https://twitter.com/AppTrailWSJ/status/ ... 7392915456" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;Appalachian State will accept an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference this week, probably on Wednesday, according to a source at ASU
I think Liberty fans should simply accept the fact that no conference wants them. I think the SoCon would do well with Coastal, Liberty, and maybe even stealing W&M as well.Ibanez wrote:This leaves two interesting vacancies with the SOCON. Maybe Coastal Carolina can move up. Either way, good luck to both schools. This will make it interesting.
Those three schools would be great additions.∞∞∞ wrote:I think Liberty fans should simply accept the fact that no conference wants them. I think the SoCon would do well with Coastal, Liberty, and maybe even stealing W&M as well.Ibanez wrote:This leaves two interesting vacancies with the SOCON. Maybe Coastal Carolina can move up. Either way, good luck to both schools. This will make it interesting.
I think you should move out of your mom's basement.∞∞∞ wrote:I think Liberty fans should simply accept the fact that no conference wants them.Ibanez wrote:This leaves two interesting vacancies with the SOCON. Maybe Coastal Carolina can move up. Either way, good luck to both schools. This will make it interesting.
I suppose that "BS.com" wasn't catchy? (Albeit highly accurate.)∞∞∞ wrote:If Appy and GSU fans want to help, we can breath life into http://www.bowlsubdivision.com again.
edit: I see that there is no forum anymore. Goddamnit, I was a mod!
That isn't what Jesus would do.Libertine wrote:I think you should move out of your mom's basement.∞∞∞ wrote: I think Liberty fans should simply accept the fact that no conference wants them.
Appalachian State’s wait for a move up to the NCAA’s highest level of football appears to be over.
University officials will accept an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference later this week, probably Wednesday, according to a source at ASU familiar with the negotiations.
The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because neither the school nor the conference has made an announcement.
Details of the move — such as the exact date that ASU will join the Sun Belt — are being worked out, but ASU could begin competition in the Sun Belt in 2014 in all 18 sports the conference offers.
The move will take the Mountaineers to the Football Bowl Subdivision. They have competed in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) since 1981. FBS schools can offer as many as 22 more scholarships than FCS schools.
Appalachian will leave the Southern Conference, where it has been a member since 1971. The Southern Conference has an exit fee of $600,000 for programs leaving in less than two years after giving notice.
The Sun Belt has been in need of new members after dropping to eight football schools when Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Middle Tennessee and North Texas announced that they would move to Conference USA.
Georgia Southern, also in the Southern Conference, is among other schools considered for Sun Belt expansion. Commissioner Karl Benson of the Sun Belt has said that there is a possibility of the Sun Belt expanding to have 12 football-playing schools.
ASU decided to pursue a move to the FBS in August 2011 and has been seeking and awaiting an invitation from an FBS conference since.
The move will increase costs for ASU’s athletics program but will generate more revenue, a feasibility-study committee said before recommending a move to the FBS.
Sun Belt members for football in 2013 will be Arkansas State, Georgia State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy and Western Kentucky. Arkansas-Little Rock and Texas-Arlington compete in other sports but not football.
Georgia State, Texas-Arlington and Texas State will be new to the Sun Belt at the start of the next academic year. All Sun Belt members are public universities.
ASU’s average regular-season attendance for home football games in 2012 was 27,964 and higher than all eight remaining Sun Belt football schools. The Mountaineers have won three FCS national championships.
Four Sun Belt teams — Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe and Western Kentucky — played in bowl games last season, and the league has automatic tie-ins to the New Orleans Bowl and the GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
In men’s basketball, the Sun Belt last received multiple NCAA Tournament berths for the second time in six years when Middle Tennessee State and Western Kentucky made the field.
ASU has a 6-3 all-time record against the remaining eight Sun Belt football members and is 6-4 in basketball against the 2013-14 Sun Belt members.
Nothing against Liberty, but the statement seems increasingly true. Maybe the Sun Belt will pull you guys aboard with all the defections going on there, but when I read that they're looking at Idaho and NMSU before the Liberty's and Jacksonville State's of the world (FCS schools that have made their intentions clear), I think the door is quickly closing on LU. Liberty would make a fantastic addition to the SoCon, and that's not necessarily a bad thing for you guys considering it's still a big step up from the Big South.Libertine wrote:I think you should move out of your mom's basement.∞∞∞ wrote: I think Liberty fans should simply accept the fact that no conference wants them.
Agreed. I'm a bit lukewarm on this, although it's been in motion for a long time now. Makes that Montana trip this year a bit more of a priority.grizzaholic wrote:Well mother fucker. Sad day in FCS.
I spoke with an App State grad here in town last Thursday and he was not really happy about the move. He was hoping that App State would make a good go of it and be halfway relevant instead of a also-ran or drop back down in a couple years with their tail between their legs and having lost a ton of money.ASUG8 wrote:Agreed. I'm a bit lukewarm on this, although it's been in motion for a long time now. Makes that Montana trip this year a bit more of a priority.grizzaholic wrote:Well mother fucker. Sad day in FCS.
The geography portion is the biggest issue for me - I can be in Atlanta in a couple of hours and Statesboro in just a little more. Aside from that it's a hike to get to Troy or MTSU at just over 5 hrs. by car. I know BSC fans are used to that, but it'll be a struggle to fill seats in N. Texas or God forbid Las Cruces. Does anyone besides UM make money in BSC football?grizzaholic wrote:I spoke with an App State grad here in town last Thursday and he was not really happy about the move. He was hoping that App State would make a good go of it and be halfway relevant instead of a also-ran or drop back down in a couple years with their tail between their legs and having lost a ton of money.ASUG8 wrote:
Agreed. I'm a bit lukewarm on this, although it's been in motion for a long time now. Makes that Montana trip this year a bit more of a priority.
Depends on who you listen to. Montana breaks even, or loses money if you listen to some, it makes a killing if you listen to others. I think the Bobcats make some dollars and cents and EWU, with their new renovations, might be doing ok now.ASUG8 wrote:The geography portion is the biggest issue for me - I can be in Atlanta in a couple of hours and Statesboro in just a little more. Aside from that it's a hike to get to Troy or MTSU at just over 5 hrs. by car. I know BSC fans are used to that, but it'll be a struggle to fill seats in N. Texas or God forbid Las Cruces. Does anyone besides UM make money in BSC football?grizzaholic wrote:
I spoke with an App State grad here in town last Thursday and he was not really happy about the move. He was hoping that App State would make a good go of it and be halfway relevant instead of a also-ran or drop back down in a couple years with their tail between their legs and having lost a ton of money.
MTSU is in CUSA next year. With WKU also leaving, the SBC will look like this:ASUG8 wrote:The geography portion is the biggest issue for me - I can be in Atlanta in a couple of hours and Statesboro in just a little more. Aside from that it's a hike to get to Troy or MTSU at just over 5 hrs. by car. I know BSC fans are used to that, but it'll be a struggle to fill seats in N. Texas or God forbid Las Cruces. Does anyone besides UM make money in BSC football?
DelMarVa douche!93henfan wrote:I wish both scho....
I wish Georgia Southern the best!
Troy and Samford are washes for me. The SC schools always made for good road trips, but ATL is close enough. I'm not high on the SBC, but I do think it's a move App State must make. My hope is that in the coming years more realignment happens in regard to conferences becoming more compact and geographically sound at the FBS level.ASUG8 wrote:The geography portion is the biggest issue for me - I can be in Atlanta in a couple of hours and Statesboro in just a little more. Aside from that it's a hike to get to Troy or MTSU at just over 5 hrs. by car. I know BSC fans are used to that, but it'll be a struggle to fill seats in N. Texas or God forbid Las Cruces. Does anyone besides UM make money in BSC football?grizzaholic wrote:
I spoke with an App State grad here in town last Thursday and he was not really happy about the move. He was hoping that App State would make a good go of it and be halfway relevant instead of a also-ran or drop back down in a couple years with their tail between their legs and having lost a ton of money.
