(03-23-2012 03:24 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:16 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:11 PM)panama Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:09 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:04 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  I agree. They simply have to do a better job of self promotion.

I drive through there enough. I live in Morningside not Alpharetta. GSU has alot of students I get it but don't most inner city commuter colleges have alot of students. Having a huge enrollment does not equate to people coming out for a sports venue during the weekend especially when a good portion of your student body has a family to get home to.

Students going home is a problem at every school. Even Georgia football game student attendance is severely down. The key for us is having games people care about (i.e. not Richmond) and of course winning

and building a tradition. GSU is a johnnie come lately that throws up a football team and says "hey look at us we are in a big market". That only works for UTSA and I already told you why. GSU has to take its time for people to get to know it. A good amount of people in Atlanta still don't even know they have a football team yet.

Georgia State's presence in the city will grow and having relevant(see: FBS) football will help a lot with that as well as with the students hanging around on the weekends. Middle Tennessee was starting to shed the suitcase college problem when I got there in 2003, but it was still a pretty big problem, flash forward to today and there are thousands more students living around campus(there's been at least 7 or 8 large student focused apartment complexes open within two miles of campus in the last 8 or 9 years) and the bars and parties around town are much livelier on the weekends and as a result our student turnout at weekend football and basketball games has improved.

Georgia State football won't be a hit overnight, but a move to FBS will certainly accelerate the process.

We're already seeing that over the last 4 years as students move off campus into Kirkwood, Edgewood, Inman Park, and East Atlanta. You find a lots of students both working and partying at bars and restaurants on memorial Drive in Grant Park and in East Atlanta.

The only way the Sunbelt is going to add market schools is if it will improve their TV contract and I don't think ESPN is beating down their doors to dole out more money. So what would be the point until GSU gets its fan base built up. They are better off with a Texas State or App St. GSU one day can be a viable program but right now they just aren't there yet. As far as the Alliance goes, they are barely sniffing at UTSA right now and they average over 30k a game.

Youre probably right.

(03-23-2012 03:28 PM)panama Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:24 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:16 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:11 PM)panama Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:09 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  I drive through there enough. I live in Morningside not Alpharetta. GSU has alot of students I get it but don't most inner city commuter colleges have alot of students. Having a huge enrollment does not equate to people coming out for a sports venue during the weekend especially when a good portion of your student body has a family to get home to.

Students going home is a problem at every school. Even Georgia football game student attendance is severely down. The key for us is having games people care about (i.e. not Richmond) and of course winning

and building a tradition. GSU is a johnnie come lately that throws up a football team and says "hey look at us we are in a big market". That only works for UTSA and I already told you why. GSU has to take its time for people to get to know it. A good amount of people in Atlanta still don't even know they have a football team yet.

Georgia State's presence in the city will grow and having relevant(see: FBS) football will help a lot with that as well as with the students hanging around on the weekends. Middle Tennessee was starting to shed the suitcase college problem when I got there in 2003, but it was still a pretty big problem, flash forward to today and there are thousands more students living around campus(there's been at least 7 or 8 large student focused apartment complexes open within two miles of campus in the last 8 or 9 years) and the bars and parties around town are much livelier on the weekends and as a result our student turnout at weekend football and basketball games has improved.

Georgia State football won't be a hit overnight, but a move to FBS will certainly accelerate the process.

We're already seeing that over the last 4 years as students move off campus into Kirkwood, Edgewood, Inman Park, and East Atlanta. You find a lots of students both working and partying at bars and restaurants on memorial Drive in Grant Park and in East Atlanta.

maybe seniors party in those bars but you can't even find GT undergrads partying at bars in Atlanta. Atlanta is very strict about its underage drinking policies. And when i said families to get home to, I meant alot of GSU students already are raising families. Thats what a diploma mill does. gives adults a second chance at an education.

(03-23-2012 03:41 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:28 PM)panama Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:24 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:16 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:11 PM)panama Wrote:  Students going home is a problem at every school. Even Georgia football game student attendance is severely down. The key for us is having games people care about (i.e. not Richmond) and of course winning

and building a tradition. GSU is a johnnie come lately that throws up a football team and says "hey look at us we are in a big market". That only works for UTSA and I already told you why. GSU has to take its time for people to get to know it. A good amount of people in Atlanta still don't even know they have a football team yet.

Georgia State's presence in the city will grow and having relevant(see: FBS) football will help a lot with that as well as with the students hanging around on the weekends. Middle Tennessee was starting to shed the suitcase college problem when I got there in 2003, but it was still a pretty big problem, flash forward to today and there are thousands more students living around campus(there's been at least 7 or 8 large student focused apartment complexes open within two miles of campus in the last 8 or 9 years) and the bars and parties around town are much livelier on the weekends and as a result our student turnout at weekend football and basketball games has improved.

Georgia State football won't be a hit overnight, but a move to FBS will certainly accelerate the process.

We're already seeing that over the last 4 years as students move off campus into Kirkwood, Edgewood, Inman Park, and East Atlanta. You find a lots of students both working and partying at bars and restaurants on memorial Drive in Grant Park and in East Atlanta.

maybe seniors party in those bars but you can't even find GT undergrads partying at bars in Atlanta. Atlanta is very strict about its underage drinking policies. And when i said families to get home to, I meant alot of GSU students already are raising families. Thats what a diploma mill does. gives adults a second chance at an education.

Dude, just stop. I dont know if your Mother in Law is a GSU grad or what the deal is but come on. We had 31,000 applications for Fall 2011 Admission. Those were not from 27 to 35 year olds with families. Those were from high school Seniors. The school you're describing simply does not exist anymore. Do we still have night time adults commuting after work? Yes we do. But the school youre describing simply does not exist and has not for a long time. As for partying in bars in Atlanta, you obviously were never an under 21 student in Atlanta. :)

Panama, why are you pleading your case so hard with us, we have no decision making ability as to who does and does not come into the conference.

But your fun to get all stirred up.

(03-23-2012 04:06 PM)Usajags Wrote:  Panama, why are you pleading your case so hard with us, we have no decision making ability as to who does and does not come into the conference.

But your fun to get all stirred up.

Not pleading my case and certainly was not talking to you . Actually just dont get this LaTech fan and his agenda. He seems to have a serious GSU ax to grind

(03-23-2012 03:24 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:16 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:11 PM)panama Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:09 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:04 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  I agree. They simply have to do a better job of self promotion.

I drive through there enough. I live in Morningside not Alpharetta. GSU has alot of students I get it but don't most inner city commuter colleges have alot of students. Having a huge enrollment does not equate to people coming out for a sports venue during the weekend especially when a good portion of your student body has a family to get home to.

Students going home is a problem at every school. Even Georgia football game student attendance is severely down. The key for us is having games people care about (i.e. not Richmond) and of course winning

and building a tradition. GSU is a johnnie come lately that throws up a football team and says "hey look at us we are in a big market". That only works for UTSA and I already told you why. GSU has to take its time for people to get to know it. A good amount of people in Atlanta still don't even know they have a football team yet.

Georgia State's presence in the city will grow and having relevant(see: FBS) football will help a lot with that as well as with the students hanging around on the weekends. Middle Tennessee was starting to shed the suitcase college problem when I got there in 2003, but it was still a pretty big problem, flash forward to today and there are thousands more students living around campus(there's been at least 7 or 8 large student focused apartment complexes open within two miles of campus in the last 8 or 9 years) and the bars and parties around town are much livelier on the weekends and as a result our student turnout at weekend football and basketball games has improved.

Georgia State football won't be a hit overnight, but a move to FBS will certainly accelerate the process.

It will do more than accelerate the process. An invitation to the FBS is absolutely essential for it to happen at all. Ga State is unlikely to make itself relevant on its own, which means the SBC gets decide if an FBS Ga State is good for the membership or not.

(03-23-2012 03:24 PM)panama Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:16 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:11 PM)panama Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:09 PM)theATLDawg Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 03:04 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  I agree. They simply have to do a better job of self promotion.

I drive through there enough. I live in Morningside not Alpharetta. GSU has alot of students I get it but don't most inner city commuter colleges have alot of students. Having a huge enrollment does not equate to people coming out for a sports venue during the weekend especially when a good portion of your student body has a family to get home to.

Students going home is a problem at every school. Even Georgia football game student attendance is severely down. The key for us is having games people care about (i.e. not Richmond) and of course winning

and building a tradition. GSU is a johnnie come lately that throws up a football team and says "hey look at us we are in a big market". That only works for UTSA and I already told you why. GSU has to take its time for people to get to know it. A good amount of people in Atlanta still don't even know they have a football team yet.

I still have not heard a cogent reason as to why we have to wait. If a Troy fan or a Memphis fan or a Georgia fan says I have to wait then I may not agree but I understand why they are saying it. They have a years and years of tradition whereby they can tell GSU, hey youre a johnny come lately. USA, UTSA, GSU, Lamar and ODU started at the same time so for one to call any of the others a johnnie come lately does not compute.I can even understand the crazy old crabby guy saying he is going to call someone because he does not want us in his conference. That makes sense to me. "I dont want you in the SBC because I hate you!". I even understand the person who says, I dont want you in the SBC because youre going to just move on in a couple of years. But the idea that "well youre a johnny come lately who has to build tradition but I am ok with UTSA and USA who started at the same time" argument lacks logic. And the , "well they are on an FBS track already" also doesnt make sense either. Lucikly there are people paid to actually make logical decisions based upon accepted criteria. Some may even visit our non-existent campus. LOL

UTSA and TxSt would be viewed similarly to Ga State if they weren't already bound to FBS. Since they are, many of the reasons I would not want to elevate an FCS are moot. Whether the SBC wants it or not, they will be recruiting the same-type players as the rest of us and part of someone's TV package. Differences would be that they are from recruiting markets that the Sun Belt doesn't have much of a presence and, of course, that UTSA attendance.
All that being said, the age of the football programs isn't important to me.

I still have not heard a cogent reason as to why we have to wait. If a Troy fan or a Memphis fan or a Georgia fan says I have to wait then I may not agree but I understand why they are saying it. They have a years and years of tradition whereby they can tell GSU, hey youre a johnny come lately. USA, UTSA, GSU, Lamar and ODU started at the same time so for one to call any of the others a johnnie come lately does not compute.I can even understand the crazy old crabby guy saying he is going to call someone because he does not want us in his conference. That makes sense to me. "I dont want you in the SBC because I hate you!". I even understand the person who says, I dont want you in the SBC because youre going to just move on in a couple of years. But the idea that "well youre a johnny come lately who has to build tradition but I am ok with UTSA and USA who started at the same time" argument lacks logic. And the , "well they are on an FBS track already" also doesnt make sense either. Lucikly there are people paid to actually make logical decisions based upon accepted criteria. Some may even visit our non-existent campus. LOL

[/quote]

I do not think GA State should wait. I want them in the SBC. They make more sense than UNCC and UTSA.

The two big cities in the "South" are Atlanta and New Orleans.
I see GA State as an enhancement for the SBC.
[/quote]

Charlotte is the best move up candidate, in my opinion. Great and growing market, new recruiting territory, all around athletic excellence and good fan support.

Read through several of the past few pages. As a MTSU alum, I don't want to see a school welcomed into the "family" if they are already plotting their exit. I don't mind a school that eventually wants to move up but want to avoid the Boise & TCU scenarios. I want a school that is willing to give some time to the conference before they look for a greener pasture. Instead of putting a big $fee to leave the conference, make the school sign away their TV rights for 5 years. Thist will give the Sun Belt a little stability but not put such a high fee that schools could not afford to move up after the 5 year period.

This La Tech fan has no agenda with GSU but this Atlanta resident for 23 years calls BS on all your one man propaganda on a program that YES has potential but ain't nearly there yet. The truth is, in Atlanta Georgia State doesn't even have a real campus and most Atlanta Residents know it more as a stop on marta then a real university. Now if GSU wants to change that it is certainly possible but it needs to first start with developing a campus life before trying to convince itself that it is a football prowess. Most people hearing about his GSU around the country are going OH GEorgia State sounds real big time, but if you actually live here you know that it is not even a blip on the map. It is literally a bunch of midrises that blend into downtown Atlanta with a stop on Marta/ It has no real identity and it certainly doesn't resemble a college campus. And if you guys actually do get them into the Sunbelt, you will play a game at the dome stroll around into a beautiful quadrangle and say wow what a beautiful campus, until someone informs you that you have stumbled into Georgia Tech's campus and GSU is that cluster of buildings over on that end of the city. It seems that all this talk of market has given GSU and inflated head and if you are UTSA and bringing in 30k a game, I will believe the hype, but GSU is not doing that.

ESPN has turned these factory schools into monsters. They try to make us forget that real college football is the ULLs who cook cajun food in the parking lots or the La Tech fans who party around the lake. It's the flags flown out of the cars and bumper stickers at Troy and Middle Tennessee. It's about tradition and passion and fan base. Not FIU who can't get people off the beach on Saturday afternoon to come watch a game. It's the Southern Miss's of this world that make college football what it is and not some inner city diploma factory in a big market city with zero excitement.

(03-24-2012 03:12 AM)theATLDawg Wrote:  ESPN has turned these factory schools into monsters. They try to make us forget that real college football is the ULLs who cook cajun food in the parking lots or the La Tech fans who party around the lake. It's the flags flown out of the cars and bumper stickers at Troy and Middle Tennessee. It's about tradition and passion and fan base. Not FIU who can't get people off the beach on Saturday afternoon to come watch a game. It's the Southern Miss's of this world that make college football what it is and not some inner city diploma factory in a big market city with zero excitement.

:ncaabbs:

(03-24-2012 03:12 AM)theATLDawg Wrote:  ESPN has turned these factory schools into monsters. They try to make us forget that real college football is the ULLs who cook cajun food in the parking lots or the La Tech fans who party around the lake. It's the flags flown out of the cars and bumper stickers at Troy and Middle Tennessee. It's about tradition and passion and fan base. Not FIU who can't get people off the beach on Saturday afternoon to come watch a game. It's the Southern Miss's of this world that make college football what it is and not some inner city diploma factory in a big market city with zero excitement.

I think the pot shot at FIU is not needed and I don't think FIU is a good example, South Florida struggles with getting people to sports across the board, professional and college, that's not a FIU problem, that's a South Florida program. Look no further than Miami, I doubt there is a school in the country that has larger fluctuations in attendance based on the success of the team.

You paint the picture that the startups of the world can't possibly have real fans which I think is really unfair. Does an FIU or Georgia State have as many fans or as much tradition or pageantry as Louisiana Tech or Middle Tennessee? No, but we don't have as much as a Tennessee, Alabama, Ohio State etc. And the startups are much closer to being on the same level that we are, than we are at being on the same level as nation's top programs.

Furthermore, Georgia State and FIU both deserve more credit academically than you're giving them. They're both tier 2 national research universities. Georgia State's endowment is more than double Louisiana Tech's and FIU's is close to double.

I can appreciate your sentiments about college football tradition, but there are a lot of unnecessary and inaccurate pot shots throughout.

You obviously completely missed the point. I am not saying that Georgia State can't eventually get the fan base of any of the schools mentioned but it takes time, tradition and yes winning. ESPN has caused these do nothing schools to think they are gods very simply because they are in a big market. I mean I live in Atlanta and to hear people talk about GSU in the alliance actually makes me laugh. They are not even ready for the Sunbelt yet. And why no talk about FIU. They have done nothing to improve their facilities, have no fan base to think of. I will give them the fact that they have won a conference title. But lord give them this they sit in the middle of a big TV market. A market which you admit yourself is pathetically apathetic to sports. Look at some of the teams the Big East has added. Almost all of them were the biggest football underperformers in CUSA and MtW but they actually got rewarded for doing absolutely nothing while Southern Miss goes to nine straight bowl games and reaps no rewards.

Not going to make many friends by saying this but:

Potential is for losers. The last bastion of judging someone or some school by what could be done. Well, if it could be done, why hasn't it? At least show some inkling that there is going to be great things or huge progress.
TV markets, you make your own. Doesn't matter if you are in a huge city or out in the desert. If you build it, they will come (or tune in).

(03-24-2012 12:36 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  Not going to make many friends by saying this but:

Potential is for losers. The last bastion of judging someone or some school by what could be done. Well, if it could be done, why hasn't it? At least show some inkling that there is going to be great things or huge progress.
TV markets, you make your own. Doesn't matter if you are in a huge city or out in the desert. If you build it, they will come (or tune in).

I actually agree. Potential is a term often used by people lose often every school has potential technically.

Sometimes I really question why there even is a point of even having non AQ teams with the route the alliance is taking. It was fun being the underdog and beating the big boys when you put together a good squad then made a BCS bowl and if you do it enough you become a big boy. Now it's hey UNCC who doesn't even have a team yet should be our candidate because they are in a big city!

If the alliance expands to 24 I can see the day coming when the big six just pack up their bags and leave for another division of football where they no longer have to share with the Non AQ teams. And they will make it to where they have a playoff and they can play all the current NON AQ teams as OOC games.

(03-24-2012 02:18 PM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  If the alliance expands to 24 I can see the day coming when the big six just pack up their bags and leave for another division of football where they no longer have to share with the Non AQ teams. And they will make it to where they have a playoff and they can play all the current NON AQ teams as OOC games.

We'd never agree to such a thing, which is one of the fundamental reasons there will never be a split off.

(03-24-2012 08:53 AM)theATLDawg Wrote:  You obviously completely missed the point. I am not saying that Georgia State can't eventually get the fan base of any of the schools mentioned but it takes time, tradition and yes winning. ESPN has caused these do nothing schools to think they are gods very simply because they are in a big market. I mean I live in Atlanta and to hear people talk about GSU in the alliance actually makes me laugh. They are not even ready for the Sunbelt yet. And why no talk about FIU. They have done nothing to improve their facilities, have no fan base to think of. I will give them the fact that they have won a conference title. But lord give them this they sit in the middle of a big TV market. A market which you admit yourself is pathetically apathetic to sports. Look at some of the teams the Big East has added. Almost all of them were the biggest football underperformers in CUSA and MtW but they actually got rewarded for doing absolutely nothing while Southern Miss goes to nine straight bowl games and reaps no rewards.

You have no clue whatsoever of what you are talking about. You are only talking based on blind hate and plain ignorance, perhaps threatened because you dislike the fact FIU sits in one media market that overshadows little Ruston. Check your facts about how much FIU has grown and improved our facilities in the past 10 years, and....academically speaking....you are as way off as any ignorant poster here has ever been. Do some research before making such stupid comments. I'll take Miami and suburban Miami 1 million times over the great megalopolis of Ruston....Geez.....