(11-17-2022 11:25 AM)JSUCleburneslim Wrote: But I'd have to say Jax St would have to be in that #1 spot. I don't think we have a naysayer. And CUSA was our preferred location before the latest realignment Armageddon. So win win for Jax St.
I have to agree about Jax State being in the 1 spot. We *DO* have naysayers, though, with that crowd split evenly between "wHy ArE wE tRyInG tO bE bAma?", "FBS is too expensive!", and, yes, "Why didn't we go to the Sun Belt?"
The first group are idiots. Ignore them.
The second group have their hearts in the right place, generally, but don't understand how expensive FCS football is. If you're good enough to make the playoffs, it winds up costing you even more money. The FCS Championship Game, especially, is a money pit.
Yes, FBS is more expensive. But even at the G5 level, the increased revenues and exposure more than make up for the added cost. I don't have time to break down the financials for every disgruntled Gamecock fan, but at least I understand why they're unhappy.
Finally, the third group. Their preference for the Sun Belt has nothing to do with any perceived advantage in strength or prestige. Instead, it's squarely rooted in one thing: familiarity with the teams. Most older JSU fans still consider troy state our #1 rival. Fans from the Mobile area would've liked to have seen us playing USA in conference. Fans from Georgia would've liked to have seen us playing Ga State and Ga Southern every season.
Everyone else is pretty much on the same page. CUSA may not be perfectly perfect in every way, but it's WAY better than being mired in the uncertainty and growing costs of FCS.
The fact that it gives us the option to (eventually) schedule home-and-homes with teams like UAB, troy state, USA, Ga Southern, Ga State, etc., is just a nice bonus.
Also... FCS teams won't be included in NCAA23.