Major Announcement

[skjellyfetti]

We're really giving CSNbbs a workout.

http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?tid=626665

Also, GTS who runs the site on the CUSA board:

Enormous influx of Georgia Southern and Appalachian State fans. Like seriously the most registrations I've ever seen in the queue since we went to admin approval. By three fold
I have some tweaks I can make to help with that error -- but it is designed to blunt the impact of a huge wave of inbound traffic. It isn't that the server is beyond it's full carrying capacity ... it is that a big influx of traffic hit it all at once. 5,000 people engaged in spread out use is far less brutal to the server than 5,000 people all loading a page at roughly the same time. The limit error prevents the second of those two examples from getting out of hand.

Yeah, no interest in AppState and FBS... none at all.

And our administration is doing everything possible to make sure no one knows about it.

It does seem odd to me that they haven't sent out an email to the student body yet. I guess they're waiting for it to be "official"... but, Georgia Southern is marketing this within their community far, far better so far.

[AppGrad78]

Contrary to what many on here believe, the decision to move to FBS has left a severely divided university and its community. There's a reason Charlie Cobb and Ken Peacock have virtually vanished from sight since the football season ended. As others have mentioned, this is merely an effort to avoid a potentially embarrassing scene at a time when the eyes of the sports world will be watching. Cobb and Peacock have done an excellent job at manipulating the message since the idea of FBS first surfaced and this is yet another example of that. Savvy move, if you ask me.

[HeffnerIV]

Do we always have to find something to complain about everything? We knew some of the easy access was going to fade with a move up. Lets just be thankful that it's happening.

[Goapps15]

Contrary to what many on here believe, the decision to move to FBS has left a severely divided university and its community. There's a reason Charlie Cobb and Ken Peacock have virtually vanished from sight since the football season ended. As others have mentioned, this is merely an effort to avoid a potentially embarrassing scene at a time when the eyes of the sports world will be watching. Savvy move, if you ask me.

It is divided, but not as divided as it was a year ago. More people are behind the move now and will get behind the move over time. Most of the students that are informed are excited about the move because they know what it can do for this university. Most of the student fuss comes from those who are not as informed or those who like being the big fish in a small pond that continues to get smaller by the day.

It is a savvy move though. The true fans will still show up once football is being played. It also should help our basketball scheduling efforts and give us opportunites in other sports in football that we did not have in the SOCON.

[YesAppCan]

Just in case the server crashes;)

from goasu.com
APPALACHIAN IMG SPORTS NETWORK AFFILIATES AIRING WEDNESDAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE
Station Frequency City
WKBC-FM (Flagship Station) 97.3 North Wilkesboro, Hickory, Charlotte, High Country
WATA-AM 1450 Boone, Blowing Rock
WCOG-AM (Triad Sports Network) 1320 Greensboro, Winston-Salem
WMFR-AM (Triad Sports Network) 1230 High Point, Greensboro
WSML-AM (Triad Sports Network) 1200 Burlington, Greensboro
WDNC-AM (ESPN Triangle) 620 Durham, Raleigh
WCMC-FM (ESPN Triangle) 999 HD-3 Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill

[Maddog1956]

Contrary to what many on here believe, the decision to move to FBS has left a severely divided university and its community. There's a reason Charlie Cobb and Ken Peacock have virtually vanished from sight since the football season ended. As others have mentioned, this is merely an effort to avoid a potentially embarrassing scene at a time when the eyes of the sports world will be watching. Savvy move, if you ask me.

It is divided, but not as divided as it was a year ago. More people are behind the move now and will get behind the move over time. Most of the students that are informed are excited about the move because they know what it can do for this university. Most of the student fuss comes from those who are not as informed or those who like being the big fish in a small pond that continues to get smaller by the day.

It is a savvy move though. The true fans will still show up once football is being played. It also should help our basketball scheduling efforts and give us opportunites in other sports in football that we did not have in the SOCON.

I'm glad for the move, but very disappointed in how everything about it has been handled. Sorry just not a big fan of "the less they know the better". I doubt that we're less divided then any other school that had decided to make the move, (some people never like change). I also can't believe that we as fans are so uneducated, unpolished, and redneck that APP had to do our press announcement behind locked doors (unlike GSU for example). Maybe CC & Co. feel that way, but I can't believe that someone would take off work, go to Boone, throw a fit in a press announcement for a decision that has already been made. It's a minor issue, but we just need to start thinking BIG in all things.

[8993]

Welcome To App made this and is doing its rounds on Twitter now. Looks like the students are trying to get the public more involved.
https://twitter.com/WelcometoApp

[Kgfish]

Contrary to what many on here believe, the decision to move to FBS has left a severely divided university and its community. There's a reason Charlie Cobb and Ken Peacock have virtually vanished from sight since the football season ended. As others have mentioned, this is merely an effort to avoid a potentially embarrassing scene at a time when the eyes of the sports world will be watching. Cobb and Peacock have done an excellent job at manipulating the message since the idea of FBS first surfaced and this is yet another example of that. Savvy move, if you ask me.

I hate to burst the conspiracy bubble but there is no clandestine effort to keep our fans or faculty away from this event. Charlie and Chancellor Peacock are NOT in hiding nor are they afraid of a potential embarrassing situation taking place. According to a good friend who exchanged text messages with David Jackson earlier today the uneventful truth is the Athletics Center is the only venue available and it is not large enough to accommodate the large number of media requests and a lot of fans. The Holmes Center is in use, Farthing Auditorium is undergoing renovations, the team will be using the indoor practice facility, the Broyhill Center has been shut down and there is nowhere else on campus to conduct this event. To make matters worse there is about 8 inches of snow on the ground. So you guys can stop calling Jessie Ventura to come check into what is gong on.

[skjellyfetti]

The Holmes Center is in use

What's going on at the Holmes Center?

[GoAppsGo92]

First off there have been what 15 plus conference moves in the last two years? Of those I cant think of one........one out of 15 that had a pep rally. Secondly the Sun Belt may not allow pep rallies at conference announcements. As much as I would like to be there as well how about we all get over ourselves. ASU gave us a great education and OWES us nothing more. I don't care your Yosef giving level. If anyone here personally funded the entire feasibility study feel free to gripe.

Have to agree, the band would be bush league in my humble opinion. Fine if we do something as a university to get the students excited, but not at a press conference...

[Kgfish]

The Holmes Center is in use

What's going on at the Holmes Center?

The 51st Boyles Distinguished CEO Lecture will be held Wednesday, March 27, at 2 p.m. in the Holmes Convocation Center. The featured speaker will be BB&T CEO Kelly King. The event is free and open to the public.

[wb247]

Do we always have to find something to complain about everything?

It depends on what type of BBQ will be served at the presser and whether or not they will have cups with ice.

[firemoose]

As a little sidebar keep in mind that a LOT of people will be watching this announcement and not all of them will be from the SB. I've mentioned before that the situation is still very fluid and where we are at 4 pm today and who our new conference schools are may likely not be the same a couple of years from now. 4 pm today is step one. Where we get settled for the longer haul is still a few steps away (and for the trolls I'm not talking Big 4 {5}, unlike fans of the school who shall not be named). The most important thing was to be in the door so it would not be shut in our face. We're inside now and from everything I've heard and read I don't believe any changes will be worse but will all be better for us in the long run. Let's be happy we've taken the first step and that the future is brighter now than it was. I know I am and on a personal note I don't believe any program is or has been more ready to make the step up. Some would argue Boise or Marshall but we've shown we could compete with peer schools from the Go5 already and with the players we've got now and what is coming in plus the fan base, tradition and facilities, I think, looking at the program itself, we are as ready if not more so than any program since the split (no offense to our friends from Statesboro as I know you have most of what I listed. We're just a bit ahead in facilities). There will be some rough spots. There always are. But the pieces are in place and we are ready. Time to show what we can do.

ALWAYS ATTACK!!!!!

[YesAppCan]

This from journalnow,com... Tommy Bowman (yesterday)
Good backdrop stuff.
Appalachian State's move to the FBS and Sun Belt
Tommy Bowman | Posted: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 9:54 am

Pondering Appalachian State’s move to the Sun Belt Conference…

Details of parameters and timeframe regarding the move haven’t been announced, but a few things are certain.

One mandated downside is the NCAA’s two-year transition period for moving from the FCS to FBS. Because of scholarships being added above the FCS limit, next season’s 2013 football team will not be eligible for the Southern Conference’s automatic playoff berth, the FCS playoffs and presumably a league title.

And the 2014 football team, though playing a full Sun Belt schedule, will not be eligible for postseason play and perhaps not a Sun Belt title.

Full eligibility for football won’t occur until the 2015 season, although it appears as if sports other than football won’t be restricted and can compete for league titles and be eligible for postseason play in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

One area that will addressed is if the Mountaineers, as an FCS program in transition, will begin to add some scholarship players for next season, perhaps in the form of transfers, over the summer.

With the announcement, the Mountaineers will have an immediate selling point to recruits of playing in the FBS.

Scott Satterfield, Appalachian’s new head coach, is knowledgeable about the Sun Belt. He was offensive coordinator at Sun Belt member Florida International for two seasons in 2010 and 2011.

The Sun Belt does not offer men’s soccer or wrestling, two sports that Appalachian has. Perhaps it will be possible for the Mountaineers to continue to compete in the Southern Conference in those sports. Field hockey, not offered by either the Sun Belt or SoCon, could continue to play in the NorPac.

One challenge of the move will be increased travel for all sports. The Southern Conference provided a much tighter geographic footprint than the Sun Belt. But the only option for not taking on added travel would seem to be to pass on an opportunity to move to the FBS. Additional travel costs were factored into ASU’s plans for a move to the FBS.

Reports are that the Sun Belt will reach the desired 12 football members with the addition of former WAC teams New Mexico State and Idaho for football only, supposedly leading to a two-division structure and league title game.

There has also been speculation that Western Kentucky could leave the Sun Belt for Conference-USA, thus creating another Sun Belt opening.

That, and the possibility that the Sun Belt could eventually add more new members, might enhance the geographic fit for the Mountaineers. James Madison and Liberty are perhaps among future possibilities.

An Eastern Division including Appalachian, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, the two Alabama schools Troy and South Alabama, and Western Kentucky or a replacement, could make the travel issue a bit more palatable.

The Sun Belt obviously needed additional members after its most recent departures of Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Middle Tennessee State and North Texas to C-USA.

But part of the appeal to the league for adding Appalachian is its football following. The Mountaineers drew an average of 27,964 for regular-season home football games last season. That number was higher than last season’s attendance figures for all eight of the Sun Belt’s 2013 football members.

From ASU’s perspective, besides finally getting an invitation to a league that plays FBS football, and aside from geographic challenges, it does have commonality with Sun Belt members, which are all public universities and all former FCS programs.

The Sun Belt has bowl tie-ins with the New Orleans Bowl and GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Four Sun Belt teams played in bowl games last season. Louisiana-Lafayette beat East Carolina 43-34 in the New Orleans Bowl, Arkansas State beat Kent 17-13 in the GoDaddy.com Bowl, Louisiana-Monroe lost to Ohio 45-14 in the Independence Bowl and Western Kentucky lost to Central Michigan 24-21 in the Little Caesars Bowl.

Appalachian has played three of the 2013 members in football, when all were FCS programs. The Mountaineers are 1-0 against Texas State, 1-2 against Troy and 4-1 against Western Kentucky.

In men’s basketball, the Sun Belt currently will be an upgrade to the SoCon, which has slipped in RPI in recent seasons. The SoCon was ranked 27th in RPI this year. The Sun Belt, which got two teams in the NCAA Tournament, was No. 15.

Appalachian is 6-4 against the 2013-14 Sun Belt members. They are 1-1 against Arkansas-Little Rock, 1-1 against Arkansas State, 2-0 against Georgia State, 0-1 against Texas-Arlington, 0-1 against Texas State and 2-0 against Troy.

[mtnjax]

It's 8:15 am and I'm already going crazy! 4:00 needs to get here!

It's going to be a long day

[ASUMountaineer]

Contrary to what many on here believe, the decision to move to FBS has left a severely divided university and its community. There's a reason Charlie Cobb and Ken Peacock have virtually vanished from sight since the football season ended. As others have mentioned, this is merely an effort to avoid a potentially embarrassing scene at a time when the eyes of the sports world will be watching. Savvy move, if you ask me.

It is divided, but not as divided as it was a year ago. More people are behind the move now and will get behind the move over time. Most of the students that are informed are excited about the move because they know what it can do for this university. Most of the student fuss comes from those who are not as informed or those who like being the big fish in a small pond that continues to get smaller by the day.

It is a savvy move though. The true fans will still show up once football is being played. It also should help our basketball scheduling efforts and give us opportunites in other sports in football that we did not have in the SOCON.

I'm glad for the move, but very disappointed in how everything about it has been handled. Sorry just not a big fan of "the less they know the better". I doubt that we're less divided then any other school that had decided to make the move, (some people never like change). I also can't believe that we as fans are so uneducated, unpolished, and redneck that APP had to do our press announcement behind locked doors (unlike GSU for example). Maybe CC & Co. feel that way, but I can't believe that someone would take off work, go to Boone, throw a fit in a press announcement for a decision that has already been made. It's a minor issue, but we just need to start thinking BIG in all things.

You don't say! I see that, even now that we're in, you still have to complain about CC.

[ASUMountaineer]

Yosef's Cabin is finally turning into the old MMB...people will look for anything to complain about. Welcome home boys!!!

[appst89]

Yosef's Cabin is finally turning into the old MMB...people will look for anything to complain about. Welcome home boys!!!

What else are message boards for if not for people to express their feelings?

[App Band]

The parking lot adjacent to the Holmes Center has been mostly blocked off today. Story from ASU Parking & Traffic is that it's a "Board of Trustees meeting." Hmmmmmm..... Why would the BoT need a 9,000 seat arena for a meeting? Anybody else suspicious?????

[asumike83]

Watching the GSU announcement now, Benson said that while they will not be bowl eligible in 2014, the conference plans to begin a championship game in 2014 and they will be eligible.

I think that is pretty cool. Of course, I'd love for us to be bowl eligible but having the chance to play for a conference championship in 2014 is great! Said it will be hosted by the school with the best record.