Miami (The U) in Boone next year (yes this is football)

[bigdaddyg]

The ticket office could bump up the prices for that game alone and recoup the buyout with no problem. The weather should be good that time of year. We have beaten the expansion thing senseless. I hope to see the day when the track is gone and our stadium looks like the rendition one of our members created. Don't mean to get completely off topic but as far as expansion goes do we really believe we will (even if we reach conference dominance and win 10 or so games a year) be at a point where we have 35-40K per home game? There has to be a saturation point. What is the average attendance for all G5 schools? How many average over 35K per home game?

Sorry, I digress. As far as the Miami game goes how many temporary seats can we reasonably fit in the stadium? Could we add risers behind the benches with some sort of barricade? How high can we go on the field house end zone? Just spit balling here. I would think that 35K would be a tremendous number of fans in Kidd Brewer.

[85gradinATL]

The consultant was Mark Ellis, who played at App in the 80s, though apparently that was a coincidence. This article is a fantastic walk down memory lane to remind you where the program was just over 10 years ago. We were on the verge of a hell of a ride. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/c ... dler_x.htm

Ellis was recently mentioned in an article about the movie Woodlawn which was just released.

http://www.campusrush.com/caleb-castill ... 75907.html

[appchicago]

Furthermore, I seem to recall that Chancellor Peacock or the Yosef Club or someone in authority around here (not me), sent Adam Sandler an invite to attend an App football game during the 2006 season. This was based SOLELY on his comment about Appalachian in The Longest Yard. I don't believe he attended, but I think he responded to the invitation.

I recall a discussion around that time that it was amazing that he pronounced the name correctly. But, then our ex-player who was an advisor in that movie popped up and said his main contribution was a correct pronunciation of the name.

Does anyone else remember this? If not, maybe I dreamed it.

You didn't dream it. Read the old USA Today article I posted above. It covers all this, plus it's a fantastic time vault of how we thought about our program back in Spring 2005, coming off a bad season and unsure of what the future held.

[MtnDevil95]

The whole idea of Miami fan base is laughable on the national scale. They may have the worst football atmosphere of any P5 team. They have to bus students 45 minutes from campus just to get to the football games, and routinely have horrible attendance, even when they are doing well. Their fan base is maligned by national talking heads nearly every season. According to their website they averaged about 50,000 at home games in 2013, but in a 75,000 seat NFL stadium it's a bit pathetic.

Those MMB fools tossing around weak barbs about coming to a real football environment need to look at their own first. Last time I checks Appalachian football was mentions in Tailgater Magazine, SBNation, CBS Sports and others as among the country's top tailgating experiences. You'll never see Miami on any list of that nature . . .

[appst89]

FWIW, word floating around is that the Miami end is pretty much done. What is still being worked on is our end with negotiating a price and allowing the bought out team to find a replacement game. We'll see soon enough if that word is true but as with anything I never count it as done until it's signed. Fingers Crossed.

Is it time for another MMB fundraiser?

[firemoose]

I would otherwise have thought the buyout would have been negotiated up front and part of the original contract. Isn't that customary?

Usually. But given the short notice I'm guessing it's more trying to find another game than anything. Discussing might have been a better choice of words as nothing is really set in stone. There always seem to be exceptions. But negotiating was what was said.

[firemoose]

FWIW, word floating around is that the Miami end is pretty much done. What is still being worked on is our end with negotiating a price and allowing the bought out team to find a replacement game. We'll see soon enough if that word is true but as with anything I never count it as done until it's signed. Fingers Crossed.

Is it time for another MMB fundraiser?

I'm game....

[GreatAppSt]

If hope the deal is done so it can be announced and discussed on the tube this evening.

[APPdiesel]

Why in the heck would we want to buy out the return game? Playing at Miami, uhhh, yes please! I understand it's customary to have that buy out clause (and cash in the bank to cover it) but unless someone WAY better comes calling I just don't see us doing that.

twitter.com/DieselOnRadio

[ELCubano1]

I'm completely in favor of this H/H with the U. Finally, an App State game that will be 15 minutes from my house instead of the 13-14 hour trip to Boone. However, I will also make the 13-14 hour trip to Boone to watch us play them at KBS. I, for one, don't mind the trip to see our Apps play because once I'm there I feel like I'm in heaven in God's country...GO APPS!!!

Cubano,

I'll look forward to having my tailgate catered by El Mago de las Fritas when we go down there!

Atlanta,

I have the Havana Club and cuban cigars (Montecristo No. 5). Perhaps we can meet at the tailgate as long as my stock doesn't run out...

[firemoose]

Why in the heck would we want to buy out the return game? Playing at Miami, uhhh, yes please! I understand it's customary to have that buy out clause (and cash in the bank to cover it) but unless someone WAY better comes calling I just don't see us doing that.

twitter.com/DieselOnRadio

Not talking about buying out the return game to Miami. We're talking about us having to buy out NCCU to replace them on the schedule with Miami. Have to compensate them and they have to find a game to replace us on their schedule.

[moonshine]

Isn't Coastal looking for games after the BS turned their backs on the Chanticleers for next season? I believe Liberty is the only team in the conference who agreed to play them next year. NCCU could take the money and run down to Myrtle. Kill two birds with one stone and earn some good will with CCU.

[bigdaddyg]

How much could a buyout possibly cost us? $100K? Can't be much at all. Hard to imagine it being difficult to find an opponent. Seems like a good match for both NCCU and CCU.

[HighlandsApp]

FWIW, word floating around is that the Miami end is pretty much done. What is still being worked on is our end with negotiating a price and allowing the bought out team to find a replacement game. We'll see soon enough if that word is true but as with anything I never count it as done until it's signed. Fingers Crossed.

Is it time for another MMB fundraiser?

Yes, lets do it!

[AppfaninCAALand]

Send NCCU to Coastal and sign the deal already!

[APPdiesel]

Not talking about buying out the return game to Miami. We're talking about us having to buy out NCCU to replace them on the schedule with Miami. Have to compensate them and they have to find a game to replace us on their schedule.

Thanks for the clarification moose. We received what, $350k buyout from UMass? You'd have to think that would more than cover the NCCU buyout unless these deals are set up the closer you get to kickoff the more the buyout becomes.

I debated this point with a friend last night and maybe someone else in the know can tell me if my logic is correct. Why do the smaller big programs (like Vandy, Wake, NC State, Miami, etc) agree to home and homes with G5 schools. I came up with several points:

1) A home and home with a G5 school SHOULD give them a decent shot at 2 wins or at worst a 1-1 split (because why would you schedule a H&H with a G5 who you know will beat you twice) with a moderate to strong G5 opponent.

2) Generally H&H series come with little to no cash payout to the other school so you get to keep your money.

3) If the bigger school schedules their home game first, they have the option to buy out the trip to the G5.

4) If, say an Alabama (or whoever) called up the P5 and said "we need you, we'll pay you"...That pay out would be enough to cover them buyout the G5 game.

[JTApps1]

I'd give them $100k and send them on their way.

[EastHallApp]

Not talking about buying out the return game to Miami. We're talking about us having to buy out NCCU to replace them on the schedule with Miami. Have to compensate them and they have to find a game to replace us on their schedule.

Thanks for the clarification moose. We received what, $350k buyout from UMass? You'd have to think that would more than cover the NCCU buyout unless these deals are set up the closer you get to kickoff the more the buyout becomes.

I debated this point with a friend last night and maybe someone else in the know can tell me if my logic is correct. Why do the smaller big programs (like Vandy, Wake, NC State, Miami, etc) agree to home and homes with G5 schools. I came up with several points:

1) A home and home with a G5 school SHOULD give them a decent shot at 2 wins or at worst a 1-1 split (because why would you schedule a H&H with a G5 who you know will beat you twice) with a moderate to strong G5 opponent.

2) Generally H&H series come with little to know cash payout to the other school so you get to keep your money.

3) If the bigger school schedules their home game first, they have the option to buy out the trip to the G5.

4) If, say an Alabama (or whoever) called up the P5 and said "we need you, we'll pay you"...That pay out would be enough to cover them buyout the G5 game.

From what I understand, the biggest reason is that the cost of paying a G5 for a home-only game has risen so high that it sometimes makes more sense to play the home-and-home than to pay them for a single visit.

[CornCobPipes]

HOPE this pans out!!!!!

How bout a BIG Yosef YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[EastHallApp]

DJ just asked Gillin about this on the pregame show (without mentioning Miami specifically of course). Gillin basically said what others have been saying - that we're close, but he won't announce anything until we have a contract.

Next question was about YC donations, and he said "let's say we have some exciting scheduling news soon... We'll probably start season ticket sales before the end of this season."