Alabama St. sees new $50M stadium as first step to FBS status

[FAMU CLIFF]

I am speaking for Jackson State Univ. we have just started to receive more money from the government because we are now a research school so more funds are pouring into the University because of some of our programs...I am sure its like that most schools have dedicated themselves to academics.....BUT staying on the subject a move like this cannot happen unless the alumni and fans REALIZE there will be sum HARD TIMES at first and its going to take money from the fans and alumni to compete on the FBS level....

That is why moving up in a group is feasible. IF the FAMU schedule consists of:
Florida
SCSU
A&T
Oklahoma
Alabama State
Miami
GA State
Jackson State
Southern
Troy State
Grambling
BCU

What is there for our fans to be mad about? They got everything our schedule currently offers. The money games will pay more money and they will be a bit more competitive with more scholarships and better funding.

 

[Storm96]

Georgia St, South Alabama, Ut San Antonio , and texas state aren't winning, but you see they are moving up.

I don't think you can really compare UTSA and Texas State to any HBCU program. UTSA will be the only football playing university in the 7th largest city in the country. That media market and their potential to attract sponsorships make them attractive to FBS conferences. Texas State has over 34K students (more than most SEC schools). Student athletic fees alone would make them a viable school to make the FCS to FBS transition.

 

[usa today]

Say it again.:read:

 

[BIG DOGG]

Do you try to sign more white athletes during this move:cuddle:?

 

[number1]

I don't think you can really compare UTSA and Texas State to any HBCU program. UTSA will be the only football playing university in the 7th largest city in the country. That media market and their potential to attract sponsorships make them attractive to FBS conferences. Texas State has over 34K students (more than most SEC schools). Student athletic fees alone would make them a viable school to make the FCS to FBS transition.

But that was the point he was trying to make, those teams weren't lighting up the FCS at all, but they are moving up to increase their profits and exposure.

 

[usa today]

But that was the point he was trying to make, those teams weren't lighting up the FCS at all, but they are moving up to increase their profits and exposure.

Those school have very supportive alumni that give back and now chump change either. Try again. HBCU teams have to work harder than the PWC, the field is not leveled in transitioning from FCS to FBS either. Wake up.

 

[Tigerpride]

Those school have very supportive alumni that give back and now chump change either. Try again. HBCU teams have to work harder than the PWC, the field is not leveled in transitioning from FCS to FBS either. Wake up.

That is all true but at the end of the day, it's all a bunch of hogwash. HBCUs still have a jump over teams like UL-Monroe, UTSA, Troy etc.. and if we became 1-A, we could get the better athletes and the better coaches. I think people keep trying to think that to be 1-A, you have to compete with Ohio State and USC? 90% of the teams in 1-A can't do that but they are in 1-A to market their schools and to get donors. There is at least POTENTIAL to make money at 1-A. There is ZERO potential in 1-AA. You couldn't pay a school like Marshall to come back to 1-AA. They would rather go 3-9 every year in C-USA than to go 9-3 in 1-AA where, good record or not, they get less exposure and make less money.

We have already done a decent job when playing sorry 1-A teams. Talent and heart wins football games, not money. A HBCU needs to move up to give our kids the opportunity to play for US. We will not out-recruit Arkansas but we should be able to get some of the 2 and 3 star kids who don't look our way now. I would take a roster of 1 and 2 two kids over what we get now. ... at roster of NO STAR athletes.

 

[Tigerpride]

No. You need money. So AL had a wealthy donor who put up $30m to establish their football program.

So what? Maybe they needed the $30M. You have 1-A schools who don't have a $30M budget.

 

[usa today]

That is all true but at the end of the day, it's all a bunch of hogwash. HBCUs still have a jump over teams like UL-Monroe, UTSA, Troy etc.. and if we became 1-A, we could get the better athletes and the better coaches. I think people keep trying to think that to be 1-A, you have to compete with Ohio State and USC? 90% of the teams in 1-A can't do that but they are in 1-A to market their schools and to get donors. There is at least POTENTIAL to make money at 1-A. There is ZERO potential in 1-AA. You couldn't pay a school like Marshall to come back to 1-AA. They would rather go 3-9 every year in C-USA than to go 9-3 in 1-AA where, good record or not, they get less exposure and make less money.

We have already done a decent job when playing sorry 1-A teams. Talent and heart wins football games, not money. A HBCU needs to move up to give our kids the opportunity to play for US. We will not out-recruit Arkansas but we should be able to get some of the 2 and 3 star kids who don't look our way now. I would take a roster of 1 and 2 two kids over what we get now. ... at roster of NO STAR athletes.

That's why i said in an earlier post:

If HBCU's want to go to the FBS before that big move, they should first move to a regional FCS conference to get their feet wet then try the FBS move. Got to be smart on how you approach that big of a move. For example. Alabama State may need to try out the Southern Conference first. Got to crawl before you walk. Good to see a vision is there though, but we have to be realistic and smart also. People love seeing HBCU's fail so you have to do it right.

 

[Tigerpride]

HBCU's need to first stick more money into our academic programs, then sports and move up.

Did somebody white tell you that?

This is why we have it backwards. We need to be good at everything. Why are kids looking at LSU instead of Southern? They probably don't even know what majors they offer.. :lol: but they see LSU on TV, etc..

We need our athletics to be good to help us recruit more students and help our academics. It ALL works together.

 

[Tigerpride]

That's why i said in an earlier post:

Why would they want to go to the SoCon? This is about money and exposure. This ain't about "being good" or improving competition. How are they gonna get better in the SoCon? SoCon schools can't pay them to come and SoCon Schools are not going to help fill their stadium nor is ASU fans gonna come out to see a SoCon team. 1-AA football is so unattractive till it ain't even funny. If they can get out of here, they need to RUN!

 

[Tigerpride]

That is why moving up in a group is feasible. IF the FAMU schedule consists of:
Florida
SCSU
A&T
Oklahoma
Alabama State
Miami
GA State
Jackson State
Southern
Troy State
Grambling
BCU

What is there for our fans to be mad about? They got everything our schedule currently offers. The money games will pay more money and they will be a bit more competitive with more scholarships and better funding.

I think someone said before that we can't move up as a group and form a new confernece but if 3-5 of us moved up as independents and agreed to play each other, that would help a lot. FAMU had a hard time with scheduling as I recall and that is the benefit of being in a conference.

 

[Tigerpride]

I can see a fan from Jackson who never went to Jackson State say "we left the SWAC and now we are getting beat by all these white schools...we need to go back to playing Valley and Alcorn"...:smh:

Right we look for immediate success. We care nothing about 20 years from now like Boise did.

 

[number1]

Those school have very supportive alumni that give back and now chump change either. Try again. HBCU teams have to work harder than the PWC, the field is not leveled in transitioning from FCS to FBS either. Wake up.

What are you talking about? How was that any different than what I said? Those schools aren't winning programs, but have enough support and money to make the move with the ultimate goal of gaining more national attention for their program. They know they won't be winning during those first years of the transition, but the money is still going to be flowing into the program.

 

[usa today]

Why would they want to go to the SoCon? This is about money and exposure. This ain't about "being good" or improving competition. How are they gonna get better in the SoCon? SoCon schools can't pay them to come and SoCon Schools are not going to help fill their stadium nor is ASU fans gonna come out to see a SoCon team. 1-AA football is so unattractive till it ain't even funny. If they can get out of here, they need to RUN!

SoCon is better than the SWAC so how can you fix your mouth and say that? lol You're thinking from a personal standpoint but that would be a move up from the situation of the SWAC currently. FAMU ran and look what happened. No plan was in place they just wanted to run.

 

[J C]

So what? Maybe they needed the $30M. You have 1-A schools who don't have a $30M budget.

So, do you know a wealthy HBCU donor willing to put up that kind cash in support of one our institutions moving up to FBS?.

 

[BlueBengal07]

What are you talking about? How was that any different than what I said? Those schools aren't winning programs, but have enough support and money to make the move with the ultimate goal of gaining more national attention for their program. They know they won't be winning during those first years of the transition, but the money is still going to be flowing into the program.

and that's the golden question when someone (HBCU) moves up. will the money keep flowing, if not stronger during those growing pains. People are quick to stop showing up to the games when you're losing in the SWAC, what will happen against a SMU or UAB?

 

[JSUDMJ2004]

Alabama State is doing the right thing by making this public...now the AD and President need to relay the message to their alums and fans to support the move fully....

 

[FAMU CLIFF]

I think someone said before that we can't move up as a group and form a new confernece but if 3-5 of us moved up as independents and agreed to play each other, that would help a lot. FAMU had a hard time with scheduling as I recall and that is the benefit of being in a conference.

The problem was not scheduling football, but the other sports. Doing so while not in a conference can be a nightmare. FAMU asked that the MEAC allow us to keep all other sports in the conference but were denied. We are the only consistent draw in a conference whose only real money maker is football and they made a business decision.

 

[MightyDog]

Money scandals nor NCAA violations were the reason FAMU did not complete the transition period.

Cliff behind close doors there is another argument and that is will there be enough players to supply the major schools if we move to FBS. A lot of decision makers know that we can play big time football if our blue chippers come back to us. With education funds being cut, we surely cannot raise the money to compete.

 

[CEE DOG]

Dude please. I am honest. When you look at our endowments, graduation rates, most of our campus infrastructure it shows.

Did somebody white tell you that?

This is why we have it backwards. We need to be good at everything. Why are kids looking at LSU instead of Southern? They probably don't even know what majors they offer.. :lol: but they see LSU on TV, etc..

We need our athletics to be good to help us recruit more students and help our academics. It ALL works together.

 

[wahines]

I would love to see HBCU's move up to D-1, but why if we don't even have the resources to beat decent D-2 teams?

 

[major095]

That is why moving up in a group is feasible. IF the FAMU schedule consists of:
Florida
SCSU
A&T
Oklahoma
Alabama State
Miami
GA State
Jackson State
Southern
Troy State
Grambling
BCU

What is there for our fans to be mad about? They got everything our schedule currently offers. The money games will pay more money and they will be a bit more competitive with more scholarships and better funding.

that would be ideal but with a requirement to be invited to move up, this is unlikely. the good news is that you only need one school to move up to open the door for everyone else. if bama state moved up. did their time in the wac or sunbelt, they could then leave and form their own conference inviting the above schools to move up and join them.

 

[DAHILL]

What makes you think Bama State is ready to move up? I dont still dont get it. NO HBCU is ready to move up. Yall thinking like Black folks with new Lexus living in the trailor courts. Alums dont give enough money for us to even think about moving up.

 

[Blacknbengal]

that would be ideal but with a requirement to be invited to move up, this is unlikely. the good news is that you only need one school to move up to open the door for everyone else. if bama state moved up. did their time in the wac or sunbelt, they could then leave and form their own conference inviting the above schools to move up and join them.

Will their alumni start to give back then?