A sobering reality we are going to have to face

[JTApps1]

What is our football team’s annual NIL budget? If Boise was at $2million, were we even at $1million?

I just don’t see how any G5 can realistically keep pace. A lot on here think all we needed is a new coach. It remains to be seen if that’s all we need.

I said before Shawn was let go that the school better invest in the program or we're just wasting time if we fire Shawn. It looks like there has been some investment but who knows how much.

Sadly, I think the G5 is about to be relegated to the new I-AA before long. At least we're playing against some better teams now than we were back them.

[Seattleapp]

What is our football team’s annual NIL budget? If Boise was at $2million, were we even at $1million?

I just don’t see how any G5 can realistically keep pace. A lot on here think all we needed is a new coach. It remains to be seen if that’s all we need.

I said before Shawn was let go that the school better invest in the program or we're just wasting time if we fire Shawn. It looks like there has been some investment but who knows how much.

Sadly, I think the G5 is about to be relegated to the new I-AA before long. At least we're playing against some better teams now than we were back them.

Completely agree. It’s more than just firing Clark. And that’s a hard reality ALOT of schools are facing. In a weird way, there is more pressure on the coaching staff to be able to win with basically new guys every year.

[JTApps1]

This ESPN article on the portal is worth a read.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/i ... aways-2025

[Saint3333]

What is our football team’s annual NIL budget? If Boise was at $2million, were we even at $1million?

I just don’t see how any G5 can realistically keep pace. A lot on here think all we needed is a new coach. It remains to be seen if that’s all we need.

These two concepts are not mutually exclusive.

Agree but i believe there are a lot of unknowns. I’m hopeful DL rolls in with a great staff and can coach up the guys we are able to get. In the past that would be enough right? But after reading about Boise, it’s just going to be a never ending fight just to keep guys or get equally good guys, and that’s just to stay Competitive every year. It’s gonna be tough.

Competitive vs peers is the important metric. To date we are not at a disadvantage vs SBC foes. Let’s start there.

[Seattleapp]

What is our football team’s annual NIL budget? If Boise was at $2million, were we even at $1million?

I just don’t see how any G5 can realistically keep pace. A lot on here think all we needed is a new coach. It remains to be seen if that’s all we need.

These two concepts are not mutually exclusive.

Agree but i believe there are a lot of unknowns. I’m hopeful DL rolls in with a great staff and can coach up the guys we are able to get. In the past that would be enough right? But after reading about Boise, it’s just going to be a never ending fight just to keep guys or get equally good guys, and that’s just to stay Competitive every year. It’s gonna be tough.

Competitive vs peers is the important metric. To date we are not at a disadvantage vs SBC foes. Let’s start there.

I think folks need to realize that’s what the current goals should be.

[AppState89]

If Marshall had 18 players entering the portal to USM and others (waiting at the time of the bowl game), there still should have been enough players and coaches to play in the bowl game. I call BS on Marshall, and they just cost the SBC a lot of bowl money. The portal needs to be 1 and done. Crazy some of these players are at their 4th school. Just STUPID!!!

[MrCraig]

Can we change the title of this thread to “beating a dead horse… again!”?

[appst89]

Can we change the title of this thread to “beating a dead horse… again!”?

I think this horse is very much alive and running circles around everyone. It's going to continue to run wild until someone figures out how to rein it in.

[AppWyo]

If Marshall had 18 players entering the portal to USM and others (waiting at the time of the bowl game), there still should have been enough players and coaches to play in the bowl game. I call BS on Marshall, and they just cost the SBC a lot of bowl money. The portal needs to be 1 and done. Crazy some of these players are at their 4th school. Just STUPID!!!

Unless they end up at your school and contribute greatly, then it is smart.

[MrCraig]

Can we change the title of this thread to “beating a dead horse… again!”?

I think this horse is very much alive and running circles around everyone. It's going to continue to run wild until someone figures out how to rein it in.

And having ANOTHER thread about it won’t change a single thing.

[AppWyo]

Can we change the title of this thread to “beating a dead horse… again!”?

I think this horse is very much alive and running circles around everyone. It's going to continue to run wild until someone figures out how to rein it in.

And having ANOTHER thread about it won’t change a single thing.

Did someone mention Barbeque?

[appst89]

Can we change the title of this thread to “beating a dead horse… again!”?

I think this horse is very much alive and running circles around everyone. It's going to continue to run wild until someone figures out how to rein it in.

And having ANOTHER thread about it won’t change a single thing.

Not talking about it won’t change anything either.

[Stonewall]

There needs to be a realistic discussion amongst ourselves and our peers to determine the best way forward. That requires leadership. The conference office lacks it.

[Seattleapp]

Can we change the title of this thread to “beating a dead horse… again!”?

I think this horse is very much alive and running circles around everyone. It's going to continue to run wild until someone figures out how to rein it in.

And having ANOTHER thread about it won’t change a single thing.

So the most active topic to affect college athletics is boring to you? Got it. Yeah i miss the old days of just bitching about Clark endlessly which you never seemed to get tired of.

[yosef95]

They need to set some guardrails. How about some sort of sal cap?. The NFL has this. As it is now, the shallow/winner of a cfb champ will the fanbase that funnels the most $$ to their players for nothing.

[bcoach]

Can we change the title of this thread to “beating a dead horse… again!”?

I think this horse is very much alive and running circles around everyone. It's going to continue to run wild until someone figures out how to rein it in.

Oh yes the horse is alive and out of the barn. That horse has no intention of coming back either.

[Saint3333]

Wild Horses was a great song.

[appdaze]

We had our one legit window to make a NY6 bowl in the 2010s after we moved up and the limits lifted.

We no longer have a real shot at anything meaningful. Now that it's all out on the table we have no chance at all. We all need to move on from thay thought as it is what it is. Even if they put guard rails on it we still can't compete. So what if they put a 20 mil salary cap. We don't even have 2 mil. We all made the decision to go to a small sports school. We need to accept App athletics for what they are and try our best to excel at our level. That's not a sobering reality, that has been our reality all along. We had one small window and that window is gone. None of this should have been a surprise to anyone.

I've been beating this drum for a couple years now under Clark every time someone would talk about our schedules, who we play etc. There is one thing and one thing only that matters. Win the conference. Nothing else matters, just win the conference. If good things happen because of that then awesome. If not then we are still conference champs going to the table scraps bowl to most likely play a peer school.

[AppWyo]

We had our one legit window to make a NY6 bowl in the 2010s after we moved up and the limits lifted.

We no longer have a real shot at anything meaningful. Now that it's all out on the table we have no chance at all. We all need to move on from thay thought as it is what it is. Even if they put guard rails on it we still can't compete. So what if they put a 20 mil salary cap. We don't even have 2 mil. We all made the decision to go to a small sports school. We need to accept App athletics for what they are and try our best to excel at our level. That's not a sobering reality, that has been our reality all along. We had one small window and that window is gone. None of this should have been a surprise to anyone.

I've been beating this drum for a couple years now under Clark every time someone would talk about our schedules, who we play etc. There is one thing and one thing only that matters. Win the conference. Nothing else matters, just win the conference. If good things happen because of that then awesome. If not then we are still conference champs going to the table scraps bowl to most likely play a peer school.

That kind of thinking would never have ever beaten Michigan.

Like it or not The Portal and NIL have really hurt the Biggest Football Powers the most as well as the expansion of the playoffs. Appalachian and the rest of the G5 have a road to win a national championship again. Be it improbable, maybe, but there is a path now that did not exist before.

We have a head start, because our main color is Black which for most schools is a special color uniform. Always bet on Black.

[Saint3333]

Someone had something good tonight, cheers!