East Tennessee State Football

[mcveyrl]

Not that many care during Championship Week, but the local (Johnson City) paper had a story about the feasibility study being conducted at ETSU. Report should be ready next week.

http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.php?Cat=SPORTS&ID=58347

I thought the schools they visited were interesting. Three SoCon teams: ASU, Furman and Wofford, plus Austin Peay and CCU.

No mention of what conference they're looking at, but I would think they would really need to decide where they want to go in order to completely evaluate their costs.

If I see anything else on the report I'll post it.

[lizrdgizrd]

Not that many care during Championship Week, but the local (Johnson City) paper had a story about the feasibility study being conducted at ETSU. Report should be ready next week.

http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.php?Cat=SPORTS&ID=58347

I thought the schools they visited were interesting. Three SoCon teams: ASU, Furman and Wofford, plus Austin Peay and CCU.

No mention of what conference they're looking at, but I would think they would really need to decide where they want to go in order to completely evaluate their costs.

If I see anything else on the report I'll post it.
I would think this would be a perfect team to add to the SoCon. Or re-add I guess. UTC would get a travel partner and we'd get an old SoCon football team back. Sounds like a win-win to me. :cool:

[DinoDex200]

Not that many care during Championship Week, but the local (Johnson City) paper had a story about the feasibility study being conducted at ETSU.

I would say it's pretty feasible...considering it's been done before. :)

I really wish the Bucs would come back...they were one of our bigger rivals, and had decent rivalries with UTC and WCU as well. Plus, if we could get them back in the SoCon, it would give basketball a pick up as well.

[Eaglegus2]

ETSU will not make it back into the SoCon. They burnt to many bridges when they left the conference.

[mcveyrl]

Do you think the SoCon would let them jump back in??
(This has been a point of discussion on several of the SoCon expansion threads)

I would love for them to come back so I'd have something to do on Saturdays I wasn't in Harrisonburg (besides go to Home Depot and maybe Bed, Bath & Beyond...I don't know if we'll have time).

[chattanoogamocs]

ETSU will not make it back into the SoCon. They burnt to many bridges when they left the conference.

I agree that they burned some bridges...but not so much that they probably couldn't get back in. There are a number of SoCon schools that would really fight for them (led by Chattanooga)

[MplsBison]

ETSU will not make it back into the SoCon. They burnt to many bridges when they left the conference.

I love how fans like to think how they have some weight in what the conference does.

[mcveyrl]

I don't think he was saying that he had any weight, but the fact of the matter is, the way ETSU left (oh, by the way, we're dropping football, see you later) left a bad taste in a lot of the President's and AD's mouths.

Plus, there's the problem of being a "conference jumper." ETSU just recently went full time in the Atlantic Sun. I would think they'd be looking for a conference that would let them go football only. Don't think this would appeal to the SoCon.

[NoCoDanny]

I'm a bit surprised they didn't visit here for advice.

[CoastalFan2005]

Personally, I think ETSU would be a good fit for the SoCon, but it's my understanding that there was some sort of "bridge burning" committed by them when they left before. So, while I don't think the SoCon wouldn't take them back at some point - I do think that maybe their re-admission would be a little more difficult than not.

If they don't go back to the SoCon, I would hope that maybe the Big South would at least take a look at them.

[Baldy]

If they rejoin the SoCon, please please please get rid of that god forsaken airplane hangar.

[mcveyrl]

I'm pretty sure a new stadium is part of the feasibility study.

[ETSU-06]

It looks like we should have a good idea of what the future, if there is one, of ETSU football will be by the end of this week. The football task force commissioned by the university to conduct a feasibility study will have its final meeting this Wed. December 18. Everything I'm hearing around campus is that President Stanton will review the task force's report and announce his decision no later than Friday. If football gets the green light, we will likely see the first game no earlier than the 2009 season.

A student poll to gauge interest and support was conducted, and preliminary results show about 80% of students in favor of football's return, with about 71% of them willing to pay a fee to support it. If Stanton says yes, we will still have to go through the Tennessee Board of Regents to get the student fee approved.

I'm a pretty avid basketball fan and I can tell you I would give almost anything to see us back in the Socon. Geographically and historically we belong there, but I'm skeptical that we would be welcomed back. Sneaking in the Big South may be our best hope, and may be the right place for a fledgling football program to get up and running.

[MplsBison]

You never know.

Apparently the SoCon is considering expansion. I don't see why ETSU wouldn't be considered, if nothing else to appease UTC.

[MoreheadEagle]

I think ETSU should rejoin the OVC. It would even up the OVC membership at 12 total and would make football membership odd numbered. Hopefully then the conference can arm twist Morehead into rejoining.

ETSU would make a great addition to the OVC IMO.

[Mountaineer]

Good news ETSU-06. :hurray:

I'm hoping that football gets reinstated. I know that on the Bucs message boards I've read that there is a very active contingent working to get football back in Johnson City.

I'd love to see you guys back in the SoCon, but I imagine that's something to be decided further down the line.

[ETSU-06]

I think ETSU should rejoin the OVC. It would even up the OVC membership at 12 total and would make football membership odd numbered. Hopefully then the conference can arm twist Morehead into rejoining.

ETSU would make a great addition to the OVC IMO.

I've actually heard this thrown around a bit. Of course everything is just speculation right now, but I think the OVC would be exciting to be a part of. I still think ETSU will push to get back into the SoCon but the OVC has to be appealing. The only drawback I see is travel distances, but the respectability of the OVC schools (especially when compared to the A-Sun) should compensate for that. We already play a number of those schools on a pretty consistent basis. (including getting walloped by your eagles in b-ball this year)

[Mr. C]

I love how fans like to think how they have some weight in what the conference does.
In what way does EagleGus think he has some say? He is just stating an opinion that those of us in SoCon country are well aware of, that ETSU has burnt a lot of bridges. Have they burnt too many bridges? Possibly. Only the SoCon friends who were hurt by the move can answer that. I'm of the opinion that most of the burnt bridges involve the screw-up president at ETSU, Paul Stanton, more than anything else. Maybe also the goofy athletic director. Get ride of those clowns (Stanton is in his final days and the AD probably isn't far behind) and the SoCon might reconsider.

[Golden Eagle]

A student poll to gauge interest and support was conducted, and preliminary results show about 80% of students in favor of football's return, with about 71% of them willing to pay a fee to support it.

Or, more likely, 71% are willing to have their parents pay a fee to support it. ;)

Here's hoping! :cool:

[ETSU-06]

Mountaineer,
Thanks for the encouragement. I have no reservations in citing ASU as one of the factors getting people enthused about football here. The program you guys have built across the mountain is something to be proud of, and something for us to work for. I guess we'll see how things go this week!:confused: For now we can just hope.

On a side note, if we don't get football back I promise to never mention ETSU again and fade into the oblivion of the land of non-football schools, but this CS football is something great that I will continue to follow. I grew up going to Virginia Tech games, and foolishly looked down on I-aa as a lesser entity, but following the headlines, reading this board, and watching the games has changed my mind. I really hope my school can be a part of this sport soon, because it's just an exciting place to be.

BTW to everyone, the mini-dome/sam's club/aircraft hanger is not an option for football anymore. The state fire marshall has restricted capacity to just over 5,000. If we make it back we'll finally play outside again.

[putter]

Can't they just ask Kenny Chesney for the start-up money? ;) Then they could put their resources to having a quality program that can mend some of those bridges.

[MoreheadEagle]

I've actually heard this thrown around a bit. Of course everything is just speculation right now, but I think the OVC would be exciting to be a part of. I still think ETSU will push to get back into the SoCon but the OVC has to be appealing. The only drawback I see is travel distances, but the respectability of the OVC schools (especially when compared to the A-Sun) should compensate for that. We already play a number of those schools on a pretty consistent basis. (including getting walloped by your eagles in b-ball this year)

I'd love for ETSU to rejoin. Of course Dr. Wayne Adrews, the guy who advised the ETSU president to drop football, is the Pres. at Morehead State so I don't know how the chances of the Eagles rejoining the OVC. From a basketball standpoint I think adding the Bucs would be great. The OVC is a good basketball conference generally and we're getting better in football.

[Lapper]

WELCOME TO THE BIG SOUTH BUCS!