Great Write up from Arkstfan on the Astatenation.com site

http://www.scout.com/college/arkansas-st...l-decision


"The new vision for the Sun Belt was football, a surprising decision to many. The nine-member circuit only had three I-A schools and only one I-AA member. The majority did not play football at any level...The Sun Belt has taken more than its share of bad press that is now starting to shake off, but without football, the Sun Belt would likely be a southern version of the Summit League struggling to get anyone to notice it exists."


fixed.

Great and informative read.

Would really prefer you not cut and paste the entire thing.

(06-15-2016 02:13 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Would really prefer you not cut and paste the entire thing.

I used the link to read for the very reason you posted this. Your site deserves the views for your work.

(06-15-2016 02:28 PM)AtlantaJag Wrote:  

(06-15-2016 02:13 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Would really prefer you not cut and paste the entire thing.

I used the link to read for the very reason you posted this. Your site deserves the views for your work.

Same here.

I'm not sure what to make of that article. when he says that in the early 2000's u-laf and ulm combined didnt have 10,000 at games..I can only look back to games between them and uta that I went to in the 70's and 80's that had way more attendance than that..was there a slump by these schools to near oblivion that I just dont remember? if so. times have sure changed for the better.

(06-15-2016 03:41 PM)runamuck Wrote:  I'm not sure what to make of that article. when he says that in the early 2000's u-laf and ulm combined didnt have 10,000 at games..I can only look back to games between them and uta that I went to in the 70's and 80's that had way more attendance than that..was there a slump by these schools to near oblivion that I just dont remember? if so. times have sure changed for the better.

I believe we've all had a slump to near football oblivion at some point. Well, except for UALR...and well UTA actually entered into Oblivion rather than come near it.

(06-15-2016 03:41 PM)runamuck Wrote:  I'm not sure what to make of that article. when he says that in the early 2000's u-laf and ulm combined didnt have 10,000 at games..I can only look back to games between them and uta that I went to in the 70's and 80's that had way more attendance than that..was there a slump by these schools to near oblivion that I just dont remember? if so. times have sure changed for the better.

2001 Sun Belt football year one the Cajuns drew 9000 and change per game and the future Warhawks 7000 and change and AState under 10000 and change. All had done better before but had been badly beaten down by their circumstances

(06-15-2016 05:15 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(06-15-2016 03:41 PM)runamuck Wrote:  I'm not sure what to make of that article. when he says that in the early 2000's u-laf and ulm combined didnt have 10,000 at games..I can only look back to games between them and uta that I went to in the 70's and 80's that had way more attendance than that..was there a slump by these schools to near oblivion that I just dont remember? if so. times have sure changed for the better.

I believe we've all had a slump to near football oblivion at some point. Well, except for UALR...and well UTA actually entered into Oblivion rather than come near it.

Yup, we're working on it right now.

Has Georgia Southern ever had a rough period in football, outside of the Hatcher years?

(06-15-2016 06:56 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  Has Georgia Southern ever had a rough period in football, outside of the Hatcher years?

I'm not sure we took a hit during the Hatcher years. If I recall correctly attendance was relatively normal during that time. The playoffs have always been the source of the lower attendance season averages. First rounds were usually poorly attended, less than 10,000 at times. Holidays, between semesters, and small town = lower attendance. It could be that in those years the numbers weren't impacted by the playoffs. To answer your questions no not to the degree mentioned above.

(06-15-2016 06:56 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  Has Georgia Southern ever had a rough period in football, outside of the Hatcher years?

Depends on point of view, but only one Hatcher team was completely unwatchable (2009) and what I would term bad. He did a remarkable job putting together a team in 2007 from what he inherited.

1996, losing season (4-7) ... first in the modern era. Came after a 1995 quarterfinal win beating Troy and Stowers getting fired in the offseason after a drubbing in Montana. Had an interim head coach with all the remaining assistants. All but one were let go at the end of the 1996 season.

PJ came on board in 1997 and turned it around immediately, so no rough period really.

After we lost to Texas State and Sewak was fired, of course we had that year that VanGorder was our coach (3-8) record and that was absolutely a rough period because he was horrible on multiple facets.

Since 1982, we've had a few 6-5 and 5-6 type seasons, and a smattering of 7 and 8 win years. With our near immediate success after re-starting football, the calibration for our fanbase of what constitutes a 'bad' period is defined differently than most programs.

(06-15-2016 09:01 PM)Oldyeller Wrote:  

(06-15-2016 06:56 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  Has Georgia Southern ever had a rough period in football, outside of the Hatcher years?

I'm not sure we took a hit during the Hatcher years. If I recall correctly attendance was relatively normal during that time. The playoffs have always been the source of the lower attendance season averages. First rounds were usually poorly attended, less than 10,000 at times. Holidays, between semesters, and small town = lower attendance. It could be that in those years the numbers weren't impacted by the playoffs. To answer your questions no not to the degree mentioned above.

Interesting point, before AState moved up there was sneering that we had never met the (then) 17,000 attendance standard. A point that was refuted by simply figuring regular season attendance by tossing out playoff games.
Starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving was a bear.

Using the article arkstfan wrote as a backstory, it is a good example of how timing is really everything.

Consider that in 1990, Sun Belt officials had come to campus in Statesboro when we were TAAC members and I-AA football independents. We had a relatively small student population and a relatively new but extremely successful football program. At that time we were drooling for an opportunity to get into the SoCon, to have a home for football.

A decade later, we were again at the pinnacle of I-AA football having played in 3 successive national title games ('98,'99,'00), winning two and with the Sun Belt starting up football it seemed like it was a step down competition wise. I remember feeling that way at the time, and have little doubt we would have had a successful transition on the football field. The SoCon from 1990-2000 was laden with some very good teams. But what we didn't have was solid growth in fan/booster support, and didn't take advantage of a burgeoning student population. We were just barely over maintenance mode from 1995-2010.

By the time our third window of opportunity arose, we were caught flatfooted to some degree by our stagnant approach to growth and by all the upstarts and new programs coming about. It took a new president and the outside pressures to force us to make a move, and had we not had the opening and opportunity we did I believe we would have forever remained a SoCon member.

I'm glad we made the leap when we did, although it is always going to be a "what-if" associated in my mind had we made the move circa 2000.

Chris Hatcher years were unwatchable outside of Jayson Fosters Payton Award season. The most boring offense imaginable.

(06-15-2016 03:41 PM)runamuck Wrote:  I'm not sure what to make of that article. when he says that in the early 2000's u-laf and ulm combined didnt have 10,000 at games..I can only look back to games between them and uta that I went to in the 70's and 80's that had way more attendance than that..was there a slump by these schools to near oblivion that I just dont remember? if so. times have sure changed for the better.

Our former President at the time practically destroyed Athletics

(06-15-2016 06:56 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  Has Georgia Southern ever had a rough period in football, outside of the Hatcher years?

Brian VanGorder....

(06-15-2016 10:22 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(06-15-2016 09:01 PM)Oldyeller Wrote:  

(06-15-2016 06:56 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  Has Georgia Southern ever had a rough period in football, outside of the Hatcher years?

I'm not sure we took a hit during the Hatcher years. If I recall correctly attendance was relatively normal during that time. The playoffs have always been the source of the lower attendance season averages. First rounds were usually poorly attended, less than 10,000 at times. Holidays, between semesters, and small town = lower attendance. It could be that in those years the numbers weren't impacted by the playoffs. To answer your questions no not to the degree mentioned above.

Interesting point, before AState moved up there was sneering that we had never met the (then) 17,000 attendance standard. A point that was refuted by simply figuring regular season attendance by tossing out playoff games.
Starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving was a bear.

Playoffs hurt attendance mostly because of the short turnaround from week to week. Your team wins on a Saturday you may be making plans early Sunday for a game the following Friday. That's just too difficult for most average fans.

Bowls you typically have 2-4 weeks to plan for a single game and a majority are held in nice places that are easy to travel to. Unlike say, Fargo North Dakota for a playoff game

(06-16-2016 06:38 AM)AppManDG Wrote:  

(06-15-2016 06:56 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  Has Georgia Southern ever had a rough period in football, outside of the Hatcher years?

Brian VanGorder....

Who? I don't remember him.

(06-15-2016 06:56 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  Has Georgia Southern ever had a rough period in football, outside of the Hatcher years?

December 5, 2015