With NCAA’s FBS moratorium nearing its end, Jax State must make decision soon

[JSU02]

JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville State is running up on a couple key deadlines in its decision toward moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision, but university policymakers are still not prepared to pull the trigger.

Read more: Anniston Star -http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_story/11156187/article-With-NCAA%E2%80%99s-FBS-moratorium-nearing-its-end--Jacksonville-State-must-make-decision-soon?instance=home_sports&sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=4d42c2115abc5a35,0

[1andDone]

Seriously, that would be to many Alabama Schools in FBS Alabama,Auburn,Troy UAB,U SA,and JSU, not sure if there are enough recruits to go around

[Cocky]

JSU could compete for recruit with all but UAT and Auburn very well.

[JSU02]

JSU could compete for recruit with all but UAT and Auburn very well.

Agreed. We already do in many cases.

[Cocky]

There will be options because the movement hasnt ended. If the SB has zero interest it funny thier Commissioner stays in contact with our AD regularly.

[Redhawk2010]

And if JSU’s football program does make the jump to an FBS conference, the rest of the school’s teams will have to go with it. The OVC doesn’t allow the rest of a school’s teams compete in the league if football plays elsewhere.


I agree with the first part of the paragraph. If they leave for FBS, then the other sports should go too. The second sentence however we know is not the case. Morehead State for example and not sure about Austin Peay? Did it compete in the OVC for other sports during its nonscholarship football days?

[JSU02]

I agree with the first part of the paragraph. If they leave for FBS, then the other sports should go too. The second sentence however we know is not the case. Morehead State for example and not sure about Austin Peay? Did it compete in the OVC for other sports during its nonscholarship football days?

Sure did.

[1andDone]

I wasn't doubting recruiting skills, but Alabama and API, gets most of the Alabama kids, the left over Mobile and surrounding area goes to USA, and the rest split between UAB and Troy, the only thing is the number of recruits per year.

[JSU02]

So you're saying you feel threatened?

[JSU02]

I seriously doubt you know anything that goes on in our Athletic Department

[nwFL Griz]

I seriously doubt you know anything that goes on in our Athletic Department

Doesn't matter if he knows what's going on in your athletic department. What he says is true...the expansion is at the discretion of the presidents, and I believe it is pretty much common knowledge that the SB will not add anymore FCS teams. I've heard that several times from various different sources.

[JSU02]

For a fact? And that is because you are the commish or are you a majority of sunbelt presidents rolled into one screen name? Look, you are entitled to your opinion, but what the sun belt says publicly and what the SBC plans on doing in a few years are two totally different things. I'm gonna leave it at that.

[Cocky]

Just the facts, JSU is in the Birmingham TV market which is larger than Mobile, Montgomery, or Dothan.

[GSU EAGLES]

The Sun Belt is trying to catch up with Conference USA in national perception. Inviting an FCS school with no affiliation to the league will only hurt that perception especially one that has no viable television market to sell. As least South Alabama has Mobile while Troy has parts of Montgomery and Dothan. Jax State? I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but this is business.

College football has become a business--a business about perception, about money, about exposure. Jax State can't deliver these things at this time for the Sun Belt Conference, and the Sun Belt does not need to add any more teams. It does not need to divide its revenue even more with an unproven non-FBS affiliate.

Hmmm. So are trying to improve there image by banning FCS schools, but they add a school that has never played a down of football. That really helps their image.

What the SB needs is to beat some decent out of conference teams and improve their image on the field. If they really want to improve their image, they should boot out the Louisianna schools, Ark St that never seem to have the capability to do much. At least FCS schools like Ga Southern, App and CAA schools would certainly be more competitive on the field with the full 85 scholarships.

[Cocky]

If the SB loses a team which FBS team would move to the SB? The indies arent going there. Maybe La Tech? Noone is leaving CUSA, SEC, or ACC to join the SB. They may want a FBS school just like I want hunting ranch but probably wont get one.

Look at the WAC, they were just a few moves away from being a BCS conference in 2010. Now they are fighting for their live. Do you think in 2009 the WAC would have considered any FCS schools (maybe Montana)?

Tha SB understand that movements happen and they are keeping in touch to have alternatives (ie WAC).

[Redbirdz]

There's always the prospect of a new conference with a number of FCS teams at least thinking about the move, especially if it were a football league only. l say it happens, either next year or down the road. The only downside of a new league is you have to wait 8 years to share in NCAA revenue.

[Cocky]

There's always the prospect of a new conference with a number of FCS teams at least thinking about the move, especially if it were a football league only. l say it happens, either next year or down the road. The only downside of a new league is you have to wait 8 years to share in NCAA revenue.
Wasnt the basketball wait changed?

[JSU02]

I thought it was changed with that last piece of legislation.

[JSU02]

Is UAB able to deliver that market as a football team? No.
Would we be able to get more coverage than uat or aub? No.
If JSU had successful seasons in FBS would we get more coverage than UAB in a football crazy state? Yes.
Would it be hard to be more successful than UAB in football? No.

[JSU02]

And that wouldn't happen without a court battle which I believe the FCS schools could win. The Football Bowl Subdivision has mandated legislation to keep any FCS teams from moving to the FBS level without having a standing invitation to join a current FBS conference OR unless the school is already affiliated with an FBS conference in other sports. That legislation makes the entire Football Bowl Subdivision look like a monopoly, so any FCS schools attempting to move up as a conference won't be met without legal action. A new conference means that the slices of BC$ revenue decreases probably for all the non-AQ leagues because the AQ leagues will make darn sure their slices are compromised to house another FBS league.

Do I think the system is fair? No.

Do I think FCS schools should be held back from joining the Football Bowl Subdivision even as an Independent? No. Not as long as they meet the minimum requirements already mandated to be FBS. Mandating that they must have an invitation to join the FBS level seems wrong to me and hinders progress for any school wishing to better themselves.

The only reason why I believe such legislation was passed was to reinforce and keep the BC$ format. Without the BC$ in place no distributions of revenue would ever happen for any conference except for the AQ conferences. It would greatly damage the five non-AQ's who have pressed hard to break the glass ceiling that the AQ conferences have created under their cartel.

Totally agree with you on all those points.

[Redbirdz]

Jville State is most favorably located in a triangle market between Birmingham, Chattanooga and Atlanta. It has a greater tie in to Birmingham than Troy does to Montgomery and a lot more people live within 50-75 mile range.

[Cocky]

And you are able to deliver that market over UAB? I don't think so. Granted, UAB is not great and neither program has more clout in Birmingham than Alabama and Auburn, but I can't see how an FCS team outside of Birmingham can deliver that TV market more strongly than an FBS team that is inside Birmingham no matter how terrible UAB is in football.

I totally agree, we cant beat UAT or Aub in any market. Troy cant deliver Montgomery either and USA cant deliver Mobile over UAT or Aub. UAB cant deliver Birmingham either. JSU can bring as many viewers as any school in Alabama other than UAT and Aub.

[Cocky]

The Sun Belt would no doubt reach out to UTSA and Texas State before talking with a school that has never competed in FBS football. The Mountain West isn't done expanding. They are getting their TV contract in order before they make a move to expansion. The threat of the WAC collapsing could prompt UTSA and Texas State to reconsider moving to a more stable conference.
I thought the SB wouldnt take a FCS school?

[superman7515]

They wouldn't be. Those two teams have already gotten an invite from the WAC and are headed out. If they needed one or two teams, they could go after those two so as to give the appearance that they were taking two teams from the WAC and not breaking their voted on rule of not taking any FCS teams.

[Cocky]

Being techincal isnt going to add creditibility. The only possible FBS add is La Tech but they are hoping for CUSA.
The SB will also have to consider another start up conference or even a conference like the WAC starting a eastern division. If some of the mentioned FCS schools joined the SB would soon have a competitor it would fall behind.

[Redhawk2010]

It adds more credibility adding a school who has played a down in FBS football than than it would be to add a school who hasn't. I suspect any Sun Belt expansion wouldn't happen until South Alabama becomes a full member anyways. That's not for two and a half more years. There is no reason for the Sun Belt Conference to add additional members.


But it would make sense if they had the desire to expand for them to do so rather quickly that way all of the teams would be able to enter at the same time rather than doing things this way for a year, change it, and then change more..


Now what would happen if the NCAA decided to extend the moratorium? What would happen to Texas State and UTSA?

[1andDone]

Whats JSU average attendance? USA has averaged 20,000+ last two seasons, and if not mistaken that is more than UAB, and would be near tops in the Sun Belt, and possibly 3 in the state behind Bama and API

[Cocky]

Somewhere around 18000.

[Cocky]

Another poster had it at 17300.

[JSU02]

Whats JSU average attendance? USA has averaged 20,000+ last two seasons, and if not mistaken that is more than UAB, and would be near tops in the Sun Belt, and possibly 3 in the state behind Bama and API

Yeah, but you are in a city of 200,000 in a metro area of 400,000.
JSU averaged 17330 (18432 for the regular season, also more than UAB) in a city of 10,000 (in a county of 112,000).

[Cocky]

Does USA give away tickets? JSU quit this past year.
USAs attendance is good especially when you look at the opponents. USA should do real well when the names get better.

[Cocky]

Reg season rounded numbers
Troy and USA 18900
JSU 18400
UAB 18300

JSU dropped to 17300 with playoff game

[JSU02]

That is interesting. Of course, one would expect South Alabama to have a decent attendance being located in a major city in a football-happy state. If USA can continue its winning ways against the stiffer competition of the Sun Belt, that school can be going places.

I'm interested in knowing Georgia State's home attendance average. They are located in the largest populated statistical area in the entire Southeast. Fulton County alone has over a million residents which is more than double the size of Mobile County, Alabama

GA State 16750