ETSU football update

[Mountaineer]

Good news for Bucs fans! xnodx


JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 20, 2007) - With two weeks to spare, East Tennessee State University President Dr. Paul E. Stanton, Jr., announced Tuesday that the university has reached his preliminary goal of raising $300,000 in financial support for a new football program.


With 390 donors coming together to support the vision for a new football program, Stanton said it sends a message to students who are preparing for a referendum vote April 10th and 11th to decide whether a new athletic fee should be instituted to support such a program.


"Our alumni and community supporters have certainly sent a clear message by meeting our $300,000 goal with two weeks to spare," said Stanton, who had originally set a deadline of March 31 to meet this initial plateau. "As our students prepare to vote on a new athletic fee later this spring, it is obvious that many people who support ETSU are behind this effort and wish to see it succeed. As I said in December, we still have a long way to go before we reach the end zone, but we've certainly moved the ball with this announcement."

http://www.starhq.com/html/sports/articles/articles.asp?day=Wednesday&article=sp-etsufootball.html

[dbackjon]

xhurrayx

[mcveyrl]

This included $40,000 given by a group of former players...

[rokamortis]

Good for them.

I bet the SoCon gets ETSU back, but if not the Big South would love to get them.

[catamount man]

WAY TO ETSU!!!! I want these guys back in the SoCon real bad!

GO CATAMOUNTS!!!

[appfan2008]

I would much rather have ETSU join us in the SOCON than Samford!

[PaladinFan]

Just as long as that Tim Smith guy graduated in basketball. That guy is flat out the best ball handling point guard I've ever seen regardless of classification.

[Fresno St. Alum]

SoCon wants them? If not then they would probably go the the OVC.

[Sly Fox]

What makes you say that, FSA? Folks in Jonson City don't seem to have that attitude.

[Mr. C]

Just as long as that Tim Smith guy graduated in basketball. That guy is flat out the best ball handling point guard I've ever seen regardless of classification.
You obviously didn't see the other side of Tim Smith, who graduated in 2006. Without Zakee Wadood and Jerald Fields in the lineup, Smith had pretty terrible years as a junior and senior. Ironically, the Bucs won the A-Sun title without him this season and advanced to the NIT. Smith was a good big-game player, but he also had some of the worst games I've ever seen a point guard have at other times. He was extremely inconsistent.

Back to football, it's too bad that ETSU ended its program when it did. I would have loved to see Wadood and Fields follow through on their thoughts of playing football after their senior basketball season.

[Mr. C]

Sources I've talked to in the SoCon seem to think bringing ETSU back would be a no-brainer, once the Bucs reestablish football.

[Mountaineer]

Sources I've talked to in the SoCon seem to think bringing ETSU back would be a no-brainer, once the Bucs reestablish football.

That'd be fantastic Mr. C. Good news indeed - just hope the Bucs can pull it off! xrotatehx

[PaladinFan]

You obviously didn't see the other side of Tim Smith, who graduated in 2006. Without Zakee Wadood and Jerald Fields in the lineup, Smith had pretty terrible years as a junior and senior. Ironically, the Bucs won the A-Sun title without him this season and advanced to the NIT. Smith was a good big-game player, but he also had some of the worst games I've ever seen a point guard have at other times. He was extremely inconsistent.

Back to football, it's too bad that ETSU ended its program when it did. I would have loved to see Wadood and Fields follow through on their thoughts of playing football after their senior basketball season.

Said he was the best ball handler I've ever seen. You forget about ETSU nearly upsetting #2 Wake in the tournament riding Smith's back.

[youwouldno]

Sources I've talked to in the SoCon seem to think bringing ETSU back would be a no-brainer, once the Bucs reestablish football.

Wouldn't that kind of make for a weird league size? The football schedule would no longer be round-robin, the basketball divisions go back to being uneven, etc. Taking back ETSU would seem to me only desirable in a scheme to establish a division setup in football, a la CAA.

Here would be a small version, with Samford and the hypothetical ETSU.
e.g.:

North
App St
WCU
Elon
Furman
Wofford

South
UTC
Samford
ETSU
GSU
Citadel

Not bad. Teams would skip one team from the opposing division per year. Pain in the butt for the committee, of course, because league schedules would then require more scrutiny.

For a 'big' league possibility, take the above and add another program to each division, from Hampton, SC St, JSU, CCU, etc., obviously it's hard to say exactly who would be targeted and/or receptive. That could prompt another basketball only member (UNC-W often speculated). 12 football/16 basketball.

I prefer the round-robin aspect of a league with less than 10 members, personally. The big league format seems to work for the CAA, though.

[Mr. C]

I'm not sure how the SoCon would manage the size thing. It might bring another team in to balance things and then go to division play for football. Jacksonville State would be an interesting addition, giving Samford a travel partner (UTC and ETSU could be travel partners as well in basketball). A basketball-only member would work nicely, too (as you pointed out).

[Mr. C]

Said he was the best ball handler I've ever seen. You forget about ETSU nearly upsetting #2 Wake in the tournament riding Smith's back.
Didn't forget that at all. I watched the games in the NCAAs against Wake Forest and Cincinnnati. Like I said, he was very good in BIG games (SoCon and NCAA tournaments, that SoCon regular-season championship game with App State a few years back), but he had some struggles too.

[appfan2008]

I'm not sure how the SoCon would manage the size thing. It might bring another team in to balance things and then go to division play for football. Jacksonville State would be an interesting addition, giving Samford a travel partner (UTC and ETSU could be travel partners as well in basketball). A basketball-only member would work nicely, too (as you pointed out).
why couldnt etsu be asus travel partner being we are so close and all

[Mr. C]

Because ETSU and UTC fit the natural rivalry thing much better. Those two schools hate each other. WCU and ASU have generally been matched up as travel partners most often in the past.

[Fresno St. Alum]

If they take ETSU they gotta take Winthrop. 10 FB 14 BB nice and even.

[Mr. C]

Winthrop isn't going anywhere.

[PaladinFan]

Wouldn't that kind of make for a weird league size? The football schedule would no longer be round-robin, the basketball divisions go back to being uneven, etc. Taking back ETSU would seem to me only desirable in a scheme to establish a division setup in football, a la CAA.

Here would be a small version, with Samford and the hypothetical ETSU.
e.g.:

North
App St
WCU
Elon
Furman
Wofford

South
UTC
Samford
ETSU
GSU
Citadel

Not bad. Teams would skip one team from the opposing division per year. Pain in the butt for the committee, of course, because league schedules would then require more scrutiny.

For a 'big' league possibility, take the above and add another program to each division, from Hampton, SC St, JSU, CCU, etc., obviously it's hard to say exactly who would be targeted and/or receptive. That could prompt another basketball only member (UNC-W often speculated). 12 football/16 basketball.

I prefer the round-robin aspect of a league with less than 10 members, personally. The big league format seems to work for the CAA, though.

What about....

East

The Citadel
Elon
Georgia Southern
Furman
Wofford

West

Samford
ETSU
App. State
Western Carolina
UTC

[OL FU]

From comments made by the Commish about a year ago, we seem destined for more than 9 football teams

[mcveyrl]

What makes you say that, FSA? Folks in Jonson City don't seem to have that attitude.

Everyone I've talked to (I work in Johnson City) wants to go back to the Southern Conference. But, I think that other sports at ETSU have suffered because of the move to the A-Sun and it would take some more time to get "caught up" with the rest of the SoCon.

[appfan2008]

Because ETSU and UTC fit the natural rivalry thing much better. Those two schools hate each other. WCU and ASU have generally been matched up as travel partners most often in the past.
just because they hate each other doesnt make it geographically the best fit... duh

[appfan2008]

I am just not a fan of the two division system and it is really too bad that is must be coming to this

[Mr. C]

I'm not either. I think teams should play all the other teams in the league to crown a true champion.

[mcveyrl]

I'm not either. I think teams should play all the other teams in the league to crown a true champion.

From someone who now has to deal with it (2 divisions)...it sucks.

Although, when we lose to Villanova while UMass goes undefeated, I can't complain too much...

[OL FU]

I agree I don't want to go beyond 9 teams. Way back when, the teams in the SoCon occasionally played a different number of Southern conference games ( I have no clue why). I think it happened in '83 when Furman and WCU were both undefeated, tied each other and Furman won the conference because we played one more game than Western (and it was a game that Western would have won - Davidson or VMI, I recall). Western beat us in the playoffs that year but we were the conference champs without sharing the title.

[Appstate29]

What about....

East

The Citadel
Elon
Georgia Southern
Furman
Wofford

West

Samford
ETSU
App. State
Western Carolina
UTC

that would not work IMO, App fans would go nuts if we only played GSU and FU on a rotating basis.

[OL FU]

that would not work IMO, App fans would go nuts if we only played GSU and FU on a rotating basis.

If we go to divisions it will happen. In my opinion there is no way Furman. ASU and GSU will be in the same division. IT will probably be split in a similar fashion to Basket Ball.

[appfan2008]

I'm not either. I think teams should play all the other teams in the league to crown a true champion.
hey Mr. C you agreed with me:D

[MplsBison]

Is there any talk of a new stadium or are they just going right back in the dome?

[The Moody1]

Is there any talk of a new stadium or are they just going right back in the dome?


If they re-start their program they will have a new stadium.

[MplsBison]

That's what I figured.


Where will the money come for that? Where will it be? Etc.

Any plans announced?

[Golden Eagle]

that would not work IMO, App fans would go nuts if we only played GSU and FU on a rotating basis.


If we go to divisions it will happen.

Not necessarily, it is easy to keep cross-division rivalries intact. In the SEC, Tennessee always plays Alabama despite being in different divisions, same for UGA and Auburn.

[OL FU]

Not necessarily, it is easy to keep cross-division rivalries intact. In the SEC, Tennessee always plays Alabama despite being in different divisions, same for UGA and Auburn.

You may be right but on the other hand, as the A-10 guys will tell you. The other division without Furman. ASU and GSU and Wofford ( they are only 25 miles away from Furman) will suck in Footballxrolleyesx :o

[chattanoogamocs]

that would not work IMO, App fans would go nuts if we only played GSU and FU on a rotating basis.

As Golden Eagle alluded to in the SEC...each school could designate a rival that you play every year in the other division no matter what (which is why Tennessee and Alabama always play each other).

As for split leagues, etc...get used to it. Unless someone starts making new conferences (or they quit letting any new teams into DI)...you are going to have more and more 12 to 14 team leagues. They gotta go somewhere.

And finally, about the stadium...the Mini Dome has been deemed unsafe for crowds over 5,500-6,000 (apparently post 9/11 fire codes). The article mentioned that the next step was to secure $15 mil for a new stadium (by 2008). That is the real hurdle...no new stadium = no football.

Best of luck to the Bucs, would love to see them back where they belong. Chattanooga (who has lost Marshall and ETSU) really has no one left to "hate". :)

[AppMan]

Is there any talk of a new stadium or are they just going right back in the dome?

Building a 10,000 seat stadium. Looks like SoCon football is in a major downsizing mode.

[proasu89]

Because ETSU and UTC fit the natural rivalry thing much better. Those two schools hate each other. WCU and ASU have generally been matched up as travel partners most often in the past.
What exactly is meant by travel partners? We don't car pool together. Is it like when App traveled to Charleston this season (basketball) and played CofC and Citadel on the same trip?

[mcveyrl]

That's what I figured.


Where will the money come for that? Where will it be? Etc.

Any plans announced?


They have not said where, but I hope it's on campus. The questionnaire sent around to faculty and staff asked the likelihood of going to a game if the stadium was 1) on campus; 2) in Johnson City; or 3) in the "Tri-Cities" area [there's a triangle of cities around JC that includes Kingsport and Bristol, for demographic purposes, it's usually considered one metro area].

It would be a big mistake to not put it on campus and an even bigger mistake not to put it in JC.

[SoCon48]

Because ETSU and UTC fit the natural rivalry thing much better. Those two schools hate each other. WCU and ASU have generally been matched up as travel partners most often in the past.

Yep, but ETSU sure brought some butts to KBS and VG. We really miss that.

[appfan2008]

Building a 10,000 seat stadium. Looks like SoCon football is in a major downsizing mode.
I agree I would like to see more stadiums like citadel gsu asu utc and fu not elon smford and etsu... those arent very big at all

[Mr. C]

What exactly is meant by travel partners? We don't car pool together. Is it like when App traveled to Charleston this season (basketball) and played CofC and Citadel on the same trip?
Exactly.

[lizrdgizrd]

What about....

East

The Citadel
Elon
Georgia Southern
Furman
Wofford

West

Samford
ETSU
App. State
Western Carolina
UTC
With 10 teams why would we need to have two divisions? I know that it'd only leave us with 2 OOC games but we'd still have a true conference champ every year.

[OL FU]

With 10 teams why would we need to have two divisions? I know that it'd only leave us with 2 OOC games but we'd still have a true conference champ every year.

Don't worry about it. If ETSU moves back to the SoCon, Furman will vote yes and go FBS indiexnodx xlolx

[lizrdgizrd]

Don't worry about it. If ETSU moves back to the SoCon, Furman will vote yes and go FBS indiexnodx xlolx
And they'll take ASU and GSU with them? xlolx

[OL FU]

And they'll take ASU and GSU with them? xlolx

We're taking Samford and Wofford:p you know, all of the 'fordsxeyebrowx

[dbackjon]

We're taking Samford and Wofford:p you know, all of the 'fordsxeyebrowx


And get Stanford as well?

[lizrdgizrd]

We're taking Samford and Wofford:p you know, all of the 'fordsxeyebrowx


And get Stanford as well?
Just think of the cash you could bring in with a corporate sponsor. Maybe...














Coke? xnutsx

[appfan2008]

With 10 teams why would we need to have two divisions? I know that it'd only leave us with 2 OOC games but we'd still have a true conference champ every year.
only 2ooc games would solve a lot of apps scheduling problems