Luke Combs

[AppKing21]

The only thing Luke Combs got wrong was saying that we need to return to FCS. All of the top programs have moved up, and dropping would destroy our revenue.

That being said, the statement on 2 year contracts is the one point I agree with him the most. Why should I, or any other App fan put time and effort into the team when the roster is gutted or poached at the end of every season? We now have an almost entirely new team every year, and it's a crap shoot what results the team will have. If we do stumble on talent, they likely are gone for greener pastures at the end of the season. This is the biggest driver of apathy in our fanbase, myself included. On top of that, our ticket prices are astonishingly high for a program of our caliber, and currently aren't justified by the current on-field results.

What's killing our program isn't Luke Combs staying away, it's the changes in the college football landscape which Appalachian wasn't ready for. Unless the portal and NIL get tighter restrictions, I'm afraid App will stay where we currently are until those changes are made.

[Gonzo]

I don’t think Luke Combs’ comments are killing our program, per se, but he has quite the platform, and the more people share that defeatist viewpoint the more it comes true, because why would you donate if you feel that way. I find it to be a lazy, obtuse, fair weather fan take, probably stemming from the subconscious of those espousing it, channeling their disappointment into a gripe about something outside of the program’s control.

Every Group of 6 team that makes the CFP, the most recent coming from our own division and without a P5 win on its resume, disproves the “awe shucks we can’t pay as much as Ohio State so I guess we’ll be irrelevant until congress acts” notion, unless Liberty gets the G5 bid every year all the sudden or something.

Aside: the NCAA has been rendered completely powerless by lawsuits. Contracts won’t work unless every single school and conference agrees (fat chance bc the rich ones like the new status quo), because the minute you impose a term like that as a conference or school very few will ever sign here and tie their hands when they could migrate freely and make more money. It really will have to be congress.

[diehardapp18]

I don’t think Luke Combs’ comments are killing our program, per se, but he has quite the platform, and the more people share that defeatist viewpoint the more it comes true, because why would you donate if you feel that way. I find it to be a lazy, obtuse, fair weather fan take, probably stemming from the subconscious of those espousing it, channeling their disappointment into a gripe about something outside of the program’s control.

Every Group of 6 team that makes the CFP, the most recent coming from our own division and without a P5 win on its resume, disproves the “awe shucks we can’t pay as much as Ohio State so I guess we’ll be irrelevant until congress acts” notion, unless Liberty gets the G5 bid every year all the sudden or something.

Aside: the NCAA has been rendered completely powerless by lawsuits. Contracts won’t work unless every single school and conference agrees (fat chance bc the rich ones like the new status quo), because the minute you impose a term like that as a conference or school very few will ever sign here and tie their hands when they could migrate freely and make more money. It really will have to be congress.

Preach. I hate the new direction of the sport too, but the new landscape is the new landscape. We’re powerless. It’s been talked to death and I’m kind of just getting tired of all the moping at this point.

Reality is we should still be contending for the Sun Belt Championship year in year out. Outside of JMU we have as many resources as any team in the conference. We still have a fanbase that almost all of our peers would kill for.

It’s different, sure. But there’s absolutely no reason we can’t be good at our level year in year out. I’m ready for that to be the focus instead of spending all of our time whining.

[Gonzo]

Yep. And JMU’s total athletic budget is only marginally larger thanks to student fees. Our revenue streams are bigger in every other respect. Once this new NC gambling NIL $ starts flowing we will be in position to outbid any conference team easily.

We will have better seasons soon and when we do people are going to come out of the woodwork and pretend like they didn’t give up on the Apps.

[AppWyo]

The biggest aspect of it all is the fact that Appalachian is in the smallest market of all the Sunbelt Conference Schools. We cannot do anything about our market share. In reality the metric that gets looked at is the size of the city in which you are located. UNCC is the only school in North Carolina with any kind of market share in reality even though Charlotte is technically not a big city.

Winning is the only way that Appalachian can increase its market share, even then, that is not the metric that is looked at when it comes to new conference members. We need to make the most of where we are at present and elevate our conference to one day be the conference that gets the automatic bid.

[appvette]

The biggest aspect of it all is the fact that Appalachian is in the smallest market of all the Sunbelt Conference Schools. We cannot do anything about our market share. In reality the metric that gets looked at is the size of the city in which you are located. UNCC is the only school in North Carolina with any kind of market share in reality even though Charlotte is technically not a big city.

Winning is the only way that Appalachian can increase its market share, even then, that is not the metric that is looked at when it comes to new conference members. We need to make the most of where we are at present and elevate our conference to one day be the conference that gets the automatic bid.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but the Sun Belt got the automatic bid last year. Or, are you saying we need to get to the point that the SBC gets an auto bid every year?

[AppSt94]

The biggest aspect of it all is the fact that Appalachian is in the smallest market of all the Sunbelt Conference Schools. We cannot do anything about our market share. In reality the metric that gets looked at is the size of the city in which you are located. UNCC is the only school in North Carolina with any kind of market share in reality even though Charlotte is technically not a big city.

Winning is the only way that Appalachian can increase its market share, even then, that is not the metric that is looked at when it comes to new conference members. We need to make the most of where we are at present and elevate our conference to one day be the conference that gets the automatic bid.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but the Sun Belt got the automatic bid last year. Or, are you saying we need to get to the point that the SBC gets an auto bid every year?

They did but JMU backed into it when Duke beat UVa in the ACC CCG. Regardless, they represented.

[AppWyo]

The biggest aspect of it all is the fact that Appalachian is in the smallest market of all the Sunbelt Conference Schools. We cannot do anything about our market share. In reality the metric that gets looked at is the size of the city in which you are located. UNCC is the only school in North Carolina with any kind of market share in reality even though Charlotte is technically not a big city.

Winning is the only way that Appalachian can increase its market share, even then, that is not the metric that is looked at when it comes to new conference members. We need to make the most of where we are at present and elevate our conference to one day be the conference that gets the automatic bid.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but the Sun Belt got the automatic bid last year. Or, are you saying we need to get to the point that the SBC gets an auto bid every year?

Elevate the conference to the point that it gets an automatic bid every year. Automatic bids are a step to stabilize the conferences.

[bcoach]

I don’t think Luke Combs’ comments are killing our program, per se, but he has quite the platform, and the more people share that defeatist viewpoint the more it comes true, because why would you donate if you feel that way. I find it to be a lazy, obtuse, fair weather fan take, probably stemming from the subconscious of those espousing it, channeling their disappointment into a gripe about something outside of the program’s control.

Every Group of 6 team that makes the CFP, the most recent coming from our own division and without a P5 win on its resume, disproves the “awe shucks we can’t pay as much as Ohio State so I guess we’ll be irrelevant until congress acts” notion, unless Liberty gets the G5 bid every year all the sudden or something.

Aside: the NCAA has been rendered completely powerless by lawsuits. Contracts won’t work unless every single school and conference agrees (fat chance bc the rich ones like the new status quo), because the minute you impose a term like that as a conference or school very few will ever sign here and tie their hands when they could migrate freely and make more money. It really will have to be congress.

Lazy, obtuse, fair weather because you don't want to pay players more than we have been paying them for decades? I guess after 35 years I just became fair weather, lazy and obtuse. I am now feeling even better about the donation I made this year to a DIV III program.

[Gonzo]

I don’t think Luke Combs’ comments are killing our program, per se, but he has quite the platform, and the more people share that defeatist viewpoint the more it comes true, because why would you donate if you feel that way. I find it to be a lazy, obtuse, fair weather fan take, probably stemming from the subconscious of those espousing it, channeling their disappointment into a gripe about something outside of the program’s control.

Every Group of 6 team that makes the CFP, the most recent coming from our own division and without a P5 win on its resume, disproves the “awe shucks we can’t pay as much as Ohio State so I guess we’ll be irrelevant until congress acts” notion, unless Liberty gets the G5 bid every year all the sudden or something.

Aside: the NCAA has been rendered completely powerless by lawsuits. Contracts won’t work unless every single school and conference agrees (fat chance bc the rich ones like the new status quo), because the minute you impose a term like that as a conference or school very few will ever sign here and tie their hands when they could migrate freely and make more money. It really will have to be congress.

Lazy, obtuse, fair weather because you don't want to pay players more than we have been paying them for decades? I guess after 35 years I just became fair weather, lazy and obtuse. I am now feeling even better about the donation I made this year to a DIV III program.

I find the take lazy because people are saying these things in the wake of losing football seasons while conference members with less money are flourishing. I find it obtuse because obviously there is more to us being bad recently than NIL/Portal (coaching turnover and whiffing since we hired Drinkwitz), and again because conference members with less money are flourishing. I find it fair-weather because -- you guessed it -- it's in the wake of several bad football seasons and conference members with less money are flourishing.

Do whatever you want with your money, man, but clutching your pearls because you think I called you fair-weather, then announcing that you're spending discretionary income on a school that's not Appalachian after we had a few bad football seasons does not persuade me to believe that you're not fair-weather.

[bcoach]

I don’t think Luke Combs’ comments are killing our program, per se, but he has quite the platform, and the more people share that defeatist viewpoint the more it comes true, because why would you donate if you feel that way. I find it to be a lazy, obtuse, fair weather fan take, probably stemming from the subconscious of those espousing it, channeling their disappointment into a gripe about something outside of the program’s control.

Every Group of 6 team that makes the CFP, the most recent coming from our own division and without a P5 win on its resume, disproves the “awe shucks we can’t pay as much as Ohio State so I guess we’ll be irrelevant until congress acts” notion, unless Liberty gets the G5 bid every year all the sudden or something.

Aside: the NCAA has been rendered completely powerless by lawsuits. Contracts won’t work unless every single school and conference agrees (fat chance bc the rich ones like the new status quo), because the minute you impose a term like that as a conference or school very few will ever sign here and tie their hands when they could migrate freely and make more money. It really will have to be congress.

Lazy, obtuse, fair weather because you don't want to pay players more than we have been paying them for decades? I guess after 35 years I just became fair weather, lazy and obtuse. I am now feeling even better about the donation I made this year to a DIV III program.

I find the take lazy because people are saying these things in the wake of losing football seasons while conference members with less money are flourishing. I find it obtuse because obviously there is more to us being bad recently than NIL/Portal (coaching turnover and whiffing since we hired Drinkwitz), and again because conference members with less money are flourishing. I find it fair-weather because -- you guessed it -- it's in the wake of several bad football seasons and conference members with less money are flourishing.

Do whatever you want with your money, man, but clutching your pearls because you think I called you fair-weather, then announcing that you're spending discretionary income on a school that's not Appalachian after we had a few bad football seasons does not persuade me to believe that you're not fair-weather.

Now my feelings are hurt.

[appdaze]

[AppWyo]

I don’t think Luke Combs’ comments are killing our program, per se, but he has quite the platform, and the more people share that defeatist viewpoint the more it comes true, because why would you donate if you feel that way. I find it to be a lazy, obtuse, fair weather fan take, probably stemming from the subconscious of those espousing it, channeling their disappointment into a gripe about something outside of the program’s control.

Every Group of 6 team that makes the CFP, the most recent coming from our own division and without a P5 win on its resume, disproves the “awe shucks we can’t pay as much as Ohio State so I guess we’ll be irrelevant until congress acts” notion, unless Liberty gets the G5 bid every year all the sudden or something.

Aside: the NCAA has been rendered completely powerless by lawsuits. Contracts won’t work unless every single school and conference agrees (fat chance bc the rich ones like the new status quo), because the minute you impose a term like that as a conference or school very few will ever sign here and tie their hands when they could migrate freely and make more money. It really will have to be congress.

Lazy, obtuse, fair weather because you don't want to pay players more than we have been paying them for decades? I guess after 35 years I just became fair weather, lazy and obtuse. I am now feeling even better about the donation I made this year to a DIV III program.

Yes, but Division III sends 40 teams to their playoff.

[AppWyo]

Never underestimate the power of jealousy, everyone at the G6 level wishes they were JMU the last few years and everyone at the P4 level wishes they were Indiana.

NIL and The Transfer Portal has hurt the perennial powers more than it has hurt the little guys.

[t4pizza]

Never underestimate the power of jealousy, everyone at the G6 level wishes they were JMU the last few years and everyone at the P4 level wishes they were Indiana.

NIL and The Transfer Portal has hurt the perennial powers more than it has hurt the little guys.

I guess it depends on who you consider perennial powers. NIL and the Transfer Portal may have hurt the SEC but it has been a boom to the Big 10 who has far more money than the SEC and has used it to get multiple National Championships in sports. I would call Michigan a perennial power and they hadn't sniffed a football natty in decades, same with basketball but now they have both within a short period of time. Many people thought the SEC would continue to flourish in this pay for play era not realizing that most of the schools lack the resources of their Big10 brethren. With that in mind, is it really so surprising that the Big 10 has won the last 3 football national titles after being shut out since 2014? The conference had 2 total since 1998 (Ohio State 2002, 2014) and now have 3 years in a row. While I agree that Indiana is nowhere near a perennial power, their conference is full of them and being able to win in a conference like that gives you opportunities. The fact that hardly any players from G6 or lower got drafted in the past 2 years is very telling about who is truly being hurt by NIL and the Transfer Portal. It is the little guys.

[Saint3333]

Fair weather fan or someone living in reality with a firm grip of the current landscape, depends on perspective I guess.

[bcoach]

I don’t think Luke Combs’ comments are killing our program, per se, but he has quite the platform, and the more people share that defeatist viewpoint the more it comes true, because why would you donate if you feel that way. I find it to be a lazy, obtuse, fair weather fan take, probably stemming from the subconscious of those espousing it, channeling their disappointment into a gripe about something outside of the program’s control.

Every Group of 6 team that makes the CFP, the most recent coming from our own division and without a P5 win on its resume, disproves the “awe shucks we can’t pay as much as Ohio State so I guess we’ll be irrelevant until congress acts” notion, unless Liberty gets the G5 bid every year all the sudden or something.

Aside: the NCAA has been rendered completely powerless by lawsuits. Contracts won’t work unless every single school and conference agrees (fat chance bc the rich ones like the new status quo), because the minute you impose a term like that as a conference or school very few will ever sign here and tie their hands when they could migrate freely and make more money. It really will have to be congress.

Lazy, obtuse, fair weather because you don't want to pay players more than we have been paying them for decades? I guess after 35 years I just became fair weather, lazy and obtuse. I am now feeling even better about the donation I made this year to a DIV III program.

Yes, but Division III sends 40 teams to their playoff.

I don't know what sport that is but not the one I donated to. I donated to a womens volleyball team. I increased my donation this year after seeing their reaction last year. These are true student athletes. They travel by bus and very rarely ever stay in a hotel. They get pizza on the bus on the way home and are truly grateful for it. All the while attaining a team academic average of 3.55. With 3 of the girls at a 4.0. This year they were raising funds for travel and new uniforms. We received handwritten thank you notes from the girls for our donations.
No, my attitude about NIL has nothing to do with win/loss records. It has to do with gratitude.

[AppWyo]

I don’t think Luke Combs’ comments are killing our program, per se, but he has quite the platform, and the more people share that defeatist viewpoint the more it comes true, because why would you donate if you feel that way. I find it to be a lazy, obtuse, fair weather fan take, probably stemming from the subconscious of those espousing it, channeling their disappointment into a gripe about something outside of the program’s control.

Every Group of 6 team that makes the CFP, the most recent coming from our own division and without a P5 win on its resume, disproves the “awe shucks we can’t pay as much as Ohio State so I guess we’ll be irrelevant until congress acts” notion, unless Liberty gets the G5 bid every year all the sudden or something.

Aside: the NCAA has been rendered completely powerless by lawsuits. Contracts won’t work unless every single school and conference agrees (fat chance bc the rich ones like the new status quo), because the minute you impose a term like that as a conference or school very few will ever sign here and tie their hands when they could migrate freely and make more money. It really will have to be congress.

Lazy, obtuse, fair weather because you don't want to pay players more than we have been paying them for decades? I guess after 35 years I just became fair weather, lazy and obtuse. I am now feeling even better about the donation I made this year to a DIV III program.

Yes, but Division III sends 40 teams to their playoff.

I don't know what sport that is but not the one I donated to. I donated to a womens volleyball team. I increased my donation this year after seeing their reaction last year. These are true student athletes. They travel by bus and very rarely ever stay in a hotel. They get pizza on the bus on the way home and are truly grateful for it. All the while attaining a team academic average of 3.55. With 3 of the girls at a 4.0. This year they were raising funds for travel and new uniforms. We received handwritten thank you notes from the girls for our donations.
No, my attitude about NIL has nothing to do with win/loss records. It has to do with gratitude.

Football: https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/champi ... Report.pdf

[bcoach]

I don’t think Luke Combs’ comments are killing our program, per se, but he has quite the platform, and the more people share that defeatist viewpoint the more it comes true, because why would you donate if you feel that way. I find it to be a lazy, obtuse, fair weather fan take, probably stemming from the subconscious of those espousing it, channeling their disappointment into a gripe about something outside of the program’s control.

Every Group of 6 team that makes the CFP, the most recent coming from our own division and without a P5 win on its resume, disproves the “awe shucks we can’t pay as much as Ohio State so I guess we’ll be irrelevant until congress acts” notion, unless Liberty gets the G5 bid every year all the sudden or something.

Aside: the NCAA has been rendered completely powerless by lawsuits. Contracts won’t work unless every single school and conference agrees (fat chance bc the rich ones like the new status quo), because the minute you impose a term like that as a conference or school very few will ever sign here and tie their hands when they could migrate freely and make more money. It really will have to be congress.

Lazy, obtuse, fair weather because you don't want to pay players more than we have been paying them for decades? I guess after 35 years I just became fair weather, lazy and obtuse. I am now feeling even better about the donation I made this year to a DIV III program.

Yes, but Division III sends 40 teams to their playoff.

I don't know what sport that is but not the one I donated to. I donated to a womens volleyball team. I increased my donation this year after seeing their reaction last year. These are true student athletes. They travel by bus and very rarely ever stay in a hotel. They get pizza on the bus on the way home and are truly grateful for it. All the while attaining a team academic average of 3.55. With 3 of the girls at a 4.0. This year they were raising funds for travel and new uniforms. We received handwritten thank you notes from the girls for our donations.
No, my attitude about NIL has nothing to do with win/loss records. It has to do with gratitude.

Football: https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/champi ... Report.pdf

I was not aware of that but I think it is great for studetathletes.

[AtlAppMan]

Lazy, obtuse, fair weather because you don't want to pay players more than we have been paying them for decades? I guess after 35 years I just became fair weather, lazy and obtuse. I am now feeling even better about the donation I made this year to a DIV III program.

Yes, but Division III sends 40 teams to their playoff.

I don't know what sport that is but not the one I donated to. I donated to a womens volleyball team. I increased my donation this year after seeing their reaction last year. These are true student athletes. They travel by bus and very rarely ever stay in a hotel. They get pizza on the bus on the way home and are truly grateful for it. All the while attaining a team academic average of 3.55. With 3 of the girls at a 4.0. This year they were raising funds for travel and new uniforms. We received handwritten thank you notes from the girls for our donations.
No, my attitude about NIL has nothing to do with win/loss records. It has to do with gratitude.

Football: https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/champi ... Report.pdf

I was not aware of that but I think it is great for studetathletes.

In reality that is basically similar to the D1 Basketball tournament. A big chunk of teams go to the tournament and play out. The difference here is that DIII is like a different world of its own. All the teams participate, probably all the players participate in the playoffs, if their team makes it. The players are in it because they want to play and don't expect to be paid. So when season ends, it is basically a level playing field for ALL teams, if you did good in regular season, it meant something and paid off, you got into playoffs. Then you play hard to advance or you are out. The players are in it "For Love of the Game"

That is how it should be for amateur athletics but I can't see if for D1 because it isn't a level playing field and the metrics are different. D1 isn't amateur athletics.