Some have asked about
the possible candidacy of Jacksonville State and how they would match up versus
the other three expected to fight for the 14th Sun Belt spot.
Jacksonville State:
- School Founded: 1883
- Football Founded: 1904
- Location: Jacksonville,
Alabama
- Current Conference: Oho Valley Conference
- Sports: (16) Baseball, M-Basketball, M-Cross Country,
Football, M-Golf, M-Tennis, W-Basketball, W-Cross Country, W-Golf,
W-Soccer, Softball, W-Tennis, W-Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field,
Volleyball, Coed-Rifle
- Football All-time Record: 504-357-40
- Claimed National Championships: One (1992 D-II National Champions)
- Football Stadium: Jacksonville
State University Stadium 24,000 Seats.
- TV Market(s): Birmingham
(40th TV market)**
- Rivalries: Troy
- Student Population:
9,490 Undergraduate
- Endowment: $9.9
Million
- Athletic Budget: $12.1
million
The Jacksonville State
Gamecocks of the Ohio Valley Conference has been stating the desire in the last
few years to get out of the OVC and move up to the FBS level in college
football. The Gamecocks have an athletic budget of $12.1 million that would
most likely need to be increased considering the travel that the Gamecocks
would have with a conference stretching from Texas to North Carolina in all
sports and as far as Idaho in football. Jacksonville State supports 16 sports
with only one of those sports (Rifle)
not supported by the Sun Belt. Finding a home for the rifle team would not be a
big deal as it is a less popular sport nationwide and easier to find conference
partners.
Jacksonville State has
some impressive facilities although a possible red flag is the fact that the
stadium capacity is listed at 24,000 on the school's athletic website. Additions would be needed for the stadium to be FBS ready and could be
difficult to get funded and accomplished in a short period of time although
other schools have done it. The Gamecocks have a basketball arena that holds
5,500 and a baseball stadium that holds 1,500 as well as a tennis complex with
15 courts, a less than 10-year old soccer field, state of the art weight rooms
and one of the better rifle ranges in all of the NCAA. http://www.jsugamecocksports.com/sports/2008/8/5/GEN_0805085348.aspx?tab=jsuathleticfacilities
Jacksonville State
ranked as the #74 regional university in the South by the yearly US News best
colleges ranking system. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/jacksonville-state-university-1020
The Gamecocks have one
of the better locations of the Sun Belt prospectives being in range of
Birmingham with fairly short trips to a majority of the Sun Belt schools.
Jacksonville State is in the same state as two current members and would jump
the state of Alabama to three teams in the conference.
Why Jacksonville State
would be a good fit: Location is the
best selling point for the Gamecocks as they are as close to central of the new
Sun Belt as they can be. Most trips to any opponent are reasonable driving
distances save Idaho and New Mexico for football but those trips would be only
once every two years. The Gamecocks would be a perfect fit to replace WKU in the Sun Belt East Division. The Gamecocks also come from the OVC which has seen WKU
and MTSU pass through their doors on the way to FBS status. The Sun Belt seems
to work fairly well with the OVC as both conferences tend to be in the same
general geographical location. The final reason for Jacksonville State to be
included would be the desire to be in the Sun Belt. Similar to Liberty,
Jacksonville State has been fairly outspoken about their desire to move up to
the Sun Belt and be a FBS school. Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson has been
very up front about the Sun Belt's desire to bring in schools that want to be
in the Sun Belt rather than looking at it as a stepping stone conference.
Why Jacksonville State
would not be a good fit: The issue with needing to make upgrades on the
football stadium comes to the forefront as the Gamecocks would need to add some seats to the stadium in time for a move to the Sun Belt.
Time is ticking away and the Gamecocks need the time and opportunity to add on
for the stadium in anticipation for their move to the FBS. The other question is
whether the Sun Belt believes that three teams in the state of Alabama is a
good idea. For travel, the idea makes sense over a JMU or Liberty in distance
but the Sun Belt may be worried of concentrating in too central of a location
with 7 of the 12 football schools being in Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia.
Some believe that spreading out the conference more on the east coast is a
better option.
Overall Assessment: The Gamecocks do not quite have the resume of
James Madison, Liberty, or Lamar but they are not lacking very much.
Jacksonville State does seem to have some momentum as a dark horse candidate
that no one sees coming and could slide themselves into the discussion if James
Madison officially declines the invitation. Until then is the waiting game for
the Gamecocks fighting with Liberty, Lamar and possibly others to be the second
choice of the Sun Belt.
Travel in the SBC would be a lot less than the ovc. JSU stadium is a new facility that at 24k seating would accomadate the average attendance of the sun belt. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Sun_Belt_Conference_football_season#Home_attendance. However I agree additional seating would probably be needed due to the packed stadiums whe the opponents are in state and very short out of state rivals such as troy state USA ga St and ga so. Definately a problem not created by Jmu and liberty.
ReplyDeleteJSU needs to upgrade its basketball and baseball facilities, but I don't see your complaint with the football stadium as being valid. JSU Stadium is state of the art, and would be one of the nicest in the Sunbelt in day one - though the capacity is 5-7k below many of the others.
ReplyDeleteA few of the SBC stadiums are over 30k, though few conference members average anywhere near that in attendance. Look at Sunbelt member Georgia State... their stadium has a capacity of 71,000....but they averaged 12k in 2012.
JSU struggled with Jack Crowe as coach, and last season the attendance was down - and Crowe was fired at the end of the season. Even so, JSU had an average attendance that was comparable to MTSU and WKy.
LaMo and ASU are the only 2 programs that averaged over 24k in 2012.
FIU stadium has a capacity of 20k, and they were good enough for the SBC (and jumping to CUSA)
If JSU moves up to the FBS and stadium expansion is needed, it will happen. With teams like Troy, Arkansas State, and USA on the schedule, instead of Murray, SEMO and UT-Martin, there is no doubt that JSU would post higher numbers than MTSU and WKy did in 2012.
With the excitement stemming from Coach Clark's arrival at JSU, it wouldn't surprise me to see JSU average over 20k this season - even in the FCS.
Basketball upgrades are sorely needed (and on the way), as are baseball. Football? Not so much.
I will admit that I was too critical of Jacksonville State's stadium. It is a good stadium and 24,000 is a good capacity for a Sun Belt program. The 30,000 range would be ideal in a perfect world. Jacksonville State fans please understand, I wrote this to give base knowledge about the program to many that know nothing about the school or program. I will effort quotes but many Athletic Directors are very tight lipped about realignment.
ReplyDeleteNo worries. I wrote my comments figuring that you didn't know a lot about JSU's facilities. We know our basketball and baseball facilities need upgrading, but we are proud of our football facilities.
DeleteIt will be very difficult for JSU to get into the Sunbelt. It is sad that Troy feels so threatened by JSU. JSU to the SBC would be a win/win for both programs. JSU/Troy is an old rivalry, and renewing it would improve both programs. Historically, JSU has the upper hand when the two schools were on an even playing field.
Unfortunately for JSU, Troy isn't the only obstacle. From what I understand, GSU and USA don't like the idea of JSU joining. The proximity of JSU makes for a recruiting rival, and the Gamecocks showed this year that they can recruit against those programs - even while still at FCS level. JSU's first recruiting class under Coach Clark was arguably better than most of the teams in the Sunbelt. Jax State has a beautiful campus, great facilities for football, and a great location. With FBS membership, recruiting at JSU would improve even more.
I am not meaning to troll when I say this. I really think the previously mentioned programs are scared of JSU.
I don't know what's up with your poll but its the first one I ever seen that subtracts votes jsu down to one now?
ReplyDeleteReally? I have been covering a high school baseball tournament and haven't been able to check the poll till just now. That is interesting and I have no idea how that could happen. I will see if I can figure why or how that could have happened. Thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteJax State has a beautiful campus, great facilities for football, and a great location. With FBS membership, recruiting at JSU would improve even more.
ReplyDeletefootball team