowds for its current key sport, basketball? Market size does not always directly afect attendance.

USA is currently #4 in Belt basketball attendance with an average of 3,454.

And they brought a hell of a crowd for the SBC tournament until they got eliminated.

Good for them, but I have seen and heard a couple of games that appeared to be poorly attended.

Football is a big jump. USA will have a huge 'Bama-'Burn-USM (even FSU) problem, where "fans" will keep an eye on the Jaguars while roots for their "real" teams.

Troy battles it, as does FAU, FIU, ASU, NT and others. USA will have even more of a problem then we established and (for the most part) winning programs.

(02-14-2009 07:44 PM)thetastygreek Wrote:  

(02-14-2009 06:53 PM)MeanGreen61 Wrote:  

(02-14-2009 12:43 PM)BMarkey Wrote:  What makes anyone thin USA can draw for football when I have since and heard of pathetic size crowds for its current key sport, basketball? Market size does not always directly afect attendance.

USA is currently #4 in Belt basketball attendance with an average of 3,454.

And they brought a hell of a crowd for the SBC tournament until they got eliminated.

I think USA will have no problem with their attendance. They are in a somewhat of a large market with no other D1 school in close proximaty.

They will have the same struggles we all have. Fighting the big state school that people blindly follow.

Mobile is a good destination though, look forward to coming down for a WKU game.

In a state with lots of established programs with lots of alumni spread out, market size means very little to attendance. Look at UAB, MTSU, FIU, FAU, NT and many others. In FAU's case, its main market (Palm Beach County and a few surrounding northern counties) has 2 million people. And that does not include Fort Lauderdale-Miami, just to the south.

Building a true (not second choice) following is a long, difficult process.

(02-15-2009 01:16 PM)galojah Wrote:  They will have the same struggles we all have. Fighting the big state school that people blindly follow.

Mobile is a good destination though, look forward to coming down for a WKU game.

That's because FAU sucks at everything.

USA on the other hand is in a great area with an all ready great fan base. Why are we expecting them to do poorly? I really don't see any reasons and only see speculation by everyone.

Just looking at all the other SBC schools and just being realistic. USA is a young institution (1960s?), no tradition in football, and lots of other very successful football programs in Alabama. Not sure where you can draw the conclusion they already have a "great fan base". It is not better than most SBC schools and we all struggle with attendance.

I am not saying they won't get a following, I am saying don't expect an average attendance of 30K or probably even 20K.

(02-15-2009 03:54 PM)galojah Wrote:  Just looking at all the other SBC schools and just being realistic. USA is a young institution (1960s?), no tradition in football, and lots of other very successful football programs in Alabama. Not sure where you can draw the conclusion they already have a "great fan base". It is not better than most SBC schools and we all struggle with attendance.

I am not saying they won't get a following, I am saying don't expect an average attendance of 30K or probably even 20K.

I didn't say great fan base like I meant they had 30,000 at every basketball game. And I don't expect them to average 30k at football games. I do expect them to be averaging around 20k in a couple of years.

They do have a good following in basketball and that was my point.

Yeah, yeah, "FAU sucks." You are a broken record with little to offer. Certainly, nothing positive.

BMarkey, Paul of Troy, do not get in a flame war. this board will not stand for that.

Concerning the question of players and the 47 recruits signed. There was over 110 players/walkons interested enough in the program to be working out this fall and should be about the same number with those enrolled and transfers in for the first spring practice. That spring practice is scheduled to begin 9 March, with some type of spring game probably in April. The framing is completed on the new 49000 sq ft pracatice facility, as well as three fields moving along nicely. One of the practice fields will have artificial turf which is probably being laid as I type this. I think that our attendance will be helped by the fact that many of the local players who've gone to Troy, USM, UAB and other schools will remain here and that will now drive the fan base some as well.
We were told that the seasosn ticket sales were going better than expected. But, I don't know what that equates too! We still have to sustain and build on that.