VMI to rejoin SoCon?

[vegattk]

I highly doubt Georgia Southern would have moved up no matter what App did. Their administration was hell-bent on moving up and they were very vocal about it. If we hadn't moved as well, we would be sharing a seat in limbo with JMU, somewhere between the dumper that is the SoCon and FBS.

Isn't the SunBelt a bit of FBS Limbo to begin with?

Not saying the SOCON was the best place to stay (after Sammy you could tell what type of direction the conference was going towards), but to "settle" on the Belt... with no foreseeable postseason... is a bit of limbo-ish Hell.

There will always be knocks on the Sun Belt for one reason or another, but judging by the SoCon's recent moves, I'm even more glad we left. It isn't like we had other options.

Certainly, but it doesn't mean that some of us folks like them... Too much of a "wandering the desert" feel to all of this. We're out of Egypt but the promised land hasn't been seen or found yet. Maybe if we hadn't been worshiping that damn FBS idol we wouldn't have to wait 40 years to find where we need to go.

Could you be specific? Do you think where "we need to go" is located in the FCS? I'm not sure I see any situation in the FCS that is as/more beneficial to App State than the Sun Belt. If there is a better situation, I'd be disappointed if we had the opportunity and passed it up.

I was one of the "hopeful pie-in-the-sky" folks that was hoping a regional FCS "mega" conference would form.

I completely agree that the Socon is not where App needed to be (especially after our departure seemingly tore down the pillars holding up the roof), but I'm one that is 100%, wholly and fully against the machine that is the FBS post season fiasco...

I'm more of a postseason guy in this whole process. I liked the FCS' ability to get me to Boone more than the regular season allowed to watch my Apps play, enjoy the high country, and have time to spend with the family.

More Boone > Less Boone.

Does that make sense?

[Maddog1956]

I don't think anyone here is moaning and groaning about leaving. My point at some point in this thread was that I wished the SoCon well and I hope that things work out for them. I'm ecstatic about our move but I hold no ill will towards the SoCon. I was a student at ASU when we joined the SoCon and I recall the excitement that everyone felt when we joined. It felt like much like it does now as we take another step forward with our joining the FBS ranks.

I feel similar. I don't have any reason to wish the SoCon anything bad but I do think they made a lot of this happen with bad decisions. While we have had good games and some of the small schools have done better than I would have expected, it would have been easy for us just to settle for average. They made it a conference of 2,000 student non-outstanding private schools and that what they now have. I'm glad that we didn't and went on to make a name for ourselves, but the SoCon conference play did little to help us (either in game play or recognition), it was all on our own.

My only real regret is that WCU didn't have any more time to really improve themselves, before the collapse. I think they had really started to put some focus on sports and had an opportunity to come up in the world. But maybe in the end, they'll like being at the top of the SmallCon better.

PS. For all those that are going to say you "don't care what happens to WCU", I don't really give a crap what you think anyway and I'm sure you've already said it 1000 times, but feel free.

[ASUMountaineer]

Isn't the SunBelt a bit of FBS Limbo to begin with?

Not saying the SOCON was the best place to stay (after Sammy you could tell what type of direction the conference was going towards), but to "settle" on the Belt... with no foreseeable postseason... is a bit of limbo-ish Hell.

There will always be knocks on the Sun Belt for one reason or another, but judging by the SoCon's recent moves, I'm even more glad we left. It isn't like we had other options.

Certainly, but it doesn't mean that some of us folks like them... Too much of a "wandering the desert" feel to all of this. We're out of Egypt but the promised land hasn't been seen or found yet. Maybe if we hadn't been worshiping that damn FBS idol we wouldn't have to wait 40 years to find where we need to go.

Could you be specific? Do you think where "we need to go" is located in the FCS? I'm not sure I see any situation in the FCS that is as/more beneficial to App State than the Sun Belt. If there is a better situation, I'd be disappointed if we had the opportunity and passed it up.

I was one of the "hopeful pie-in-the-sky" folks that was hoping a regional FCS "mega" conference would form.

I completely agree that the Socon is not where App needed to be (especially after our departure seemingly tore down the pillars holding up the roof), but I'm one that is 100%, wholly and fully against the machine that is the FBS post season fiasco...

I'm more of a postseason guy in this whole process. I liked the FCS' ability to get me to Boone more than the regular season allowed to watch my Apps play, enjoy the high country, and have time to spend with the family.

More Boone > Less Boone.

Does that make sense?

It does, but you can always visit Boone. I'm clearly not as big as a postseason guy, as evidenced by my attendance being less stellar for playoff games, but I do agree that a playoff > bowls. With that said, that would not have a whole lot of influence on my decision at all. I guess that's where we differ.

I just don't see a realistic opportunity that was better for App State than a move to the Sun Belt. If that's generally accepted, then I think it's easier to get on board.

[Saint3333]

Give it 10 years and they'll be a 16 game playoff in which every conference champion gets a ticket.

As the SoCon continues to lose members, they will lose a minimum of one more school most likely to the CAA, we will be very pleased when we look back on this move.

The only other option was a mid-atlantic/NE move to the CAA which in about 12-18 months will look worse than it does today.

2015 SoCon football schedule:

ETSU
@VMI
UTC
@Wofford
Furman
@Citadel
Mercer
@WCU

That would have been a reality folks.

If people want more time in Boone go to a basketball or baseball game, they can use your support as well.

[Gonzo]

If people want more time in Boone go to a basketball or baseball game, they can use your support as well.

[vegattk]

Give it 10 years and they'll be a 16 game playoff in which every conference champion gets a ticket.

As the SoCon continues to lose members, they will lose a minimum of one more school most likely to the CAA, we will be very pleased when we look back on this move.

The only other option was a mid-atlantic/NE move to the CAA which in about 12-18 months will look worse than it does today.

2015 SoCon football schedule:

ETSU
@VMI
UTC
@Wofford
Furman
@Citadel
Mercer
@WCU

That would have been a reality folks.

If people want more time in Boone go to a basketball or baseball game, they can use your support as well.

Wandering in the desert...

[asumike83]

If people want more time in Boone go to a basketball or baseball game, they can use your support as well.

THIS!

[asumike83]

I was one of the "hopeful pie-in-the-sky" folks that was hoping a regional FCS "mega" conference would form.

I completely agree that the Socon is not where App needed to be (especially after our departure seemingly tore down the pillars holding up the roof), but I'm one that is 100%, wholly and fully against the machine that is the FBS post season fiasco...

I'm more of a postseason guy in this whole process. I liked the FCS' ability to get me to Boone more than the regular season allowed to watch my Apps play, enjoy the high country, and have time to spend with the family.

More Boone > Less Boone.

Does that make sense?

It does. I just don't understand the constant criticism of the Sun Belt when admittedly, it is definitely better than the SoCon or any other alternative.

A true playoff is better than the bowl system, no arguments there. However, the "More App games>Less App games" argument does have some flaws. Obviously, we all want success. Success, in my opinion, would be playing for conference titles and going to bowls. Any season in which App does that, they will play 12 regular season games, a conference championship game and a bowl.

That is 14 games, with as many as 7 at home if App is able to host the conference championship. In the 85 year history of Appalachian football, the program has played more than 14 games on 3 occasions, 2005-2007. Earning an appearance in the conference title game will give our fans more games than anything short of a run to Frisco would provide in the FCS.

[JTApps1]

If people want more time in Boone go to a basketball or baseball game, they can use your support as well.

Took the words right out of my mouth!

[ASUMountaineer]

Give it 10 years and they'll be a 16 game playoff in which every conference champion gets a ticket.

As the SoCon continues to lose members, they will lose a minimum of one more school most likely to the CAA, we will be very pleased when we look back on this move.

The only other option was a mid-atlantic/NE move to the CAA which in about 12-18 months will look worse than it does today.

2015 SoCon football schedule:

ETSU
@VMI
UTC
@Wofford
Furman
@Citadel
Mercer
@WCU

That would have been a reality folks.

If people want more time in Boone go to a basketball or baseball game, they can use your support as well.

Wandering in the desert...

Why? Change is slow, and for good reason. Too much change too quickly typically breeds adverse effects.

A "wait-and-see" approach seems much more like wandering in the desert than joining the Sun Belt. I just don't see a better option that was/is available.

Veg, I'll be honest. I get why you enjoy FCS so much, but I don't get why you view the Sun Belt so negatively when the only realistic option was the status quo.

[JTApps1]

In the video Gonzo posted Benson mentioned he is about to add 1 and maybe 2 more bowl tie ins for the league so our chances of playing 13 games a year is about to increase as well. I think we have a very good chance to be at the top of the east division on a regular basis considering Troy is the only team that's been there for more than a few seasons.

[vegattk]

Give it 10 years and they'll be a 16 game playoff in which every conference champion gets a ticket.

As the SoCon continues to lose members, they will lose a minimum of one more school most likely to the CAA, we will be very pleased when we look back on this move.

The only other option was a mid-atlantic/NE move to the CAA which in about 12-18 months will look worse than it does today.

2015 SoCon football schedule:

ETSU
@VMI
UTC
@Wofford
Furman
@Citadel
Mercer
@WCU

That would have been a reality folks.

If people want more time in Boone go to a basketball or baseball game, they can use your support as well.

Wandering in the desert...

Why? Change is slow, and for good reason. Too much change too quickly typically breeds adverse effects.

A "wait-and-see" approach seems much more like wandering in the desert than joining the Sun Belt. I just don't see a better option that was/is available.

Veg, I'll be honest. I get why you enjoy FCS so much, but I don't get why you view the Sun Belt so negatively when the only realistic option was the status quo.

Here's my view of the SunBelt.

Let's use the Titanic reference that we've had popping up on here before.

The Socon (not the FCS) was the boat... definitely sinking. We had hit an iceberg (insert many comparisons here... Sammy add, Commish decisions, UNC Charlotte popping up) and the ship was sinking.

In order to save ourselves we had to grab a life raft.

In my opinion, grabbing onto the Sunbelt isn't like being in one of those nice clean boats you see in the pictures. The one with the clean rich-folk all dressed up in top hats and fancy dresses...

To me the Sunbelt is like jumping off the boat and tieing together floating corpses. Soon you realize that the person that's crawled up next to you on this flotsam of decay is the drunken redneck that oogled your wife the night before. To top it off the floating corpse-raft keeps losing bodies and you're having to figure out a way stay afloat so you're grabbing more and more bodies that stink, are maggot filled and otherwise completely vile. The more you grab at the new bodies the farther and farther you have to reach to get them...

Certainly you've been saved... but it doesn't mean that you have to like the situation you're in.

[AppinVA]

Give it 10 years and they'll be a 16 game playoff in which every conference champion gets a ticket.

As the SoCon continues to lose members, they will lose a minimum of one more school most likely to the CAA, we will be very pleased when we look back on this move.

The only other option was a mid-atlantic/NE move to the CAA which in about 12-18 months will look worse than it does today.

2015 SoCon football schedule:

ETSU
@VMI
UTC
@Wofford
Furman
@Citadel
Mercer
@WCU

That would have been a reality folks.

If people want more time in Boone go to a basketball or baseball game, they can use your support as well.

Wandering in the desert...

Why? Change is slow, and for good reason. Too much change too quickly typically breeds adverse effects.

A "wait-and-see" approach seems much more like wandering in the desert than joining the Sun Belt. I just don't see a better option that was/is available.

Veg, I'll be honest. I get why you enjoy FCS so much, but I don't get why you view the Sun Belt so negatively when the only realistic option was the status quo.

Here's my view of the SunBelt.

Let's use the Titanic reference that we've had popping up on here before.

The Socon (not the FCS) was the boat... definitely sinking. We had hit an iceberg (insert many comparisons here... Sammy add, Commish decisions, UNC Charlotte popping up) and the ship was sinking.

In order to save ourselves we had to grab a life raft.

In my opinion, grabbing onto the Sunbelt isn't like being in one of those nice clean boats you see in the pictures. The one with the clean rich-folk all dressed up in top hats and fancy dresses...

To me the Sunbelt is like jumping off the boat and tieing together floating corpses. Soon you realize that the person that's crawled up next to you on this flotsam of decay is the drunken redneck that oogled your wife the night before. To top it off the floating corpse-raft keeps losing bodies and you're having to figure out a way stay afloat so you're grabbing more and more bodies that stink, are maggot filled and otherwise completely vile. The more you grab at the new bodies the farther and farther you have to reach to get them...

Certainly you've been saved... but it doesn't mean that you have to like the situation you're in.

We both agree that App needed to get off the S.S. SoCon. I'm happy with the lifeboat we grabbed, but you are not. What lifeboat would you have liked to see App grab? The CAA? If so, would that have been enough to keep JMU and Delaware from bolting to a different lifeboat?

[AppinVA]

One other question. When the S.S. SoCon sinks, where do they bury the survivors?

[ASUMountaineer]

Give it 10 years and they'll be a 16 game playoff in which every conference champion gets a ticket.

As the SoCon continues to lose members, they will lose a minimum of one more school most likely to the CAA, we will be very pleased when we look back on this move.

The only other option was a mid-atlantic/NE move to the CAA which in about 12-18 months will look worse than it does today.

2015 SoCon football schedule:

ETSU
@VMI
UTC
@Wofford
Furman
@Citadel
Mercer
@WCU

That would have been a reality folks.

If people want more time in Boone go to a basketball or baseball game, they can use your support as well.

Wandering in the desert...

Why? Change is slow, and for good reason. Too much change too quickly typically breeds adverse effects.

A "wait-and-see" approach seems much more like wandering in the desert than joining the Sun Belt. I just don't see a better option that was/is available.

Veg, I'll be honest. I get why you enjoy FCS so much, but I don't get why you view the Sun Belt so negatively when the only realistic option was the status quo.

Here's my view of the SunBelt.

Let's use the Titanic reference that we've had popping up on here before.

The Socon (not the FCS) was the boat... definitely sinking. We had hit an iceberg (insert many comparisons here... Sammy add, Commish decisions, UNC Charlotte popping up) and the ship was sinking.

In order to save ourselves we had to grab a life raft.

In my opinion, grabbing onto the Sunbelt isn't like being in one of those nice clean boats you see in the pictures. The one with the clean rich-folk all dressed up in top hats and fancy dresses...

To me the Sunbelt is like jumping off the boat and tieing together floating corpses. Soon you realize that the person that's crawled up next to you on this flotsam of decay is the drunken redneck that oogled your wife the night before. To top it off the floating corpse-raft keeps losing bodies and you're having to figure out a way stay afloat so you're grabbing more and more bodies that stink, are maggot filled and otherwise completely vile. The more you grab at the new bodies the farther and farther you have to reach to get them...

Certainly you've been saved... but it doesn't mean that you have to like the situation you're in.

I guess you're more of the "glass half-empty" type.

I never said you had to like the Sun Belt, but I don't get the negativity when it seems you agree that Sun Belt > SoCon for App. I'm just surprised at how negatively you view the Sun Belt, when it appears to be our best move. I've known for a long time that you preferred FCS, but the only option there was the SoCon.

[Gonzo]

As negative as vega is about the SBC and his admission that the BSC>the SoCon, is it safe to assume that the FBS move announcement saved him from suicide?

[ASU-FTW]

One other question. When the S.S. SoCon sinks, where do they bury the survivors?

Trick question. There won't be any survivors