A Falcon's perspective at the FCS.

[daspollak]

I was able to attend my first App. St. game this weekend and I was impressed. Over 30,000 fans attended a conference game between App. St. and Elon. Boone, NC is around 2 hrs away from Charlotte, NC and to pull that kind of crowd is impressive. The crowd was great and the game even better. I was able to talk to many alumni and came away with the following impressions.

1. Most go there growing up rooting for the following teams, UNC, NC State, Clemson, Tennessee, V. Tech, S. Carolina, or Wake Forest. App. St. gives out T-shirts to freshman to encourage them to start wearing the school's colors. Most of the people say that they still follow those schools, but they rather go to an App. St. game.

2. They love the fact that they play FCS. Under no circumstances would they want to move up. They can compete for conference titles, but they still get a shot at something bigger at the end of the year. Just ask Boise St. if they would like that.

3. They recruit against many Sun Belt and CUSA schools. They also get some players from SEC and ACC schools. App. St. team is solid, well coached and motivated to win a National Title.

While I know many of you would never want to drop down, but there is a sense of pride to say you're National Champs. I would be more interest in BG looking at this school and figuring out how it can create that kind of enthusiasm and loyalty at BG. I am proud to be a Falcon, but I left Boone, NC impressed and envious of a FCS school.

[sportydude1818]

App State is going to move up to 1A I promise you that. As nice as it is to be a fcs champion being FBS is the ultimate goal. Do you want us to be Youngstown state? Who cares about fcs football.

[Flipper]

Who cares about MAC football?

[BGFalconfromCincy]

Who cares about fcs football.

More people then who care about MAC football

[MACMAN]

1a will be just like the fcs once the BCS breaks ties with rest of 1a.

[LowryFalcon]

Although I have tossed around the idea of what it would be like to move down to the FCS would be like in my mind. I still like the fact that were just in the top division of football. I agree with you daspollak that maybe this would be a good move but at the same time I wouldnt want to see the falcons drop to a lower division. However it really would make more sense thinking from a logical standpoint. It would give us more of a shot to actually win something. However, right now we could get beat by so many other FCS schools. The only draw back is there are no bowl games but other than that it would be the same but on a different level. We wouldnt even have to worry about even thinking about those stupid BCS schools. It would be nice I gotta say that.

My only major worry is crowd support. Yes I know we are in the MAC and that we dont really have a chance for anything other than a crappy bowl game but I think the only reason we really get the crowds we even do is because we are a member of the FBS. Unlike App St. where they obviously have a awesome following, this is something we lack, and yes they have other school close but they are a championship contender year in and year out where as we would not so much be.

They also are not located in the middle of Ohio State and Michigan. IMHO, Most people around the area would rather watch Ohio State and Michigan on tv than go to a BGSU game. Even if we became a championship contender I dont see us having the following that App State does. I have never been there so I dont know what the campus looks like, if the city of boone is a "college town" or not. For example, Since being at Athens on saturday I am kind of dishearted about what BG has. Athens lives and breaths Ohio U. Yes I saw Ohio State jerseys and stuff but everything there is all about Ohio. In BG, we are more of a residential city than a college town. I just get scared of the fact that this move could really hurt us if it did ever happen. However it could do wonders. Its hard to say but It is scary thinking about it.

[NWLB]

Screw FCS, its pee-wee football enjoyed by a tiny number of teams with any hope of a title. Just like 1A is a league for about 20 teams and a side-show for the rest.

People will constantly say "oh, but we can play for championships!" Bull s***. Drop down, and four years later the entire MAC will struggle to win anything against a few other programs that are serious about winning. Even in the MAC, most schools are not playing to win anything, they'll never get close but once every twenty years. Why the BCS matters or relates to BGSU in anybody's mind is beyond me.

Drop to 1AA, even fewer people will attend, fewer will care, and most will start following OSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Florida, and others even more closely. I have zero interest in 1AA brand football, save for games BGSU plays against those teams, and when there isn't anything else on TV at all. I would rather BGSU drop football as a sport than watch it grind away at 1AA irrelevance.

[daspollak]

I am not saying that BG should drop down and compete at the FCS level. The point of my post is that BG needs to look at what schools like App. St. and other successful FCS programs are doing to create a positive and lasting relationship with the school. For a long time we have had BG students, but OSU or UM supporters. Ask around campus right now if they would rather have BG or OSU/UM tickets and I would venture that 80%+ would say the OSU/UM tickets.

I loved my time at BG and continue to support the school through donations and attending sporting events when I am in Ohio. I want to see my school grow and become a place where people become Falcons and remain Falcons through out their entire lives. I was at the BG-NIU Gameday game, and that was the best atmosphere I have ever been around for a BG game. I would love for it to be that way every week. At App. St. they had something pretty close to that for just another conference game, and it is that way for almost every home game.

For those of you who don't want BG to drop down to the FCS, don't worry it will never happen. Let's hope that BG can become the school that all of us want it to be.

[NWLB]

There is not much BGSU can control about some things. In Ohio, kids grow up with OSU being the school to follow. Even I follow other schools, though I do put BGSU ahead of them when it comes to home games. I've seen some modest efforts to try to draw students into BGSU sports, however, half of the time, the school seems sheepish to even suggest they take their alma mater over another school they'll never attend.

Then you have the stalwart buckeye wannabes who are incredulous at any suggestion of supporting BGSU, as if it is beneath them.

I don't know that the time or money is out there to do what needs to be done, over time. Nor the support from groups such as faculty, without which many things can't happen. Yet I do think you could put a dollar figure on some kind of major, multi-year effort, to build things here. It simply won't happen until so many other projects are finished, if even then.

On a semi-unrelated note, I wish to heck they would stop trying these remedial fandom lessons during the game. I mean it is embarrassing to have to listen to some guy explain how to cheer. It was as bad as when they printed out the stupid "cheer cards" to provide instructions to students on cheering. Especially bad because half of the stunts were not traditions, hokey to see or do, etc.

I'm just thrilled they killed that pathetic Niel Diamond song this year. Now if they could figure out some consistent way to run the audio.....

[unfalconbelievable]

Oh yes, the dilema that arises everytime we have a tough year.

First off, if we win butts will be in the seats. Currently you have more students tailgating in the parking lots then coming into the stadium. If I were 21 or 22 I guess I can't blame, probably more entertainment in the parking lots then what the stadium is producing now.

Secondly, if we continually win we will not be able to hold onto our coach for long, given that he is a proven winner he will be off like the sunset, a la, Urban Meyer. Heck, even as great Boise State they lost their previous coach to a bigger school before they named their current one.

Third Point, even if BG or any MAC school for that fact goes undefeated people will agrue for them to have a shot at the National Title. Utah, TCU and Boise State have continually had the door shut on them regarding opportunities to play for the title and it may happen again this year. These schools have had a preaty good resume of records over a series of years and STILL can't crack the title game and barely get into BCS games. Heck, Boise is 7 - 13 vs. BCS conferences in the regular season and everyone hangs their hat on the Oklahoma bowl game. They would be a middle of the road Big Ten team if you put them in the Big Ten Conference. The MAC will not compete for anything other then the Little Ceasers Bowl and the two other pre-christmas bowl games they are given. We are what we are, and won't be going to FCS anytime soon.

[BGorDeath]

Why can't anyone just root for the team the love and forget about all of the FCS, FBS and BCS crap? Love your alma mater no matter what level they play.

[NWLB]

Sorry, that kind of blind rah rah crap would have us cheer roach races in Harshman quad.

It is the kind of mental detachment that would have Greg Brandon still coaching with a 50 year contract extension.

There are fans of all types, I don't begrudge folks who just want to bury their heads in the sand and not deal with the unpleasant issues that do come up. However being on a site like this generally means you can't just say "gee whiz, love the team man," and ignore the rest of the world.

Ironically, there is an aspect of your wish that is akin to my own. I wish folks would stop kvetching about BCS bowl access, or how close to the top 1A teams BGSU is, or rankings and bowl bids.

[Flipper]

Perry stadium opened in the mid 60's....IIRC from the media guide a few years ago the average attendance for the 40 years or so of the facility being opened is just over 15,000. We've been a nationally ranked 1A power during those years, we've been 1AA for a couple of those years, and we spent a number of years just playing college football without that 1A/1AA nonsense.

I don't think it would matter if we're 1A or 1 AA. No one thinks we're going to contend for the BCS title. I doubt any one would care if e were gunning for the 1AA championship...or the FCS...whatever. In the end, I don't think anyone really cares what we're playing for, we seem to have about 15,000 people who'll show up. (unless it's 2000 and we really suck, then we might draw 8,000 )

[NWLB]

Flipper notes some key points here. How that happened I'll figure out later. But extend back before Doyt L. Perry Stadium the average at best wasn't much above 13,000 overall, the max the old venue held.

This region has not grown in the last 40 years, if anything, it has shrunk and will get only smaller.

Plus, so many of the locals are basically immune to marketing at this point. They've heard all the pitches they can throw out there. Plus the product on the field has been so spotty in results, there is zero ability to really have faith in any expectations...good or bad. That has a real impact on things I believe.

I would say the best thing to happen had less to do with TV ads than it did fostering tailgating at BGSU. We all remember when any single RV parked near the stadium was a "gee whiz" moment. Now it is an established and growing culture. Still doesn't bolster attendance, but darn if the entire environment around the stadium hasn't taken on a far more entertaining quality.

The emergence of the band and fenced-in area I think is great, much needed. I frankly hope they do NOT move the tents back to the other side of the stadium. The entire area has a buzz now I never felt when all the RVs and tailgaters were off on their own in the main lots. Everything and everybody was RIGHT THERE at the stadium, not spread far and wide.

[dstubb]

(unless it's 2000 and we really suck, then we might draw 8,000 )

Did you mean "unless it's 2010" ?