saabman
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Post by saabman on Dec 31, 2014 2:30:58 GMT -5
We have a strong fan base what we do not have is a fan base that is willing to gave. The writing is on the wall gentlemen , A&T is not living with in its means and unless the fan base gives more towards athletic, we are just digging a hole that may come back and kick us in the A in a big way. It's like we have wine and cheese tastes but we are on and M.D. and noodles budget. That is just not going to work. The fans need to give more towards athletics or we need to make a move and I don't mean to another conference but to D-2 were we can afford to compete on a even playing field financially .
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2014 6:28:59 GMT -5
We have a strong fan base what we do not have is a fan base that is willing to gave. The writing is on the wall gentlemen , A&T is not living with in its means and unless the fan base gives more towards athletic, we are just digging a hole that may come back and kick us in the A in a big way. It's like we have wine and cheese tastes but we are on and M.D. and noodles budget. That is just not going to work. The fans need to give more towards athletics or we need to make a move and I don't mean to another conference but to D-2 were we can afford to compete on a even playing field financially . How can we be living outside our means when enrollment is growing?
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bluehaze
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Post by bluehaze on Dec 31, 2014 7:53:14 GMT -5
Why should we stay in a conference that is going against a major philosophical ideology we have, which is staying in the current playoff structure. If we are this strongly against the game, let's put more money towards athletics and bounce to the CAA? With the exception of football and women's basketball, what are we doing in the MEAC that suggests w should be moving to another conference? The infrastructure to winning at the level we are at now isn't there. Let's improve the facilities and culture of winning first before even considering moving conferences. I would've loved to see Cohen, Quick and the boys on a Christmas time Bowl Game against Alcorn this year. How about the Athletic Department actually asks the constituents their preference and show us the hard numbers for and against. It's called Change Management.
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Post by numberonebrave on Dec 31, 2014 8:18:04 GMT -5
I would have liked that match up as well however It would not have been NCA&T against Alcorn, it would have been Morgan. As I read this if the bowl game will be between the champions in each conference, a second place team could go to the playoffs. Thus, playing Elon and Coastal would still important from a ranking perspective. And as I see it a recruiting perspective as well. I would want to show the recruit we could beat the PWC and play in a bowl game or the playoffs I also wonder why there has been no statement from Thomas about this. This game will be all about putting $$$ in the conference office with very little going to the schools. Of course that may reduce the amount each school has to pay the conference in fees or dues.
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Post by Aggie One on Dec 31, 2014 8:52:08 GMT -5
Why should we stay in a conference that is going against a major philosophical ideology we have, which is staying in the current playoff structure. If we are this strongly against the game, let's put more money towards athletics and bounce to the CAA? Given Dr. Martin's expressed aspirations for A&T and the direction he has embarked on with this university, I would expect A&T to seek a new FCS conference affiliation in the not too distant future. I don't trust Dennis Thomas' judgment or have one iota of confidence in his performance as the commissioner of the MEAC but we'll see how things unfolds.
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Post by DOOMS on Dec 31, 2014 9:14:52 GMT -5
There's no point in moving to a new conference affiliation if we can't afford to be competitive once we get there.
While we'd be competitive in the Big South, we'd see dramatic decreases in attendance. I doubt any other non-hbcu conference would be interested in taking us. There has to be a two-way interest. Plus, if we aren't playing hbcus, the majority of the paying customers ain't coming. We ALL know the majority of the crowd comes to see folks, to be seen, and to see the band.
To me d-2 should be our only option. D-2 only bothers a few die-hards on this site. The majority of the paying customers would love to come see us play Winston, because they cousins and 'em went there and they want bragging rights.
In d-2, our dollars go further. In d-2 we can admit more of the students that we were created to serve in the first place. In d-2 we can compete on a national level in every sport. In d-2 our travel budget drops tremendously (provided we're in the CIAA). This nominal d-1 business is getting very stale. It was great to be seen on tv when we were in the NCAA tourney, but just as I posited when it happened, it was fleeting. Now we're already on here talking about the next coach and a lack of players. If we fund our program right on the d-2 level, win some true NATIONAL championships, and publicize the hell out of it, we go further.
Or we can keep begging for money from people who ain't gonna give it no matter what we do, and keep hoping that little bit of change translates into some actual wins, and keep losing and keep begging.
It's my honest belief that we would gain more paying fans than we would lose if we went to d-2. There would be some diehards that would refuse to give money, but there would be more casual fans that would pay to see us play regional hbcus that they care about instead of playing Elon and Coastal.
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saabman
Official BDF member
Posts: 11,811
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Post by saabman on Dec 31, 2014 9:54:45 GMT -5
We have a strong fan base what we do not have is a fan base that is willing to gave. The writing is on the wall gentlemen , A&T is not living with in its means and unless the fan base gives more towards athletic, we are just digging a hole that may come back and kick us in the A in a big way. It's like we have wine and cheese tastes but we are on and M.D. and noodles budget. That is just not going to work. The fans need to give more towards athletics or we need to make a move and I don't mean to another conference but to D-2 were we can afford to compete on a even playing field financially . How can we be living outside our means when enrollment is growing? No one said that the enrollment was not growing. We are talking about athletic funding not student enrollment .
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2014 10:13:39 GMT -5
How can we be living outside our means when enrollment is growing? No one said that the enrollment was not growing. We are talking about athletic funding not student enrollment . But when you use student fees to fund athletics, both items go hand in hand.
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Post by Aggie One on Dec 31, 2014 10:28:52 GMT -5
If the AQ stays in place and not forfeited by the MEAC, and the winner has a choice as to playing this game or go into the playoffs, it might just be plausible enough for the no votes to begrudgingly accept it. For the time being.
In theory what Dooms proposes makes some "logical" sense but it won't fly with the administration or the general fan base unless there was a dire financial crisis driving it. A&T is in a break even mode at present. We are a little stretched but no where near broke at this point.
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Post by DOOMS on Dec 31, 2014 11:23:33 GMT -5
According to this article hbcusports.com/2014/12/31/meacswac-postseason-agreement-is-the-right-call/ the autobid is history. The "for" votes aren't interested in going to get that behind tapped anymore. A-1, the general fanbase doesn't care. You know that. WE care, but the general fan base are the people who leave right after halftime and don't come to a game unless it's a "name" hbcu opponent. They outnumber us by a large margin. I recognize that. As far as increased enrollment, we've gone down this road before. Enrollment varies from year to year. It makes no sense to tax these kids, many of whom can't afford the extra charges in the first place, for some division 1 pipe dream. Not only that, but the team that lost in the d-2 national championship game has 15,000 students. Let that sink in. Their endowment is also 15 million larger than ours. In actuality there are a large number of d-2 schools that are our size or larger. Granted, there are many d-1 schools that are smaller, but most don't have the budget issues we have. We might be looking ok right now (and I doubt that) but we've had consistent budget problems for a while. That being typed, I agree that the administration (well, Martin) isn't about to drop divisions unless about half the conference does it too. Of course, if we did it first, almost the whole conference would follow us, but that's neither here nor there. Ultimately, the MEAC is poorly funded and not much better run. It's conference footprint is waaay too large and its member institutions' budgets are waaay too small to be viable on the division I level. I can understand the desire to get away from the "church-league" smaller CIAA schools when the conference was created, but no school in the conference besides Del State can meet the financial requirements of d-1 on a regular basis. That's the plain truth. And the gap is widening. Meanwhile, in the SWAC where they gave up the playoffs long ago, Texas Southern is beating major colleges on the basketball court. If we're going to remain d-1 we'd have to basically de-emphasize football. It's unfortunate, but something, somewhere, has to give. I wonder what a sadder day for MEAC football is, the day we finally sign off on this bowl game or each day we don't sign off on it and continue to be first-round fodder in the playoffs?
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Post by Aggie One on Dec 31, 2014 12:27:27 GMT -5
From what little bit that has actually been written about this move, it appears on the surface that Thomas is attempting to have both scenarios become the end result.
I want to read all the fine print and see the plan, both current and future if there is one, before making any final assessment.
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Post by DOOMS on Dec 31, 2014 12:51:57 GMT -5
Not according to Kerr.
No more playoffs. The playoffs would be a possibility just like it's a possibility for the SWAC's second place team to go, but basically it wouldn't happen. We didn't get two teams in this year and if any year was the year to get it done it would've been this year with us and BCU with 24 playoff slots to be filled.
If they did agree to let us send the highest team that didn't make the playoffs, this thing would be no different than the Heritage Bowl, which died a slow and painful death.
I'm starting to wonder about the purported non-called holds in the game against Central and the choice of sending Morgan to the postseason. It's harder to sell this sort of game if a team competed fairly well in the postseason this year.
My personal opinion is that either we as a conference must agree to pony up the funds to no longer be a laughingstock in athletics or need to make a move.
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Post by The Professor on Dec 31, 2014 13:44:17 GMT -5
Interesting comments Dooms.... I will say this , Playing sports in the CIAA would boost attendance for football and basketball.
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Post by DOOMS on Dec 31, 2014 13:53:17 GMT -5
Depends on the game. The larger schools would boost attendance, but we've already seen what happens if we play Chowan.
We'd sell out away games at almost every conference opponent's stadium. That'd be funny. We'd have 10 home games a year.
In basketball it'd take a few minutes to become a power. But we could easily just hire the best team's coach away.
If I was the CIAA I would swoop in on the MEAC like a mug and recruit. But they're not much better run than the MEAC when it comes to that. Instead of begging UNCP and Chowan to join they should've been working on the former CIAA MEAC schools that fit their footprint and presenting a model to them that would show how they'd profit and have a greater reach.
But I digress. It will be very interesting to see how it all plays out in the end.
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KidHeartless
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AGGIE FRIGGIN PRIDE!
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Post by KidHeartless on Dec 31, 2014 14:36:59 GMT -5
no CIAA...no D2
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