Jacksonville State Studie Move To (f B S) 1 A

MeanGreen61 · July 17, 2007

IMHO WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE NEWBIES IN THE SUN BELT. STAY WITH NINE & SETTLE DOWN.

from the B'ham News:

Jacksonville State studies move to big time

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

MIKE PERRIN

News staff writer

JACKSONVILLE - The Jacksonville State University board of trustees on Monday formed an exploratory committee to investigate a possible move to the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision.

The group was asked to report to the board's athletics committee at the Oct.15 trustees meeting with information about the cost and feasibility of the jump from the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly called Division I-AA, to the FBS, formerly Division I-A.

JSU President William A. Meehan called the discussion "very, very preliminary," but board member Jim Coxwell said it is just a matter of time before the Gamecocks are playing in the same division - and possibly the same conference - as former archrival Troy.

"We've had contact with the Sun Belt Conference," Coxwell said, "and I've talked to Troy's leaders down there and I've talked to the University of Alabama. It just seems like something that would fit our system here within the next few years.

"I think one year we will be Division I-A. We're headed that way. It's just a matter of time when we get there. It might be next year, it might be 20 years. You never know.

"We're here to please our alumni and that's what they want," Coxwell said. "All the alumni I talk to are very much in favor of it."

Coxwell will serve as chairman of the subcommittee that will also include trustees Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr. and Jamie "Red" Etheredge along with Athletics Director Jim Fuller and football coach Jack Crowe.

Jacksonville State's first football team took the field in 1903 and the Gamecocks won their only football national championship in Division II in 1992.

The team began its two-year transition to Division I-AA in 1993.

The team would serve a one-year transition from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision, new names adopted last year by the NCAA.

Meehan said he was interested in learning the costs of making the move.

"I think they just want to see what it would cost," Meehan said. "I think it would cost a great deal.

"I don't know what we'll find out, but they want to take a look at it. At this point, I'm willing to investigate it with them. It is very, very preliminary at this point."

Crowe called the move a natural progression and said the key to success was finding a conference home right away.

"There is some ambiguity because you're not in until you're in and all you're doing is flirting," he said. "As long as you have a reasonable chance and you're on a target list for a conference then it's just a matter of whether those opportunities open up.

"The obvious one is the possibility of being in the Sun Belt. Middle Tennessee, Troy and Northeast Louisiana, we've been in conferences with them all before. We played Louisiana-Lafayette and beat them and we played Arkansas State and beat them in the years that I've been here.

"I caution people who say, `Why don't we play Troy?' I ask them, `Have you been to Troy lately? It's not your granddaddy's Troy.' This has been an unofficial dialogue for some time. I have no problem with it. I feel very comfortable with the idea."

The athletics committee members said it might be easier to raise money for a FBS program - and that payoffs from guarantee games are much higher than for a game against a team in a lower division.

"The cost of athletics at the I-AA level is pretty well set and pretty expensive for all I-AA schools, whether you're Samford or Jacksonville or Austin Peay," Folsom said. "In light of that, this is something we need to analyze.

"There are no preconceived ideas. We need to see what the financial implications are. If it's a positive thing on the financial aspect and a positive for the university, then it's something we'll consider as we move down the road."

The board also approved a recommendation to get preliminary architectural drawings by Sept.1 for a renovation of the south stands that would add 5,000 seats to the 15,000-seat Paul Snow Stadium.

The six-story addition would include a new press box, executive suites, classroom space and possibly a wellness center operated by Jacksonville State that would serve the Calhoun County area.

Edited July 17, 2007 by MeanGreen61

Daddy Dumpsalot · July 17, 2007

Oh brother, when you thought the SBC conference couldn't get any worse they will amaze you.

MeanGreen61 · July 17, 2007

Oh brother, when you thought the SBC conference couldn't get any worse they will amaze you.

AMEN :censored:

NT80 · July 17, 2007

I am not in favor of being a conference orphanage to all 1-AA moveups. I still have doubts about FIU and FAU having enough fan support and funding to stay in 1-A. We need out of this low-rent district. <_<

GreenN'walinsVet · July 17, 2007

Sounds to me like the Sunbelt is looking to a twelve team divisonal fromat for the future and the only way to accomplish that at this stage is to take in the up and comers.

Think of this:

East Division:

NT

Texas State

Arkansas State

Louisiana Laffayette

Louisiana Monroe

Louisiana Tech

West Division:

Troy

Western Kentucky

Middle Tennesse State

Florida International

Florida Atlantic

Jacksonville State

While this wouldnt exactly be the most powerful conference in the nation would provide stability for not only the conference but the institutions as well. If you took this format and followed the Big XII plan, then you would have 5 games everyear against regionally located schools, and 3 games against the other division witch means only 3 long roadtrips every two years.

Edited July 17, 2007 by GreenN'walinsVet

MeanGreen61 · July 17, 2007

Sounds to me like the Sunbelt is looking to a twelve team divisonal fromat for the future and the only way to accomplish that at this stage is to take in the up and comers.
Think of this:
East Division:
NT
Texas State
Arkansas State
Louisiana Laffayette
Louisiana Monroe
Louisiana Tech
West Division:
Troy
Western Kentucky
Middle Tennesse State
Florida International
Florida Atlantic
Jacksonville State
While this wouldnt exactly be the most powerful conference in the nation would provide stability for not only the conference but the institutions as well. If you took this format and followed the Big XII plan, then you would have 5 games everyear against regionally located schools, and 3 games against the other division witch means only 3 long roadtrips every two years.

Louisiana Tech won't leave the WAC for the Sun Belt unless it's a last resort. The possible thought of bring in more schools ie: Jacksonville State is driving me to reconsider my stance on the WAC. :blink:

untbowler · July 17, 2007

wow we talk as if we have been defending our fire hydrant for the last few years when actuality opponents have been openly pissing all over it while we slept on our big ole Bowl victory 5 years ago. <_<

MeanGreen61 · July 17, 2007

wow we talk as if we have been defending our fire hydrant for the last few years when actuality opponents have been openly pissing all over it while we slept on our big ole Bowl victory 5 years ago.

Feel better ? :rolleyes:

GreenN'walinsVet · July 17, 2007

Obviously Louisiana Tech is the big X factor in the whole scenerio, but if it would make team number 12 and have the chance to be in a regional conference with a money making championship game might entice them to leave the WAC.

UNTLifer · July 17, 2007

You all are hilarious. They contacted the SBC. The article never states that the Sun Belt is after them. Calm down.

Daddy Dumpsalot · July 17, 2007

You all are hilarious. They contacted the SBC. The article never states that the Sun Belt is after them. Calm down.

Just setting myself up for the bad news, so I wont be too surprised when the announcement comes :angry:

DeepGreen · July 17, 2007

The conference should be after Jackson State and Alcorn State. Heck, why not Southeastern Louisiana. <_< This conference is great for refugees.

NT80 · July 17, 2007

The conference should be after Jackson State and Alcorn State. Heck, why not Southeastern Louisiana. This conference is great for refugees.

Texas A$M-Commerce would be a nice travel partner for us in this new upstart conference. Maybe Blinn JC wants to move up too, they have good football, or was it basketball, basket-weaving? :blink:

Quick RV, call the WAC and beg for another bid for us...please get us out of here!

GrandGreen · July 17, 2007

I doubt the Belt has any interest at this time in Jackson State or any other 1aa move up. But I wonder, does anyone know the procedure for adding another team? Does it require a majority vote, an unanimous vote of current members, or something in between?