Coastal Carolina, Eastern Kentucky on Sun Belt’s expansion radar


I think today's SUPER Conferences are killing other historic conference but becoming beneficial to others. For example SEC added former big 12 power house Texas a&m and Missouri. This makes the SEC have basically the equivalence of a jr NFL quality for football. However , on the flip side the Big 12 doesn't have a conference championship anymore and maybe if those teams had been there ... It could be argued that Baylor and TCU would've had a better chance at last years college football playoffs. Schools are scratching and clawing to find quality schools that don't make geographic sense to the conference at the expense of other conferences. Bif south is going to be extinct soon... And some of the top FCS schools are making the transition to d1 - A status. I think it's unfair because naturally voters for playoffs and bowls will pay attention to more stacked conferences than others who win out there conference but because of lack of quality or representation in said conference get screwed big time from bowl or playoff opportunity in the later seasons... Hell I think hbcu's don't get the chance they deserve to move up.... Why do Yal think Tennessee state ain't coming to the swac no time soon? Ohio valley may not let em back in or even have them in if they weren't as quality as they were in football.
 



In_The_662 said:
Sticking to the topic, EKU would be a basketball move to me as well as getting in that KY/midwest footprint.

That millionaire coach has built CCU into a consistent school since he became coach. They would be an attractive football AND basketball addition and get into the SC/NC market (and give USC/Clemson a little brother to beat up on in SC). Attendance wouldn't matter because Sun Belt doesn't have good attendance anyway lol.
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Actually attendance does matter because that's a central criteria for moving up and staying on the fbs level.
 
JaguarNation99 said:
Those rules really aren't enforced. Case in point, FIU and Florida Atlantic haven't averaged 15,000 in three straight years. Eastern Michigan didn't even crack 5,000 in 2012 or 2013.
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When I checked, there hasn't been three consecutive years that either haven't made the bar.

20.9.9.3 Football-Attendance Requirements. [FBS] Once every two years on a rolling basis, the institu-
tion shall average at least 15,000 in actual or paid attendance for all home football games. (Revised: 4/25/02
effective 8/1/04, 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05)


If I recall they were kind of lax on anyone just entering the first couple of years.
 
bluedog said:
When I checked, there hasn't been three consecutive years that either haven't made the bar.

20.9.9.3 Football-Attendance Requirements. [FBS] Once every two years on a rolling basis, the institu-
tion shall average at least 15,000 in actual or paid attendance for all home football games. (Revised: 4/25/02
effective 8/1/04, 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05)


If I recall they were kind of lax on anyone just entering the first couple of years.
Click to expand...

They still are, and I'm not sure where you checked, but according to the figures on the NCAA site, Florida Atlantic hasn't averaged 15K in any season since 2011. Even though FIU did just eclipse 15K in 2013, they still wouldn't have met the 2 year rolling average minimum. Even EMU, which just made it over 15K last season, was under 5K between 2011 and 2013. Those are just three examples, it's plenty others, like Ball St, Kent St and Idaho. Idaho in particular last averaged 15K in a season in 2008.
 
JaguarNation99 said:
They still are, and I'm not sure where you checked, but according to the figures on the NCAA site, Florida Atlantic hasn't averaged 15K in any season since 2011. Even though FIU did just eclipse 15K in 2013, they still wouldn't have met the 2 year rolling average minimum. Even EMU, which just made it over 15K last season, was under 5K between 2011 and 2013. Those are just three examples, it's plenty others, like Ball St, Kent St and Idaho. Idaho in particular last averaged 15K in a season in 2008.
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The rule has been adjusted to meet 15K once in a 2 year period, as opposed to an average over 2 years. That leaves FIU, EMU, Kent State and Ball State in the clear as they all averaged over 15K either in 2013 or 2014.
 



While Central Michigan University is in compliance with NCAA Division I standards for football game attendance, a dwindling student base and declining attendance continues to plague the program.

A large share of the compliance is due to the 5,500 season tickets bought by International Management Group, a global sports and media company.

The 2013 football paid attendance summary sent to the NCAA states that CMU averaged 15,332.6 people in paid attendance over five home games. Students averaged 3,063.8 in paid attendance this season, accounting for 19.98 percent of the total.

The NCAA Division I manual states that a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision, like CMU, must average at least 15,000 in actual or paid attendance for all home football games on a two-year rolling basis.

According to the statistics guidelines and policies released by the NCAA, "Attendance figures for official box scores and/or NCAA reports can be calculated by turnstile count, tickets sold or estimates. Schools should make every effort to record an attendance figure on each statistical box score it produces." If these figures are not met, CMU would not be eligible to play any postseason game.

"I'd like to say we want to sell out every game – maybe that’s where we start," said CMU Director of Athletics Dave Heeke. "Practically, we look at our best games, we try to market them and promote them."

Heeke said CMU will subscribe to the paid attendance option in the future, which counts tickets sold for at least one-third of the highest established ticket price, regardless of whether they are used for admission. Tickets sold at less than one-third of that price were only counted if admitted.

This means tickets sold count for bodies in the seats, regardless of if the person physically enters the stadium or not.

The numbers submitted to the NCAA by Feb. 15 are a result of an internal audit conducted by the university and signed by University President George Ross. The internal audit observed the process by which tickets are counted per-game and reviewed the final count figures.
http://www.cm-life.com/article/2014/03/disconnect-between-reported-attendance-and-ncaa-requirements
 
This is the most recent article I could find on the issue.

Somewhere deep in the bowels of NCAA.org there's a page describing the differences between the divisions it makes for college programs. It includes the following rule:

"Football Bowl Subdivision teams have to meet minimum attendance requirements (average 15,000 people in actual or paid attendance per home game), which must be met once in a rolling two-year period. NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams do not need to meet minimum attendance requirements."

If your favorite college team can't average 15,000 people to a game once every two years, the NCAA technically can drop your team from what used to be called Division I-A to I-AA.

No team has yet to be dropped, but which teams are dangerously close? And when will the NCAA man up and start enforcing its own rules?

Low Attendance Threatens FBS Status for Some College Football Teams | Bleacher Report (via http://ble.ac/teamstream-) http://teamstre.am/1L0JyGs
 
I knew they were lax on that 15K just by watching Sun Belt and MAC games on TV. Those stands look like some HS games I see on Hudl

And it doesn't surprise me that those schools have big money alums to buy bulk tickets to help with the attendance figures
 
In_The_662 said:
Here...



As far as NCAT is concerned, I hope the smart people they have working for them don't listen to the street committee known as the MEACZone and bolt for the Big South lol.
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In_The_662 said:
Here...



As far as NCAT is concerned, I hope the smart people they have working for them don't listen to the street committee known as the MEACZone and bolt for the Big South lol.
Click to expand...

Reading some of our emotional outbursts on MEACfanszone has lead to misinformation so please allow me to lend a little clarity. NC A&T is considering a new conference affiliation, however it has nothing to do with the Celebration Bowl. This is about seeking a more compact regional affiliation and reducing travel costs. This process started about two years ago, long before the CB came to fruition.

It's not the alums trying to convince the school to leave the MEAC but rather the other way around. The rumors had been floating around for a while but I never believed it until I saw the presentation for myself. The AD & staff have been making their rounds to the various booster club chapters bringing awareness of the possibility. AD also said there will not be any type of media release until an agreement is imminent. He refused to name a particular conference and did not give a time table for a possible move although he is looking to make a decision sooner rather than later (his words). Lastly, he said nothing is written in stone and there is a possibility we could remain in the MEAC. It's wait and see from here.
 
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