The Next TEN Years ...

[Maxell]

What is the best path forward for A&T Football in the next TEN years?

I personally think we should seek to be compete in-state and to join Coastal, Charlotte, App State and East Carolina as a viable Group of Five option in the Carolinas. That feels like the right fit and the right STRETCH goal for the program from an on-the-field standpoint.

Obviously, there are both financial and conference invites that are required, but after proving we can be on the same field as these schools over the last several years, it's the right move. We can maintain our HBCU rivalries in our non-conference schedule and very easily create real tension playing these schools year in and year out.  In addition, the bowl payout is around $15 million per conference.

What do you think?

[marchingband1969]

10 years is a long time and anything can happen to alter A&T's fortunes. But let's assume that Dr. Martin retires and turns the University over to another very competent Chancellor, then I say option #1 is the best...stay the course with the Celebration Bowl and good Out-of-Conference games. Option #3 is definitely out! Let's face it, no matter how successful we are, it's almost impossible for us to generate the millions of dollars needed to jump up to the FBS. If we get that kind of money, I expect the University to cut student fees not dump it into the athletic program. We may pursue joining another conference but it better have some major TV and financial benefits.

Like I said, 10 years is a long time and who knows where we'll be then!

[Maxell]

Dec 18, 2018 17:42:09 GMT -5 marchingband1969 said:

10 years is a long time and anything can happen to alter A&T's fortunes. But let's assume that Dr. Martin retires and turns the University over to another very competent Chancellor, then I say option #1 is the best...stay the course with the Celebration Bowl and good Out-of-Conference games. Option #3 is definitely out! Let's face it, no matter how successful we are, it's almost impossible for us to generate the millions of dollars needed to jump up to the FBS. If we get that kind of money, I expect the University to cut student fees not dump it into the athletic program. We may pursue joining another conference but it better have some major TV and financial benefits.

Like I said, 10 years is a long time and who knows where we'll be then!

That's why you make strategic plans. Preeminence 2020 is a prime example of how to execute one.

[AggiePride]

I have not responded but I do like this survey because it highlights we have niche product and demand exists for our product, how do we maximize it to our benefit.

[aggieswag]

I think we have to always look at what maximizes the University and the athletes. If that means we have to move conferences to do that I will be ok with that. I do want to see us compete at the highest level. At some point winning x amount of celebration bowls may get us into complacency.

I believe we can compete and I want to see how far we can go. I share the ambition of our coach to win a FCS national championship. I think To do that means we have to rethink everything. I think by stating that's what we want to do..we will recruit players that also share that ambition. Staying the course will not get us there.

As I stated in earlier post, I would rather do this in a black conference, but if that's not possible we have to do what's best for our kids and University.

[Maxell]

www.ncataggies.com/fls/24500/old_site/Football/2009%20articles/Football%20Web%20Guide/(9)_FB_09_(105-126).pdf?DB_OEM_ID=24500

All I can say is a lot can happen in 10 years. This is how bad it was 10 years ago in the 2008 season:

vs Johnson C. Smith 44-12 W
vs WSSU 14-8 W
at Norfolk St 21-27 L
at Hampton 7-44 L
vs Coastal Carolina 7-20 L
at NCCU 27-28 L
vs Morgan State (HC) 3-44 L
at Del St 7-42 L
--Fobbs Fired, Ragsdale takes over as interim
vs Howard 21-20 W
at Bethune Cookman 14-24 L
vs FAMU 7-45 L
vs SCSU 0-55 L

2008 Record 3-9 ...with a lot of horrible losses. Don't under estimate how much better the program can get in the next 10 years. Look at how average Coastal was; beating us by only two touchdowns that year.

[saabman]

Sports in general is a year to year thing . To look 10 years down the road is Ludacris lol.

[Bornthrilla]

To not look 10 years down the road is irresponsible, if you are in a leadership position.

[Gator]

you have a blueprint, ride the wave!

[DECKS]

I think we have to look at all sensible options. We're riding a wave of success but the rest of the conference is running in place.....or even regressing. It frustrates me to no end that over the last 5 years almost no other team can win a nonconference game. As long as the CB is around I see us staying put.

[thefriscotxaggie]

Our success is most evident in football and track. Outside of those two sports you can find MEAC teams winning a few non conference games.

We should prepare over next 5 years like we are leaving for a higher rated conference. In case the confernce slips further we need to be prepared. Even if the conference stays pretty much even we need to continue to grow our sports brand.

Bottom line prepare like we leaving although we probably staying. Thats the recipe for furthuer growth!!

[Maxell]

This may sound "out of the blue", but I think we need to prepare a football product that translates well to TV. What that means is the quality of play has to be crisp with relatively few dumb mistakes. QB play has to be stellar, offense has to be able to score, defense that creates turnovers. TV loves that. A product that translates well to TV will succeed over the next 10 years as advertising and sponsorship dollars will increasingly come from both broadcast and streaming. No matter who we are playing or what conference we are in, this will become more and more important.

[Bornthrilla]

Dec 30, 2018 18:18:12 GMT -5 Maxell said:

This may sound "out of the blue", but I think we need to prepare a football product that translates well to TV. What that means is the quality of play has to be crisp with relatively few dumb mistakes. QB play has to be stellar, offense has to be able to score, defense that creates turnovers. TV loves that. A product that translates well to TV will succeed over the next 10 years as advertising and sponsorship dollars will increasingly come from both broadcast and streaming. No matter who we are playing or what conference we are in, this will become more and more important.

Eliminating the unsportsmanlike conduct penalties has got to be a major emphasis for this coaching staff moving forward. I believe we even picked up one in the Celebration Bowl.