(03-29-2015 10:11 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Funny how everyone always says, Well teams can transition easily in the Sun Belt.

UTSA in second year transition went 6-2 in CUSA and ODU in their second year of transition went 4-4 in CUSA play, UAB went 4-2 the first year in CUSA, USF went 5-3.

Meanwhile Sun Belt saw FIU 3-4, FAU 2-5, WKU 0-8, South Alabama 1-7, Georgia State 0-7, Georgia Southern 8-0, App 6-2.
FAU was two years from an FCS semi-final appearance, WKU five years removed from 5 straight FCS appearances 7 years off an FCS title, Georgia Southern 6 FCS titles and had won their last two Southern Conference titles, App has 3 FCS titles and tied for the Southern title their last year.

The only teams to have a winning league record their first year are two of the most dominant FCS programs ever.

The intent of this post was to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of how top 20 FCS teams can compete in low level FBS conferences while transiting. The teams mentioned in their success and failure were for illustrative example. No intent was made to single out any conference.

The four most recent move ups have all done the best; the ones before that struggled, regardless of which conference they entered.

Not to take anything away from Georgia Southern or AppSt but one thing that helped them was that they moved up at the right time to a conference that had 3 teams that had just moved up (Texas St, USA, Georgia State) Also several other teams in the conference that were down at the same time (Troy, Idaho, and NMSU).

We will never know if the two of them would have done as well if they had moved up in another conference just due to the fact that the football landscape is different with each move up.

Georgia State was a horrible FCS team. They definitely were going to struggle in FBS. In 2011, they beat D-II Clark Atlanta, and FCS Campbell and a South Alabama who was just starting out while losing to 2 D-II teams. In 2012, they beat a horrible FCS Rhode Island team who may not have won a game that year and in 2013, they lost all of their games. No chance they were going to be good in 2014 against FBS competition and barely had 1 win a 38-37 win over Abeliene Christian, a team that just moved up from D-II to FCS.

I think YMMV per program. Program culture, administrative culture, location, academics...the ceilings are different for each.

So if the MAC, CUSA or SBC takes one or more of FCS teams what

if JMU receives an invite, how do they do?
if LIberty receives an invite, how do they do?
if Missouri State receives an invite, how do they do?
if EKU receives an invite, how do they do?

These are the 4 teams that seem to get the most attention for FBS.

(03-30-2015 03:43 PM)NewTimes Wrote:  So if the MAC, CUSA or SBC takes one or more of FCS teams what

if JMU receives an invite, how do they do?
if LIberty receives an invite, how do they do?
if Missouri State receives an invite, how do they do?
if EKU receives an invite, how do they do?

These are the 4 teams that seem to get the most attention for FBS.

If one of the above teams joins the SBC the best I could see out of anyone of the 4 is at most 3 wins with one of those win being in there FCS game.

(03-30-2015 08:40 AM)tribe_pride Wrote:  Georgia State was a horrible FCS team. They definitely were going to struggle in FBS. In 2011, they beat D-II Clark Atlanta, and FCS Campbell and a South Alabama who was just starting out while losing to 2 D-II teams. In 2012, they beat a horrible FCS Rhode Island team who may not have won a game that year and in 2013, they lost all of their games. No chance they were going to be good in 2014 against FBS competition and barely had 1 win a 38-37 win over Abeliene Christian, a team that just moved up from D-II to FCS.

How is CAA hell? Stony Brook?


LOL

(03-30-2015 03:43 PM)NewTimes Wrote:  So if the MAC, CUSA or SBC takes one or more of FCS teams what

if JMU receives an invite, how do they do?
if LIberty receives an invite, how do they do?
if Missouri State receives an invite, how do they do?
if EKU receives an invite, how do they do?

These are the 4 teams that seem to get the most attention for FBS.

That's a tough question because a lot depends on OOC scheduling but If any of those were to join the SBC I would guess overall JMU between 4 & 7 wins, Liberty or EKU between 3 and 6 wins and Missouri St 0 to 3 wins.