ASU continues study of possible move to FBS

[AppMan]

ASU continues study of possible move to FBS
By Tommy Bowman Winston Salem Journal
Published: March 30, 2011

A feasibility-study committee is continuing to explore how well Appalachian State, a "big fish" in the Football Championship Subdivision, could swim in Football Bowl Subdivision waters.

The committee met again last Friday, and the focus remains largely on financing a possible move. "We're getting closer to putting the costs and the revenue streams together and seeing where we stand," said G.A. Sywassink, the co-chairman of the committee. "We should start in the real decision-making process probably the next meeting, which is in mid-April.

"We've gathered the information we need. Basically, we're getting there, and we're still having our focus groups — we're going to add a couple of additional focus groups of students and faculty to give everybody a chance to take part — so we're getting close to where we can start putting all the pieces together and see what a decision looks like."

ASU, which competes in Division I in all sports as a member of the Southern Conference, has been part of the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) since 1981. FCS programs can offer as many as 63 scholarships, compared to 85 in the FBS.

A moratorium on moving from the FCS to the FBS has been in place since 2007 but will be lifted in August.

A move to the FBS would cost more but also would generate more revenue. ASU has an athletics budget of about $14 million and operates in the black. The key is a possible gap between increased costs to play in the FBS and increased revenue.

"We (athletics) don't get state funds, we have to figure out how we can pay for it, which we're getting close to, without putting additional burdens on the students," Sywassink said. "We'll probably show an increase in revenue from student fees, but that would primarily be from an increase in the number of students enrolled in the school over the years to come . . .  We are looking only at an increase in student-fee revenue based only on any increase in enrollment, the number of students paying."

A challenge for the committee is to accurately estimate the expected costs and the potential revenue of a move, with variables involved including an unanswered question of the conference where ASU might fit.

"We're looking at years to come," Sywassink said. "And there are a lot of benefits otherwise as well that you have to look at and try to quantify. You look at the future and make projections.

"Hopefully, we're making them conservatively and realistically. Our goal is not to put any projections out there that are pie in the sky just to make a decision. They've got to be real and we have to feel very confident that they're realistic.

"We can't yet say we're there, but we're getting pretty close."

Sywassink said the committee is looking at financial aspects "in line with the fact that we will not put it on the backs of the students and we will not do anything that would negatively impact the academic side of things."

A move would require a bigger operating budget, and additional costs would include the funding of more scholarships, increased staffing and salary upgrades in line with whatever conference ASU might join and a potential increase in travel costs, depending on the conference.

Increased revenue from a move to an FBS conference would come from more NCAA tournament revenue for basketball as part of a larger conference, as well as bowl-game and television-revenue shares, bigger paychecks for road games against FBS opponents and an additional (12th) regular-season football game.

Projections will include an increase in booster contributions to fund more scholarships, and probable higher ticket costs for football games, although Sywassink said, "We want to keep ticket prices in line."

The committee is working to determine what the gap between costs and revenue might be.

"There can't be a gap when it's done," Sywassink. "We've got to figure out how we can pay for it, and we're making some good progress on that.

"It all comes down to it's got to be financially feasible without state money, it can't be on the backs of the students and it has to enhance the academic side of the equation."

The committee's focus will shift more to conference possibilities in coming days. Sywassink said that exploratory work has been done and that several conference-affiliation scenarios are being discussed.

"Our committee will do further investigation and work and maybe even some meetings on that over the next couple of months, the sooner the better," he said. "We're trying to schedule those now.

"We're still looking at trying to determine if there's an interest (from an FBS conference). We have quite a bit to do over the next eight weeks."

The committee has targeted May for a recommendation to be made to Chancellor Ken Peacock, who will then make his recommendation to ASU's board of trustees, probably in June.

[Saint3333]

This doesn't sound like the slam dunk some people may have thought. I've been a part of one of the focus groups and heard the initial numbers, but it would be interesting to see the final numbers. With the changing landscape of FBS/FCS I still think it's the right move.

The article reads like a call to the ASU fanbase to step up to the plate if you are a supporter.

[SoCon48]

This doesn't sound like the slam dunk some people may have thought. I've been a part of one of the focus groups and heard the initial numbers, but it would be interesting to see the final numbers. With the changing landscape of FBS/FCS I still think it's the right move.

The article reads like a call to the ASU fanbase to step up to the plate if you are a supporter.

To say the least, it sounds like Sywassink leans toward the move. Every criteria he uses to question any move, he counters with how it can be done.

[Waco Kid]

This doesn't sound like the slam dunk some people may have thought. I've been a part of one of the focus groups and heard the initial numbers, but it would be interesting to see the final numbers. With the changing landscape of FBS/FCS I still think it's the right move.

The article reads like a call to the ASU fanbase to step up to the plate if you are a supporter.

We have to grow the Yosef Club and find the right conference. If we can accomplish those two things then a move up is a no brainer. We can't continue to ask the same 3,000 people or so to foot the bill for Yosef. Why do we not have people at every game actively trying to sign people up for the YC?

[49RFootballNow]

We have to grow the Yosef Club and find the right conference. If we can accomplish those two things then a move up is a no brainer. We can't continue to ask the same 3,000 people or so to foot the bill for Yosef. Why do we not have people at every game actively trying to sign people up for the YC?

All of your season ticket holders should be Yosef Club members, is that correct? If not then that's the first thing that should be corrected. Not sure what the miminum Yosef Club membership is, but all season ticket holders should be required to pay at least the minimum on top of season tickets.

[GlassOnion]

All of your season ticket holders should be Yosef Club members, is that correct? If not then that's the first thing that should be corrected. Not sure what the miminum Yosef Club membership is, but all season ticket holders should be required to pay at least the minimum on top of season tickets.

There is a minimum. The point he is making is 3000 YC members out of 30,000 at a game, leaves 27,000 potential members.

[Saint3333]

Season ticket holders between the 30's have a minimum donation level of $500, 10-35 yardlines - $250.

ASU needs to tap into the young alum pool that was in college 2005-2010 and get them in the habit of giving. As they grow in their careers so will the donations. It worked with Clemson and IPTAY.

3,000 members would likely equate to 7,500 in attedance at 2.5 per household. Then take out 1,000 visitor fans and 8,000 students. But yes there is still a large population of non-Yosef members attending (~5,000 households).

[appalum09]

Being a young app alum. I can say that it will be hard to get money out of the young alumni because most students graduating in this economy do not have any money because of the lack of jobs.

[DFW HOYA]

The committee's focus will shift more to conference possibilities in coming days. Sywassink said that exploratory work has been done and that several conference-affiliation scenarios are being discussed.

Read= "Sun Belt". Who else is out there, the WAC?

[Saint3333]

Being a young app alum. I can say that it will be hard to get money out of the young alumni because most students graduating in this economy do not have any money because of the lack of jobs.

That will not last forever. Keep your head up and good luck.

I'm talking about growing with $10, $25, etc. donations at first. Many young alums are coming back for games so asking for a small amount like this isn't unreasonable. Young alums should also begin giving early as the earn double points for donations the first 5 years after graduating.

[49RFootballNow]

Read= "Sun Belt". Who else is out there, the WAC?

Watch out for flying objects.

[Skjellyfetti]

Read= "Sun Belt". Who else is out there, the WAC?

Our AD has already said that it does not make financial sense to move up and go to the Sun Belt.

[asumike83]

Read= "Sun Belt". Who else is out there, the WAC?

Conference USA would be ideal. The rumors online have indicated there may be some interest, but we all know how much that means. In my opinion, it will be C-USA or stay put. The study revealed that our revenue is higher than all schools in the MAC and Sun Belt; a move to either of them would not make sense because our revenue would increase very little if at all, and not nearly enough to offset the additional travel.

[DFW HOYA]

I discounted C-USA because the 12 teams aren't diluting their conference shares to get to 13. And UCF isn't leaving anytime soon, either.

[AppMan]

Being a young app alum. I can say that it will be hard to get money out of the young alumni because most students graduating in this economy do not have any money because of the lack of jobs.

Trust me I know how is tough out there, but nobody is asking you to fork over $1,000. Don't think $100 would break anyone. That is $8.33 per month, .27 cents per day, or $2-3 less than a 12 pack of beer. I bet these folks you say can't afford it still find a way to buy a 12 pack of beer, eat out 4-5 times, and spend money on all sorts of unnecessary items each week. If 5,000 people give $100 it would take the bite of the out of state waiver loss and put Yosef near the $3 million figure it needs to fully fund the program.

[tractorapp]

I discounted C-USA because the 12 teams aren't giving up their shares to get to 13. UCF isn't going anywhere for while, either.

What's the air travel itinerary from El Paso to Boone?

C-USA needs to be restructured to make more sense from a travel perspective. Going to either 14 or 16 teams makes a lot of sense. If 14 teams, you play the other 6 teams in your division every year and you have one home game with a team from the other division and one away game with another team from the other divison. If you go 16 teams, you play your seven division foes and one team/year from the other division. Makes sense to control cost, increase regional rivalries and still have a conference championship game. I would love to see App come into the eastern division and perhaps New Mexico St. come in out west.

[Waco Kid]

Season ticket holders between the 30's have a minimum donation level of $500, 10-35 yardlines - $250.

ASU needs to tap into the young alum pool that was in college 2005-2010 and get them in the habit of giving. As they grow in their careers so will the donations. It worked with Clemson and IPTAY.

3,000 members would likely equate to 7,500 in attedance at 2.5 per household. Then take out 1,000 visitor fans and 8,000 students. But yes there is still a large population of non-Yosef members attending (~5,000 households).

Keep in mind that there are not the same 22,000 non students at each game so the number of households would be larger. The Yosef Club has to find ways to become more visible to the people that want to be apart of the program.

[citdog]

If App wants to leave the union under the compact entitled "The By-laws of the Southern Conference" then they have every right to do so. It isn't like Americans have a track record of coercing others to remain parties to contracts against their will. xsmhx

[SoCon48]

Season ticket holders between the 30's have a minimum donation level of $500, 10-35 yardlines - $250.

ASU needs to tap into the young alum pool that was in college 2005-2010 and get them in the habit of giving. As they grow in their careers so will the donations. It worked with Clemson and IPTAY.

3,000 members would likely equate to 7,500 in attedance at 2.5 per household. Then take out 1,000 visitor fans and 8,000 students. But yes there is still a large population of non-Yosef members attending (~5,000 households).

That would be great. One thing Clemson had in the " I Pay $20 a Year" club (originally ten dollars) was that they had thousands of non alums contributing. One reason we shouldn't disparage Wal-Mart fans.

[whoanellie]

I thought the "T" in IPTAY now stood for a thousand? RIP Frank Howard

That would be great. One thing Clemson had in the " I Pay $20 a Year" club (originally ten dollars) was that they had thousands of non alums contributing. One reason we shouldn't disparage Wal-Mart fans.

[The Moody1]

Here are the IPTAY levels.

http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/iptay/clem-donorlevels.html

[apaladin]

IPTAY stands for I Pay Two Athletes /Year.

[Saint3333]

I think the point is it used to stand for I Pay Ten$(or Twenty$) A Year and has grown into much more.

Undergrad enrollments:

ASU - 15,100
Clemson - 15,500

Clemson does have 4K graduate student vs. 2K at ASU.

[SoCon48]

I thought the "T" in IPTAY now stood for a thousand? RIP Frank Howard

It still stands for I Pay Ten a Year although I'm sure it costs more than ten to join. It started during Coach Jess Neely's tenure in the 1930's.

[Apphole]

http://www.goasu.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=21500&ATCLID=205134562

This release by the feasibility study committee is intended to address concerns and explain reasons behind our attempt to move up.

“If we aren’t moving forward, we are moving back wards” leads me to believe it's a done deal.

[blaw0203]

Awesome! Appalachian State has the potential to do it!

[JSUBison]

I'm sure it has been discussed in the numerous other move up threads, but what is App State's Title IX picture look like? What other sports will be added? Will any men sports be cut?

[chattownmocs]

You are moving backwards.

[PaladinFan]

http://www.goasu.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=21500&ATCLID=205134562

This release by the feasibility study committee is intended to address concerns and explain reasons behind our attempt to move up.

“If we aren’t moving forward, we are moving back wards” leads me to believe it's a done deal.

Ricky Bobby is writing press releases now?

Can't we consolidate this into one of the fifteen other App State feasibility study threads?

[Apphole]

You are moving back wards.

Moonwalkin' to a 7th straight SoCon ring perhaps... You may be right though. We used to win a National Championship every year.

[Saint3333]

At the Yosef event tonight they put the championship run in perspective. The last time someone other than ASU held the SoCon football title gas cost $1.70.

[gophoenix]

At the Yosef event tonight they put the championship run in perspective. The last time someone other than ASU held the SoCon football title gas cost $1.70.

But that's not a very good comparison either. Since App won their first one, state gas prices have fluctuates from $1.86 to $3.99 per gallon, with the chart all over the place in between....

[GlassOnion]

But that's not a very good comparison either. Since App won their first one, state gas prices have fluctuates from $1.86 to $3.99 per gallon, with the chart all over the place in between....

How about this one, the last time a Socon team, not named APP STATE, held the title, the national debt was 5.6 Trillion, it is now 14.3 Trillion.

[Waco Kid]

But that's not a very good comparison either. Since App won their first one, state gas prices have fluctuates from $1.86 to $3.99 per gallon, with the chart all over the place in between....

How about we compare gas prices to the last time Elon beat us?

Do you always have to make snide comments like this when ASU is mentioned???

[gophoenix]

How about this one, the last time a Socon team, not named APP STATE, held the title, the national debt was 5.6 Trillion, it is now 14.3 Trillion.

LOL, I like that one better xnodx



How about we compare gas prices to the last time Elon beat us?

Do you always have to make snide comments like this when ASU is mentioned???

No, in fact, I do not. I've had only a handful of posts since the season ended. But, if that's the route you want to take, why is it that a plague of locusts descends from the Boone contingent whenever Elon is mentioned?

[apaladin]

I think it is obvious where ASU is heading and statements like this prove it. You take figures and make them say anything you want them to say. It is obvious that the majority of ASU peeps think they are too good for the SoCon. Other teams have had their runs as impressive as ASU in SoCon football. BTW, what was the price of gas when ASU won their last championship in anything other than football, like basketball or baseball? Hate to see you go but good luck anyway. xbowx

[apaladin]

Oh, and btw the last time someone held the SoCon championship besides ASU was this past season as Wofford shared the title. See what I mean by making things up to prove a point.

[Skjellyfetti]

But that's not a very good comparison either. Since App won their first one, state gas prices have fluctuates from $1.86 to $3.99 per gallon, with the chart all over the place in between....

How about this one.

The last time Elon beat App in football...

The average house cost $13,050.00
The Dow was at 874
Gas was $.30 a gallon

[ElonPride]

At the Yosef event tonight they put the championship run in perspective. The last time someone other than ASU held the SoCon football title gas cost $1.70.

Wofford also held the title in 2007 correct? Didn't gas hit $4.00 a gallon that year (depending on where you live)?

[bigCasu]

Wofford also held the title in 2007 correct? Didn't gas hit $4.00 a gallon that year (depending on where you live)?

The whole 43-13 in 2010 pretty much breaks any tie that Wofford might have had with us.

[gophoenix]

How about this one.

The last time Elon beat App in football...

The average house cost $13,050.00
The Dow was at 874
Gas was $.30 a gallon

I prefer to look at it as, App didn't beat Elon from 1972 to 2002. That's a long stretch without a win on us for touting numbers like that. xnodx

[Saint3333]

BTW, what was the price of gas when ASU won their last championship in anything other than football, like basketball or baseball? Hate to see you go but good luck anyway. xbowx

ASU won the North in basketball in 2010 while winning 25 games. Women won the regular season basketball this year. Any running sport our men and women do very well in.

It's not a done deal just yet, I haven't seen an invitation from an FBS conference.

[ElonPride]

The whole 43-13 in 2010 pretty much breaks any tie that Wofford might have had with us.

???

I was referring to 2007. Someone "other than ASU" held the title (Wofford Co-Champs) and gas was over $3 a gallon (national average) that November. The statement made at the Yosef club was technically incorrect.

[gophoenix]

ASU won the North in basketball in 2010 while winning 25 games. Women won the regular season basketball this year. Any running sport our men and women do very well in.

It's not a done deal just yet, I haven't seen an invitation from an FBS conference.

Eh, its a done deal, an invite will come. Worse schools in sports have moved and and gotten invited. Hard to think you guys won't be, despite what people call reasons against it.

[asumike83]

???

I was referring to 2007. Someone "other than ASU" held the title (Wofford Co-Champs) and gas was over $3 a gallon (national average) that November. The statement made at the Yosef club was technically incorrect.

That is correct. Although ASU went on to win the National Title in '07, we got into the field as an at-large. ASU and Wofford each had 2 conference losses, but Wofford got the SoCon auto-bid by beating ASU in Spartanburg.

[WUTNDITWAA]

That is correct. Although ASU went on to win the National Title in '07, we got into the field as an at-large. ASU and Wofford each had 2 conference losses, but Wofford got the SoCon auto-bid by beating ASU in Spartanburg.

Being co-champs and earning the automatic bid are two different things. ASU held the title in 2007 along with Wofford. It probably should've stated (and maybe it did) "the last time ASU didn't hold the SoCon title..."

[asumike83]

Being co-champs and earning the automatic bid are two different things. ASU held the title in 2007 along with Wofford. It probably should've stated (and maybe it did) "the last time ASU didn't hold the SoCon title..."

I hear you, I was just nit-picking for the hell of it. I was talking about an earlier post that said something about the cost of gas last time anyone but ASU held the SoCon title, which wasn't technically correct due to the 2 years sharing the crown with Wofford. Hey, I gotta find something to bicker about between now and the trip to Blacksburg!