Feasibility Committee Recommends FBS Move, Appalachian Announces Michigan Re-match

It has been an eventful week in Appalachian State athletics to say the least. On Monday, the feasibility committee hired by the university handed down a recommendation to pursue a move to the football bowl subdivision. Only three days later, a 2014 re-match with Michigan was announced. These two consecutive announcements were no coincidence and it has become a very exciting time to be a Mountaineer fan.


The announcement to pursue membership in a FBS conference came as no real surprise and it is a decision that I fully support, as long as it is handled properly. This cannot be a decision made in haste. Before making a move, ASU must secure an invitation from a conference that makes sense both financially and geographically. I would rather stay in the FCS than move to a conference with no rivalries, limited financial benefit and an enormous travel increase. For that reason, ASU should avoid the MAC and Sun Belt conferences, even if no other offer seems imminent. Making a move to Conference USA's Eastern division to join Marshall and East Carolina would be an excellent move for our program. The rumored possibility of an FBS conference consisting of regional programs such as ASU, ECU, Marshall, James Madison, Old Dominion, etc. could also be intriguing. Both of these options are discussed in the Winston-Salem Journal's article about the decision at hand.


In that article, ASU Athletic Director Charlie Cobb says a few interesting things, but the most encouraging is this: 


The process, which would involve a two-year NCAA transition, isn't about tomorrow or next month, Cobb insisted. "This might be three to five years down the road."


The fact that Cobb is showing patience gives me even more confidence that the will bide his time and make the right move for Appalachian. He has done a great job with this program, and I have no doubt he will continue to do the same. Speaking of which, the announcement of a second trip to Ann Arbor could not have come at a better time.


In the process of evaluating a move up, once thing is certain: Appalachian State athletics needs more exposure and more funding in order to move forward. This game provides both. ASU could have scheduled a game with a handful of large FBS opponents, gotten a decent pay day and been happy with that. However, there is NO other opponent that would have had Appalachian on the front page of ESPN within an hour of the announcement.


This game will be talked about to a very small degree now, but it will be a headline when the 2014 season rolls around. Aside from the exposure, ASU is guaranteed $850,000 if we are still an FCS program at that time and $1 Million if we have transitioned to FBS. You cannot buy the kind of exposure this will give our program, much less turn down a $1 Million offer for it. The article mentioned that the deal was brokered by a 3rd party (most likely ESPN), so the TV revenue should increase the pay further and also place ASU directly in the spotlight on opening day 2014. In a perfect world, this will be our first game as an FBS program and will start that chapter in our history with a bang. Worst-case scenario, it is a great tool to use in recruiting and courting a possible FBS conference.


I have no insight as to exactly where the next few years will take us, but I am sure as hell excited to find out. As we look to move our program to the next level, I will enjoy our time in the Southern Conference and get ready for another great football season. Go App!