App State ranked #25 in FBS

[sluggo]

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/ ... ated-press

Once upon a time there was a great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the ACC to do bigger things.
Then there was another great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the Sun Belt and CUSA to do bigger things.

What is left behind keeps doing smaller and smaller things and wondering why fewer people care.

[Affirm]

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/ ... ated-press

Once upon a time there was a great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the ACC to do bigger things.
Then there was another great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the Sun Belt and CUSA to do bigger things.

What is left behind keeps doing smaller and smaller things and wondering why fewer people care.

App St has >19,000 students.
Ga So has > 28,000 students
Marshall > 13,000
Actually, almost every current SoCon school is significantly bigger than Furman. Let’s keep trying to compete with whomever we have to compete with. Let’s always do bigger things in our current situation. Would we want to spend resources to stretch to become, ATHLETICALLY, a Tulsa or Rice or Tulane?

[Davemeister]

App is ranked #25. Good for them! What the chances they will ever play for an FBS Championship? Next to none.

[FUBeAR]

App is ranked #25. Good for them! What the chances they will ever play for an FBS Championship? none.

FYP

[sluggo]

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/ ... ated-press

Once upon a time there was a great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the ACC to do bigger things.
Then there was another great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the Sun Belt and CUSA to do bigger things.

What is left behind keeps doing smaller and smaller things and wondering why fewer people care.

App St has >19,000 students.
Ga So has > 28,000 students
Marshall > 13,000
Actually, almost every current SoCon school is significantly bigger than Furman. Let’s keep trying to compete with whomever we have to compete with. Let’s always do bigger things in our current situation. Would we want to spend resources to stretch to become, ATHLETICALLY, a Tulsa or Rice or Tulane?

I'd care about how many students the school had if they all dressed out for football.

We beat the crap out of all the above teams when they had the same number of students.

Let's stay small; but then no complaining about the crowd size and students leaving at halftime.
This post is all about the constant complaining. Either fix it or be happy with it.

The biggest crowd at Paladin Stadium was 19k against App State when we were both FBS (Div 1A).
That may be just a coincidence but I don't think so.

[sluggo]

App is ranked #25. Good for them! What the chances they will ever play for an FBS Championship? Next to none.

Based on the last 29 years, they have the same chance to win the FBS as Furman has to win the FCS.
Making the playoffs is not a high percentage chance of winning the FCS.

See : Northern Iowa Panthers and others when you sort this list

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_N ... es_by_team

[sluggo]

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/ ... ated-press

Once upon a time there was a great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the ACC to do bigger things.
Then there was another great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the Sun Belt and CUSA to do bigger things.

What is left behind keeps doing smaller and smaller things and wondering why fewer people care.

App St has >19,000 students.
Ga So has > 28,000 students
Marshall > 13,000
Actually, almost every current SoCon school is significantly bigger than Furman. Let’s keep trying to compete with whomever we have to compete with. Let’s always do bigger things in our current situation. Would we want to spend resources to stretch to become, ATHLETICALLY, a Tulsa or Rice or Tulane?

I never hear the "number of students" debate about basketball when the NCAA tournament starts.

GONZAGA!

[Affirm]

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/ ... ated-press

Once upon a time there was a great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the ACC to do bigger things.
Then there was another great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the Sun Belt and CUSA to do bigger things.

What is left behind keeps doing smaller and smaller things and wondering why fewer people care.

App St has >19,000 students.
Ga So has > 28,000 students
Marshall > 13,000
Actually, almost every current SoCon school is significantly bigger than Furman. Let’s keep trying to compete with whomever we have to compete with. Let’s always do bigger things in our current situation. Would we want to spend resources to stretch to become, ATHLETICALLY, a Tulsa or Rice or Tulane?

I'd care about how many students the school had if they all dressed out for football.

We beat the crap out of all the above teams when they had the same number of students.

Let's stay small; but then no complaining about the crowd size and students leaving at halftime.
This post is all about the constant complaining. Either fix it or be happy with it.

The biggest crowd at Paladin Stadium was 19k against App State when we were both FBS (Div 1A).
That may be just a coincidence but I don't think so.

What do you mean by “fix it”?
And, would you not agree that a school with 28,000 students have a proportional large alumni base, which leads to larger resources to support a FBS-level program as compared to a school with 2,800 students?

[Affirm]

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/ ... ated-press

Once upon a time there was a great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the ACC to do bigger things.
Then there was another great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the Sun Belt and CUSA to do bigger things.

What is left behind keeps doing smaller and smaller things and wondering why fewer people care.

App St has >19,000 students.
Ga So has > 28,000 students
Marshall > 13,000
Actually, almost every current SoCon school is significantly bigger than Furman. Let’s keep trying to compete with whomever we have to compete with. Let’s always do bigger things in our current situation. Would we want to spend resources to stretch to become, ATHLETICALLY, a Tulsa or Rice or Tulane?

I never hear the "number of students" debate about basketball when the NCAA tournament starts.

GONZAGA!

Gonzaga is 7,500 students. And they focus on basketball, no football team.
Also, basketball:football = apples:oranges.

[sluggo]

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/ ... ated-press

Once upon a time there was a great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the ACC to do bigger things.
Then there was another great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the Sun Belt and CUSA to do bigger things.

What is left behind keeps doing smaller and smaller things and wondering why fewer people care.

App St has >19,000 students.
Ga So has > 28,000 students
Marshall > 13,000
Actually, almost every current SoCon school is significantly bigger than Furman. Let’s keep trying to compete with whomever we have to compete with. Let’s always do bigger things in our current situation. Would we want to spend resources to stretch to become, ATHLETICALLY, a Tulsa or Rice or Tulane?

I'd care about how many students the school had if they all dressed out for football.

We beat the crap out of all the above teams when they had the same number of students.

Let's stay small; but then no complaining about the crowd size and students leaving at halftime.
This post is all about the constant complaining. Either fix it or be happy with it.

The biggest crowd at Paladin Stadium was 19k against App State when we were both FBS (Div 1A).
That may be just a coincidence but I don't think so.

What do you mean by “fix it”?
And, would you not agree that a school with 28,000 students have a proportional large alumni base, which leads to larger resources to support a FBS-level program as compared to a school with 2,800 students?

Re 28k : Yes, but I'm not one who is complaining about crowd size.

If nothing needs fixing then why all the complaining?

[Affirm]

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/ ... ated-press

Once upon a time there was a great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the ACC to do bigger things.
Then there was another great Southern Conference; but teams moved to the Sun Belt and CUSA to do bigger things.

What is left behind keeps doing smaller and smaller things and wondering why fewer people care.

App St has >19,000 students.
Ga So has > 28,000 students
Marshall > 13,000
Actually, almost every current SoCon school is significantly bigger than Furman. Let’s keep trying to compete with whomever we have to compete with. Let’s always do bigger things in our current situation. Would we want to spend resources to stretch to become, ATHLETICALLY, a Tulsa or Rice or Tulane?

I'd care about how many students the school had if they all dressed out for football.

We beat the crap out of all the above teams when they had the same number of students.

Let's stay small; but then no complaining about the crowd size and students leaving at halftime.
This post is all about the constant complaining. Either fix it or be happy with it.

The biggest crowd at Paladin Stadium was 19k against App State when we were both FBS (Div 1A).
That may be just a coincidence but I don't think so.

What do you mean by “fix it”?
And, would you not agree that a school with 28,000 students have a proportional large alumni base, which leads to larger resources to support a FBS-level program as compared to a school with 2,800 students?

Re 28k : Yes, but I'm not one who is complaining about crowd size.

If nothing needs fixing then why all the complaining?

Perhaps your meaning in your initial post was incorrectly interpreted. Perhaps you were not complaining.

[Bootie]

I read sluggo's initial post as a complaint, too.

[gman]

I would take going 11-1 with an invitation to a good paying bowl game than a game or two in the FCS playoffs any day of the week. That is what Appy can do this year. Meanwhile, we are stuck in a bad SoCon playing in front of 5,000 to 7,000 lifeless fans. I refuse to accept a mediocre program that plays bad football teams almost weekly. We will improve, but what we willing to accept as the pinnacle of success?

[Bootie]

Any talk or desire of Furman going FBS seems silly to me.

Is there anyone here who is willing to suggest it is possible or could be even remotely successful for Furman to move up??

[sluggo]

Any talk or desire of Furman going FBS seems silly to me.

Is there anyone here who is willing to suggest it is possible or could be even remotely successful for Furman to move up??

I never said it was possible to go back to exactly what we used to be.
In case anyone forgot; Furman was FBS (Div 1A) from 1978 to 1981.

As far as being successful in FBS (Ummm, we already were); and I totally believe that would take care of itself in time now.
FBS teams can recruit better than FCS, simply because they are FBS.
FCS teams can recruit better than D2, simply because they are FCS.

Bottom line : I would have never signed with Furman if I had known my senior year would mean stepping down to FCS.

I'll never forget the statement that convinced me to sign with Furman :

"Furman is in the same division as Clemson and USC, so you are not taking a step down to sign with them."
-- Deane Fowble 1978 HC RNE

What's the 30 year plan? Is it Division 2? Because that's where it seems to be heading.
If so, then go ahead and put Benedict on the schedule now because their stadium is bigger and better than PC's and a better location.
Probably make more money.