(05-14-2012 12:27 PM)tw_fatcat Wrote:  

(05-14-2012 09:20 AM)OwlFamily Wrote:  

(05-14-2012 08:39 AM)RaiderDoug Wrote:  Just say No to FCSers and startups who haven't given one shred of evidence that they will contribute to the conference.

Let UNF start football and ask us again in 15 years.

While I agree tell that to CUSA. They just took a team in the same situation in UNCC.

Don't forget UTSA

no comparison..utsa twice as many students..twice as many degree programs..much higher standing as a university...

UNF actually has put a lot into their athletic programs lately - $30 million project not too long ago and a new 3,000 seat baseball stadium. They've got potential in Jacksonville, but I'd of course be super cautious about MORE FCS programs...

(05-15-2012 01:57 PM)mtsufan561 Wrote:  UNF actually has put a lot into their athletic programs lately - $30 million project not too long ago and a new 3,000 seat baseball stadium. They've got potential in Jacksonville, but I'd of course be super cautious about MORE FCS programs...

Can we just focus on the top four programs for expansion.

1) Georgia Southern
2) Appalaicahan State
3) NM State
4) James Madison

Its gonna be a while before we realistically get into

1) North Florida
2) West Florida
3) Jacksonville State
4) Missouri State
5) Liberty
6) Delaware
7) Lamar
8) Sam Houston State

Its all good that UNF is building a baseball stadium. Or that Liberty can fill blank programming on its religious networks with their athletic programming on rarely watched, obscure channels. Or that Beaumont really supports Lamar. But it really shouldn't be relevant to the Sun Belt now, or in the medium term future.

(05-15-2012 02:13 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(05-15-2012 01:57 PM)mtsufan561 Wrote:  UNF actually has put a lot into their athletic programs lately - $30 million project not too long ago and a new 3,000 seat baseball stadium. They've got potential in Jacksonville, but I'd of course be super cautious about MORE FCS programs...

Can we just focus on the top four programs for expansion.

1) Georgia Southern
2) Appalaicahan State
3) NM State
4) James Madison

Its gonna be a while before we realistically get into

1) North Florida
2) West Florida
3) Jacksonville State
4) Missouri State
5) Liberty
6) Delaware
7) Lamar
8) Sam Houston State

Its all good that UNF is building a baseball stadium. Or that Liberty can fill blank programming on its religious networks with their athletic programming on rarely watched, obscure channels. Or that Beaumont really supports Lamar. But it really shouldn't be relevant to the Sun Belt now, or in the medium term future.

You have to be proactive in this environment.

You have to scratch NMSU due to travel cost. UNF is in the footprint and has the size.

The top four would be

1) Georgia Southern
2) Appalaicahan State
3) Missouri State
4) North Florida

Then you would have to consider Lamar.

Florida Jag, C'mon man. You aren't really serious about this UNF stuff, are you? If so, ...wait.....oh...that's right, this a broken record!

(05-15-2012 02:25 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  

(05-15-2012 02:13 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(05-15-2012 01:57 PM)mtsufan561 Wrote:  UNF actually has put a lot into their athletic programs lately - $30 million project not too long ago and a new 3,000 seat baseball stadium. They've got potential in Jacksonville, but I'd of course be super cautious about MORE FCS programs...

Can we just focus on the top four programs for expansion.

1) Georgia Southern
2) Appalaicahan State
3) NM State
4) James Madison

Its gonna be a while before we realistically get into

1) North Florida
2) West Florida
3) Jacksonville State
4) Missouri State
5) Liberty
6) Delaware
7) Lamar
8) Sam Houston State

Its all good that UNF is building a baseball stadium. Or that Liberty can fill blank programming on its religious networks with their athletic programming on rarely watched, obscure channels. Or that Beaumont really supports Lamar. But it really shouldn't be relevant to the Sun Belt now, or in the medium term future.

You have to be proactive in this environment.

You have to scratch NMSU due to travel cost. UNF is in the footprint and has the size.

The top four would be

1) Georgia Southern
2) Appalaicahan State
3) Missouri State
4) North Florida

Then you would have to consider Lamar.

That is better. JMU is waaay of footprint

(05-15-2012 02:43 PM)RidgeRunner Wrote:  

(05-15-2012 02:25 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  

(05-15-2012 02:13 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(05-15-2012 01:57 PM)mtsufan561 Wrote:  UNF actually has put a lot into their athletic programs lately - $30 million project not too long ago and a new 3,000 seat baseball stadium. They've got potential in Jacksonville, but I'd of course be super cautious about MORE FCS programs...

Can we just focus on the top four programs for expansion.

1) Georgia Southern
2) Appalaicahan State
3) NM State
4) James Madison

Its gonna be a while before we realistically get into

1) North Florida
2) West Florida
3) Jacksonville State
4) Missouri State
5) Liberty
6) Delaware
7) Lamar
8) Sam Houston State

Its all good that UNF is building a baseball stadium. Or that Liberty can fill blank programming on its religious networks with their athletic programming on rarely watched, obscure channels. Or that Beaumont really supports Lamar. But it really shouldn't be relevant to the Sun Belt now, or in the medium term future.

You have to be proactive in this environment.

You have to scratch NMSU due to travel cost. UNF is in the footprint and has the size.

The top four would be

1) Georgia Southern
2) Appalaicahan State
3) Missouri State
4) North Florida

Then you would have to consider Lamar.

That is better. JMU is waaay of footprint

Note: UNF is 5 hours drive time to Atlanta and Boca Raton. It is about 3.5 hours drive time to Ga Southern if you are coming from South of Jacksonville.

(05-15-2012 02:40 PM)JoeJag Wrote:  Florida Jag, C'mon man. You aren't really serious about this UNF stuff, are you? If so, ...wait.....oh...that's right, this a broken record!

Agreed. GaSouthern and Appy are in our footprint (or close enough), want to join FBS, and have success in FCS. They also aren't in a media shadow in their market areas/regions.

NM State isn't in our footprint, but...it is an existing FBS program with scheduling in place.

JMU isn't in our footprint, but they want to join FBS, have awesome facilities and a history of success in FCS.

-------------------------------------

North Florida is in our footprint, but they are years away from FBS and they don't have a history of success in FCS.

Liberty isn't in our footprint, no history of success in FCS, and they are a private school

Missouri State is close enough to the footprint, but they apparently aren't interested. If they announced that they were interested, they WOULD be in the top three. But no interest = no interest.

Lamar is in our footprint, but they have no history of success in football and left the Sun Belt for basketball (!) to downgrade because they couldn't compete. The own the Beaumont media market, but that market has no growth potential.

Jacksonville State is in a media shadow.

Delaware is out of our footprint

I'd rather let CUSA take UNF. They have a biiiiig market.

(05-15-2012 02:40 PM)JoeJag Wrote:  Florida Jag, C'mon man. You aren't really serious about this UNF stuff, are you? If so, ...wait.....oh...that's right, this a broken record!

C.mon JoeJag,

I was right about UTSA, Ga State and UNCC.

If USA can start a program, why not UNF. Do some research and you will find that UNF compares nicely to USA.

(05-15-2012 02:58 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  

(05-15-2012 02:40 PM)JoeJag Wrote:  Florida Jag, C'mon man. You aren't really serious about this UNF stuff, are you? If so, ...wait.....oh...that's right, this a broken record!

C.mon JoeJag,

I was right about UTSA, Ga State and UNCC.

If USA can start a program, why not UNF. Do some research and you will find that UNF compares nicely to USA.

Yes, UNF can start a program like USA did. In 2008. Perhaps if they started up in FCS now, in about 4 years.................. we could possibly consider them.

(05-15-2012 03:03 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(05-15-2012 02:58 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  

(05-15-2012 02:40 PM)JoeJag Wrote:  Florida Jag, C'mon man. You aren't really serious about this UNF stuff, are you? If so, ...wait.....oh...that's right, this a broken record!

C.mon JoeJag,

I was right about UTSA, Ga State and UNCC.

If USA can start a program, why not UNF. Do some research and you will find that UNF compares nicely to USA.

Yes, UNF can start a program like USA did. In 2008. Perhaps if they started up in FCS now, in about 4 years.................. we could possibly consider them.

Yes, that is what I was talking about. Start building a relationship with UNF now. In two years they announce starting a football program and then they would be invited in 2017.

(05-14-2012 12:47 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  

(05-14-2012 12:43 PM)Dedsquirrl Wrote:  You forgot UALR FloridaJag.

Sorry, I was thinking Football.

West

Arkansas Little Rock
Arkansas State
Louisiana Lafayette
South Alabama
Texas Arlington
Texas State
Troy

East

Appalachian State
Florida Atlantic
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Middle Tennessee
North Florida
Western Kentucky

You also left out ULM. not that I have a problem with that

(05-15-2012 03:24 PM)cajunfan32 Wrote:  

(05-14-2012 12:47 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  

(05-14-2012 12:43 PM)Dedsquirrl Wrote:  You forgot UALR FloridaJag.

Sorry, I was thinking Football.

West

Arkansas Little Rock
Arkansas State
Louisiana Lafayette
South Alabama
Texas Arlington
Texas State
Troy

East

Appalachian State
Florida Atlantic
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Middle Tennessee
North Florida
Western Kentucky

You also left out ULM. not that I have a problem with that

I did that because it appears that the State of Louisiana is having budget issues like all of the other states. ULM might be seeing more cuts that may force it to drop to FCS in a couple of years.

(05-14-2012 08:36 AM)FloridaJag Wrote:  I think the University of North Florida would be a great addition to the Sun Belt. It is located in Jacksoville, Florida and has and enrollment of 16,000 students. It does not have football at the moment but would be a great addition to the Sun Belt when it adds football.

How do you feel about UNF?

If you think UNF would be a "great addition" to the SBC, then why not Kennesaw State, West Florida, Coastal Carolina, Charleston Southern, Stetson, UNC-Wilmington, etc.? All very nice schools, but could any of them support a FBS football program right now? Most Belt fans would be vehemently opposed to any of these schools. The conference needs to add teams that will enhance it's strength and quality of play, not for the novelty of having a bunch of schools without FBS football programs (although CCU and CSU play Div.IAA). We need programs such as App State, TXST, and Georgia State that have already stepped up and made that commitment. Maybe someday when these other schools have, then a conference may be in place to admit them. USA has been a member of the SBC in all required sports, with the exception of football since the early 70s and is the only continuing charter member.

(05-15-2012 04:03 PM)JoeJag Wrote:  

(05-14-2012 08:36 AM)FloridaJag Wrote:  I think the University of North Florida would be a great addition to the Sun Belt. It is located in Jacksoville, Florida and has and enrollment of 16,000 students. It does not have football at the moment but would be a great addition to the Sun Belt when it adds football.

How do you feel about UNF?

If you think UNF would be a "great addition" to the SBC, then why not Kennesaw State, West Florida, Coastal Carolina, Charleston Southern, Stetson, UNC-Wilmington, etc.? All very nice schools, but could any of them support a FBS football program right now? Most Belt fans would be vehemently opposed to any of these schools. The conference needs to add teams that will enhance it's strength and quality of play, not for the novelty of having a bunch of schools without FBS football programs (although CCU and CSU play Div.IAA). We need programs such as App State, TXST, and Georgia State that have already stepped up and made that commitment. Maybe someday when these other schools have, then a conference may be in place to admit them. USA has been a member of the SBC in all required sports, with the exception of football since the early 70s and is the only continuing charter member.

I agree with your assesment. I was looking over the horizon and wanted to take at the UNF's prospects.

If any public university in Florida adds football in the next 10 years I'd bet money on it being Florida Gulf Coast (Ft. Myers/Naples area). Just find it funny that I see UNF and especially UWF tossed around so much but never an FGCU mention. And you all know UWF is D-II, right? If it was mentioned I obviously missed it.

(05-15-2012 08:22 PM)JustAnotherName Wrote:  If any public university in Florida adds football in the next 10 years I'd bet money on it being Florida Gulf Coast (Ft. Myers/Naples area). Just find it funny that I see UNF and especially UWF tossed around so much but never an FGCU mention. And you all know UWF is D-II, right? If it was mentioned I obviously missed it.

I have previoulsy posted about FGCU and was hammered. FGCU did a study and concluded they were not ready for football due to the lack of alumni. The school has been in existence for just over a decade. The Alumni page claims over 10,000 alumni but remember that does not mean degrees awarded. You are considered an alumnus if you attended a school for just one term.

FGCU graduated 1,200 this past Spring. I would guess that FGCU has about 4,000 graduates that attended 4 to 5 years (freshman to senior).

For example: South Alabama just passed 75,000 degrees awarded this year but probably has more than 300,000 alumni.

Atleast Coastal Carolina has the money and a football program to move up. UNF has a facilitiy that's ready made for football, but with no program, and their most successful basketball season being this year, a .500 season with ETSU, Jacksonville and Lipscomb all down from their normal level in a bad conference they are nowhere NEAR ready to move to a conference with a higher profile. UNF at this point is more than 10 years away from graduating from the Homeless Shelter Conference.

UNF has more students than ULM. I think it comes down to how many "seasoned" alumni that can contribute to the boosters. The number of alumni a school has above the age of 65 appears to be a benchmark.