Topic: app fan with a question about football

[pbr1893]

hello to our old southern conference foes...i come in peace and with a question or two.  app has decided to move to the sun belt by next year and half are for and half against.  for me its the obscurity of a low fbs conference compared to although a weakend but still playoff formatted championship series in fcs(formerly 1-aa). you guys have seen a few good years in fbs and also, some down years.  i'm wondering that since the playoff system might never include conference usa and the fact that most larger conferences will be locked up with teams already ahead of you guys...looking back, would you rather still play for a chance of deciding a champion on the field thru playoffs in the (1-aa) fcs or are you glad you're where you are.   i'm not trying to be in anyway disrespectful in your accomplishments but seeing that yours is one of a handful of schools that moved up over the last 15 or so years, i thought i'd ask.  i know a ticket to herd games during your powerhouse days of 1-aa was a hard one to get but it seems your numbers are off maybe due in fact to the bandwagon effect which app has seen too ever since its championships and michigan.  i just wonder what a few 4-8 years will do to our attendance because empty metal bleachers sure do shine bright on a cold sunny saturday in boone. so, do you ever miss the playoffs and (1-aa) fcs or are you glad your gone and happy with your positioning. personally, i think its gonna be hard for app to move into a better conference going forward due to simple numbers ahead of them.   geographically, it's gonna kill the athletic budget and we'll never play for a national championship ever again because of the way the big boy conferences have it structured .  we'll be relegated to a "place your business name here" bowl in shreveport or mobile...and that's not my idea of moving up. thanks!

[ATHENSHERDFAN]

Hey app fan, I miss the playoffs but not enough to ever consider going back.  I was at Marshall during the 80s it was a good time.  I actually went to a game at appy back in 1987.  You beat us I think 13-9 but we got even during our first playoff appearance.  Anyway,  like I said no way I want to go back.  Things can be tough when you struggle on the field but to be at least placed in bowl championship division gives a school more credibility. 

Well good luck and may see you some where down the road.

[Scottyo614]

Pbr1893 welcome to the board. Ill a see this in a couple different ways and I'm sure posters will all have different views.

Do I miss playoff football? Yes. Simply put it felt great to be a big fish in a small pond. It felt great to be winning championships. There is also the aspect of the one and done tensions that come with playoffs.

Would I want to go back? No. I like where we are and feel we are playing in a level we should. It kinda reminds me of a video game. It's fun to win all the time, but eventually it becomes more fun to have the computer compete and maybe go .500. Not saying y'all will go .500 at all, heck y'all could come out and go undefeated. I just really like the new level of competition compared to the old Southern Conference.m

My advice for the future... If you can, rally fans to build the academics. Get as much donor fund drives as possible and have degrees that continuously grow the financials. I think us, as herd fans are seeing this more so than ever in the last 5-6 years. Just think in FCS how great our facilities were at one point. Don't settle for 4-8, don't take cash grab games and always grow funds. With that Appy will have no problem succeeding if the product on the field can keep winning. Who knows that elusive fiesta, orange, or whatever bowl might happen in time.

[Herdmeister]

I agree with an above poster. Yes, the playoffs were fun but no way would I want to go back there.
The new bowl setup could allow us to get a piece of the apple. It would take an undefeated effort in a weakened conference. The top non-BCS league team every year gets into one of the BIG bowls. I like our chances down the road to get that opportunity.

[MarshallSteve]

hello to our old southern conference foes...i come in peace and with a question or two.  app has decided to move to the sun belt by next year and half are for and half against.  for me its the obscurity of a low fbs conference compared to although a weakend but still playoff formatted championship series in fcs(formerly 1-aa). you guys have seen a few good years in fbs and also, some down years.  i'm wondering that since the playoff system might never include conference usa and the fact that most larger conferences will be locked up with teams already ahead of you guys...looking back, would you rather still play for a chance of deciding a champion on the field thru playoffs in the (1-aa) fcs or are you glad you're where you are.   i'm not trying to be in anyway disrespectful in your accomplishments but seeing that yours is one of a handful of schools that moved up over the last 15 or so years, i thought i'd ask.  i know a ticket to herd games during your powerhouse days of 1-aa was a hard one to get but it seems your numbers are off maybe due in fact to the bandwagon effect which app has seen too ever since its championships and michigan.  i just wonder what a few 4-8 years will do to our attendance because empty metal bleachers sure do shine bright on a cold sunny saturday in boone. so, do you ever miss the playoffs and (1-aa) fcs or are you glad your gone and happy with your positioning. personally, i think its gonna be hard for app to move into a better conference going forward due to simple numbers ahead of them.   geographically, it's gonna kill the athletic budget and we'll never play for a national championship ever again because of the way the big boy conferences have it structured .  we'll be relegated to a "place your business name here" bowl in shreveport or mobile...and that's not my idea of moving up. thanks!

Welcome to the board. Do I miss the excitement of the 1-AA playoffs? Yes. Would I want to go back? No. Trying to win conference championships and going to bowl games are fun as well. Now that there is a playoff at the 1-A level its just a matter of time before its expanded to 8 or even 16 teams. If you want to compete at the 1-A level just make sure you have a nice season ticket base in football along with good support in basketball. You also have to have fans that are willing to pay higher ticket prices for football and basketball games. The price is going up for the fans when jumping from 1-AA to 1-A but as long as they are willing to support the program through good and bad you should be fine. Good luck in your transition.

[pbr1893]

thanks for the replies and though i mentioned going back...well, i guess in my opinion, we all know there are roughly 6 major conferences with possibly 16 team membership.  if there is a playoff system, you might eventually have an 8 team round robin...16 would be great affording at least one rep from each conference but until then, app will never move into those higher conferences imop because most of those spots have been spoken for.  one other thing. besides west virginia, what marquee teams have come to huntington?  i looked back and didn't see any but the results/stats weren't extensive.  i dont mean that as a knock either...our fans are already speculating what bcs schools we could get and personally, im thinking none of any caliber in the next 5-7 years because of travel costs as related to revenue and size of stadium.  we averaged 26-27k per game and that would already put us in the front compared to other sun belt teams but still not big enough to support the visitor fan bases of ecu or wake.  our stadium needs to get to 35-40k actual seats.  we do have standing room areas and the hillside giving capacity over 31k which we have done several times.  times have really changed for both our programs.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo_explorer#view=photo&position=25&with_photo_id=78584448&order=date_desc&user=6117281
http://www.goasu.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=21500&ATCLID=204989181

[Buffalo Bop]

Move into your new FBS conference and don't look back--except for fond memories. Be glad you have an admin that has the vision to take your program to a higher level. And of the FCS programs out there, yours appears to be ready to make the jump.

Think about your team in a bowl game and watching them on ESPN.

[bbcard1]

It will be an interesting ride for you.  You should be able to be successful in the Sunbelt almost immediately and I suspect you will soon by joined by a couple of other old rivals.  A nice bowl in New Orleans will be dandy.

Bottom lining it, no one knows what is going on now...there is a lot of hand ringing and high fiving and no one knows where it will end up...I mean don't have a clue.  Just ride it, enjoy every game and let it settle out where it may. 

[Herd 90]

thanks for the replies and though i mentioned going back...well, i guess in my opinion, we all know there are roughly 6 major conferences with possibly 16 team membership.  if there is a playoff system, you might eventually have an 8 team round robin...16 would be great affording at least one rep from each conference but until then, app will never move into those higher conferences imop because most of those spots have been spoken for.  one other thing. besides west virginia, what marquee teams have come to huntington?  i looked back and didn't see any but the results/stats weren't extensive.  i dont mean that as a knock either...our fans are already speculating what bcs schools we could get and personally, im thinking none of any caliber in the next 5-7 years because of travel costs as related to revenue and size of stadium.  we averaged 26-27k per game and that would already put us in the front compared to other sun belt teams but still not big enough to support the visitor fan bases of ecu or wake.  our stadium needs to get to 35-40k actual seats.  we do have standing room areas and the hillside giving capacity over 31k which we have done several times.  times have really changed for both our programs.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo_explorer#view=photo&position=25&with_photo_id=78584448&order=date_desc&user=6117281
http://www.goasu.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=21500&ATCLID=204989181

Welcome to to the board.  Nice to hear from App fans.  The only "marquee" teams that I can think of that have come to Huntington are Kansas State and Virginia Tech.  Both of which are much more "marquee" than West Virginia. I may be wrong on this but I believe Va. Tech will be back and Purdue is going to making a trip to Huntington soon.

[HerdKixButt]

Hey app fan, I miss the playoffs but not enough to ever consider going back.  I was at Marshall during the 80s it was a good time.  I actually went to a game at appy back in 1987.  You beat us I think 13-9 but we got even during our first playoff appearance.  Anyway,  like I said no way I want to go back.  Things can be tough when you struggle on the field but to be at least placed in bowl championship division gives a school more credibility. 

Well good luck and may see you some where down the road.

We actually beat them in 87 to get to Pocatello. There was a song they played on the radio "don't worry, beat Appy". I know they don't like being called Appy either.

I believe it was 88 we lost 13-9 but the loss was to Furman.

[mutink]

Welcome to to the board.  Nice to hear from App fans.  The only "marquee" teams that I can think of that have come to Huntington are Kansas State and Virginia Tech.  Both of which are much more "marquee" than West Virginia. I may be wrong on this but I believe Va. Tech will be back and Purdue is going to making a trip to Huntington soon.

Didn't Virginia Tech come here?