Report: Jacksonville State must improve to move to FBS

[CSN Log]

Report: Jacksonville State must improve to move to FBS
More... (http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/?title=report-jacksonville-state-must-improve-t&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1)

[Fresno St. Alum]

They would need to find a conference too. Georgia So. has the best shot of moving up. If they do then Jacksonville St. should look to replace them in the SoCon.

Does anyone think that Jacksonville St. will still move up in 2011,12,13?

[Cocky]

Yes they will move up come hell or high water. It may not be the best move but I do believe the BOT will support the move.

[EKU05]

I'm by no means against schools making the move, but doing it as an independent is absolute football program suicide. College football used to be indepent freindly 15-20 years ago...now you'd either have to be crazy or called Notre Dame. Army and Navy are also able to pull it off, but just barely...and that's mostly because of the name of institutions.

[Killtoppers90]

Sounds like another candidate for the Sun Belt Conference. Welcome!

[mathman]

Ok, so Alabama FBS teams are

Alabama
Auburn
UAB
Troy

and possibly
Jacksonville State
University of South Alabama

USA is lucky to already be in the Sun Belt but first they have to start a program. xrolleyesx

But can Alabama support all these FBS teams? Makes me wonder in general about all this 'mission creep' at universities both athletically and academically. In Georgia we still Georgia and Georgia Tech at the FBS level. Now the Georgia Southern fans are anxious to move up. The AD at Kennesaw State is openly talking of not only starting football but also skipping FCS and going straight to FBS. Georgia State seems to be much more realistic by limiting talk to only FCS.

Not meaning to steer the discussion away but in the spirit of universities wanting to move onward and ever upward, I also noted that the Anniston Star also reported that JSU is adding its first doctoral program. Samford has doctoral programs. We have the same thing happening in Georgia with some of the non-research schools adding doctoral programs. Plus schools also want ever higher SAT scores of entering freshmen. In athletics and academics, something's got a give! Not every university can be a USNews Top Tiered FBS BCS Research PhD Granting school.

[PantherRob82]

suprise, suprise.

[BearsCountry]

Sounds like another candidate for the Sun Belt Conference. Welcome!

More than likely. Would you guys (WKU) consider joining the MVC if we move the league up to FBS?

[PantherRob82]

More than likely. Would you guys (WKU) consider joining the MVC if we move the league up to FBS?

I don't think they'd be invited.

[Killtoppers90]

I don't think they'd be invited.

You might be right, Rob. But I know it would be a big step up to basketball fans.

[PantherRob82]

Yeah. It would be great for your b-ball team. It wasn't meant as taking a shot. Just not sure the MVC is expanding, and if they do, not real sure which direction they'd go.

[Fresno St. Alum]

If the MVC went FBS and went to 12 they'd add NDSU & SDSU. If they could get Evansville to go back to the horizon then that would open a spot for WKU or YSU. YSU is a little east for the MVC.

[Fresno St. Alum]

Cocky, so in 2011 Jacksonville St. FBS no matter what.

Indy for FB isn't that bad. They can still get paid for body bag games and they can play all the Sun Belt as non-conference games. If they do well the Belt will let them in sooner or later if they don't than maybe not.

FIU is in a conference and they won't be going to a Bowl. JSU moves up they are already at that level.

[Cocky]

Cocky, so in 2011 Jacksonville St. FBS no matter what.

Indy for FB isn't that bad. They can still get paid for body bag games and they can play all the Sun Belt as non-conference games. If they do well the Belt will let them in sooner or later if they don't than maybe not.

FIU is in a conference and they won't be going to a Bowl. JSU moves up they are already at that level.

IMO, our BOT is moving no matter what the findings say. As I've said before, I'm a JSU fan no matter where we play or division we participate.

The indy route could work but it will be like the old saying "nothing is impossible the impossible just takes longer".

[mathman]

The story stated that JSU doesn't have athletic fees. How do you support sports without them? Even UGA and Georgia Tech have athletic fees that students have to pay. If JSU has gone this far without athletic fees, then you should be fine for FBS.

[Cocky]

To my knowledge, we are the only public university in Alabama (with football) without student fees.

[OL FU]

Everybody discusses the problems of moving up without conference affiliation. I know it has been discussed here before, but why do we think it is not possible for JSU, GSU, JMU, ASU and a few others in the Southeast to form a FBS conference. Are there rules that prohibit such?

It seems to me that would be one of the best alternatives and should be able to compete with the lower end of FBS conferences really quickly. What would prohibit a current FBS school that had closer ties to the new conference opponents from joing, re: Troy and MTSU.

[Cocky]

Everybody discusses the problems of moving up without conference affiliation. I know it has been discussed here before, but why do we think it is not possible for JSU, GSU, JMU, ASU and a few others in the Southeast to form a FBS conference. Are there rules that prohibit such?

It seems to me that would be one of the best alternatives and should be able to compete with the lower end of FBS conferences really quickly. What would prohibit a current FBS school that had closer ties to the new conference opponents from joing, re: Troy and MTSU.

In the JSU report it makes references to discussions of a new conference. I believe App State, GSU, and some other school(s) were mentioned as possible candidates. It did not state how indepth the discussions developed. I'm sure most people will discuss any possibility just to state informed of their peers. Not sure if this means anything or just a consultant trying to earn his keep.

[The Moody1]

"The report recommends that JSU develop a five-year plan to become a top-tier FCS team, putting the school in better position to move up when the NCAA allows it. The college sports sanctioning body put a four-year halt to any changes in division by its members shortly after JSU trustees decided to explore a move.

The report suggested JSU develop a marketing plan to improve ticket sales, fundraising and corporate sponsorships. It also proposed a system of student fees to support athletics and other university functions. Currently, JSU charges students no fees beyond tuition, unlike many other colleges."




It seems to me ASU is already doing all this, and has about a two year head start.

[OL FU]

In the JSU report it makes references to discussions of a new conference. I believe App State, GSU, and some other school(s) were mentioned as possible candidates. It did not state how indepth the discussions developed. I'm sure most people will discuss any possibility just to state informed of their peers. Not sure if this means anything or just a consultant trying to earn his keep.

I don't know if it is possible but it certainly seems like a good alternative if several schools are going to bolt within the next five yearsxnodx

[jstate83]

To my knowledge, we are the only public university in Alabama (with football) without student fees.


Ya'll move up and go INDI, that will change real fast.xnodx
Don't know what JSU would do if student fee's were not collected for sport's.
That would be a huge hit in our atheletic budget. xnodx

[EKU05]

Everybody discusses the problems of moving up without conference affiliation. I know it has been discussed here before, but why do we think it is not possible for JSU, GSU, JMU, ASU and a few others in the Southeast to form a FBS conference. Are there rules that prohibit such?

It seems to me that would be one of the best alternatives and should be able to compete with the lower end of FBS conferences really quickly. What would prohibit a current FBS school that had closer ties to the new conference opponents from joing, re: Troy and MTSU.

There isn't a rule that prohibits it per se, but there is one that discourages it indirectly...

Any new conference would have to wait five years before gaining an automatic bid to the basketball NCAA tournament bid. None of these schools current conferences would allow them to remain while they joined a football only league at a higher level, and since most if not all of these schools are not among those that generally compete for at large NCAA tournmanent bids it would essentially mean each of these schools having to give up the possibility of "dancing" for a five year period.

That in and of itself is damaging, but even more so when you realize that they would have to explain to two years worth of recruits why they would want to play for a school that has (for all intents and purposes) signed away its chance to play in the NCAA tournament for the entirety of their college careers (+2 more years where the same would be true for most transfers and JC guys).

Many people throw out the new conference idea, but trust that if it were practical for athletic departments to be doing this then it would probably already be happening.

[mathman]

To my knowledge, we are the only public university in Alabama (with football) without student fees.
I still don't understand how you fund athletics or much else. You have good attendance but does football pay for itself and finance your other sports? In Georgia schools have Athletic fees for NCAA sports, Activity fees for clubs and organizations, Technology fees to pay for computers, etc, sometimes Transportation fees for running campus buses, Recreation fees to pay for a Rec Center, Health fees for the campus health center, etc.

[Fresno St. Alum]

really the only way you could get a new conference to work without more that a 1 year penalty for an auto bid is to take at least 6 CAA schools and add App St., Georgia So., Jacksonville St.

The rules say your conference must have 6 members that have played together for 5 years. WAC/MWC had 1 year no auto bid 1. because 6 of the 8 hadn't played together for 5 years. 2. MWC had to wait a year because they took the new conference name.

[Fresno St. Alum]

mathman, you need an avatar go to user cp and click avatars and pic out your team helmet.

[Cocky]

I still don't understand how you fund athletics or much else. You have good attendance but does football pay for itself and finance your other sports? In Georgia schools have Athletic fees for NCAA sports, Activity fees for clubs and organizations, Technology fees to pay for computers, etc, sometimes Transportation fees for running campus buses, Recreation fees to pay for a Rec Center, Health fees for the campus health center, etc.

State funds is the major source. I don't believe Georgia schools can use state funds for athletics but you can in Alabama.