Catback
Redshirt Freshman
The 2022-23 SoCon Football Pick'em Champion
Posts: 471
|
Post by Catback on Nov 22, 2023 16:56:47 GMT -5
Yes, I say beat them! Consistently beat them! Out coach them and make them dread losing to us again and again!
|
|
|
Post by The Cats on Nov 22, 2023 17:34:26 GMT -5
Yes, I say beat them! Consistently beat them! Out coach them and make them dread losing to us again and again! That's a nice thought, but it's hard to play the other team and the officials. As you know, we don't even get a break as the home team, like every other private school does... I say, why beat them, just leave them, to mire in their own mediocrity. I'm sure if we left, UTC and ETSU would also find other homes...
|
|
|
Post by mtncat1 on Nov 22, 2023 23:50:09 GMT -5
I say we just build upon the foundation we have for now. IF, and a big IF, we keep winning and WCU actually follows up with the grand upgrades being rumored and we are still winning, then down the road, WCU should threaten leaving the socon. Never been a real fan of belonging to a conference that has a non-football school and so many smaller private schools. However, right now, we have to prove that we can dominate these teams, year in and year out. Sadly, WCU has only just begun that process. I hope to see WCU be the "Ohio State" of the SOCON one day. Bigger, better, and in most seasons, the dominant team each and every year. Right now, WCU is not there but has those "green shoots" of growing into something amazing like OSU of 50 years ago in their conference. Remember, OSU early on lost and lost BIG to that team up north (michigan). 15 in a row in the early 1900's. It took time. Let's do it right now, and who knows, WCU might just be the next respectable football program in NC down the road.
The soil has been properly prepared and toiled, the green shoots are growing, now we all must labor in the fields and continue the work.
|
|
|
Post by retiredcat on Nov 23, 2023 8:47:20 GMT -5
Our problem with lack of winning on the football field is not with the Southern Conference officials or private schools (The ACC publics have had not problem thriving with Duke and Wake Forest for 70 years)...it has been with lack of leadership (Chancellors and BOT) who didn't see the value of a strong athletics program. Other than Dr. Alex Pow in the lates 60s and early 70s, Dr. H.F. Robinson in the mid-70s to mid-80s...even Dr. John Bardo on occasions in the 90s forward...that was it until Dr. Kelli Brown came on board. I could tell you some stories about executive decisions that impacted athletics negatively that would make your hair curl and stomach turn sour. Our location and lack of attention from state legislators was WCC/WCU's major problem until the last few decades of the 20th century, but not in the last 40 years. Our athletics facilities issues should have been addressed by our past three leadership teams starting in the mid-1980s. Bob Waters' illness and loss of regional leaders like E.J. Whitmire compounded our problem.
Hopefully, Dr. Brown and her team with a BOT that does not have to use GPS to find Cullowhee will be able get us there. The Athletics Facilities upgrade campaign is critical. Without it's success, I'm afraid we are going to experience more of the same.
I've hung on for 40 years to see a return to the football playoffs...27 years for another NCAA men's basketball tournament bid...and a just a couple NCAA baseball bids in the 15 years. PLEASE before I run out of time!
|
|
|
Post by Speedwell Cat on Nov 23, 2023 9:43:35 GMT -5
Our problem with lack of winning on the football field is not with the Southern Conference officials or private schools (The ACC publics have had not problem thriving with Duke and Wake Forest for 70 years)...it has been with lack of leadership (Chancellors and BOT) who didn't see the value of a strong athletics program. Other than Dr. Alex Pow in the lates 60s and early 70s, Dr. H.F. Robinson in the mid-70s to mid-80s...even Dr. John Bardo on occasions in the 90s forward...that was it until Dr. Kelli Brown came on board. I could tell you some stories about executive decisions that impacted athletics negatively that would make your hair curl and stomach turn sour. Our location and lack of attention from state legislators was WCC/WCU's major problem until the last few decades of the 20th century, but not in the last 40 years. Our athletics facilities issues should have been addressed by our past three leadership teams starting in the mid-1980s. Bob Waters' illness and loss of regional leaders like E.J. Whitmire compounded our problem. Hopefully, Dr. Brown and her team with a BOT that does not have to use GPS to find Cullowhee will be able get us there. The Athletics Facilities upgrade campaign is critical. Without it's success, I'm afraid we are going to experience more of the same. I've hung on for 40 years to see a return to the football playoffs...27 years for another NCAA men's basketball tournament bid...and a just a couple NCAA baseball bids in the 15 years. PLEASE before I run out of time! Hang in there Whitey!
|
|
|
Post by SCCat66 on Nov 23, 2023 10:59:53 GMT -5
The Citadel, VMI and UNC-G are state-supported schools. The only private schools are Furman, Wofford, Mercer and Samford.
|
|
|
Post by CharlotteCat on Nov 23, 2023 13:37:44 GMT -5
The Citadel, VMI and UNC-G are state-supported schools. The only private schools are Furman, Wofford, Mercer and Samford. Not trying to be a smart ass, but please name one WCU fan that is not aware of the above facts. But, thanks for putting it out there in case some other SoCon fan base was not aware.
|
|
|
Post by wcugrad95 on Nov 23, 2023 17:47:19 GMT -5
I expect a lot of people think Citadel and VMI are private. I know before I became a SOCON fan I thought of each school more like I think of Furman, Wofford, etc. As for moving, would we really want to be the 16th team in a league like the CAA? It would have been awesome during the last rounds if there would have been a way to come together with a bunch of Southern-based CAA and maybe some of the Big South/OVC schools. We could have had two leagues made-up of something like this: New Big South | New SOCON | WCU | Furman | ETSU | Wofford | UTC | Citadel | Mercer | VMI | Richmond | Samford | NC A&T | William & Mary | Hampton | Elon | ChasSouth | Campbell | Need 1 more | Need 1 more |
I know that still has some privates/smaller schools in the Big South side, but I put Hampton in there to be a good pair for A&T, and I put Chuck South in there because I expect the privates would be against them joining the SOCON. I also put Mercer in the Big South because they are much bigger than most of the small privates (roughly 5k undergrads and 4k grad students). I guess you could leave them in the SOCON and then the "new" Big South adds somebody like SC State and one of the other TN teams. Maybe Tennessee Tech in terms of size/location, but it would be better to get somebody like APSU, UT-M, or Tennesse State in terms of competitiveness (although that pushes the footprint out). All cool to talk about, but that would simply take too many people agreeing to too many changes. If WCU were to seriously think about a move, it would probably have to be on our own.
|
|
Catback
Redshirt Freshman
The 2022-23 SoCon Football Pick'em Champion
Posts: 471
|
Post by Catback on Nov 23, 2023 19:26:49 GMT -5
Our problem with lack of winning on the football field is not with the Southern Conference officials or private schools (The ACC publics have had not problem thriving with Duke and Wake Forest for 70 years)...it has been with lack of leadership (Chancellors and BOT) who didn't see the value of a strong athletics program. Other than Dr. Alex Pow in the lates 60s and early 70s, Dr. H.F. Robinson in the mid-70s to mid-80s...even Dr. John Bardo on occasions in the 90s forward...that was it until Dr. Kelli Brown came on board. I could tell you some stories about executive decisions that impacted athletics negatively that would make your hair curl and stomach turn sour. Our location and lack of attention from state legislators was WCC/WCU's major problem until the last few decades of the 20th century, but not in the last 40 years. Our athletics facilities issues should have been addressed by our past three leadership teams starting in the mid-1980s. Bob Waters' illness and loss of regional leaders like E.J. Whitmire compounded our problem. Hopefully, Dr. Brown and her team with a BOT that does not have to use GPS to find Cullowhee will be able get us there. The Athletics Facilities upgrade campaign is critical. Without it's success, I'm afraid we are going to experience more of the same. I've hung on for 40 years to see a return to the football playoffs...27 years for another NCAA men's basketball tournament bid...and a just a couple NCAA baseball bids in the 15 years. PLEASE before I run out of time! I totally agree! I hope we have the leadership now to carry through on promises.
|
|
|
Post by wcugrad95 on Nov 24, 2023 7:59:19 GMT -5
The more I look at Jerry’s thoughts about the CAA it seems like they probably would be open to adding another Southern-based football team. They currently sit at 15 for football with 7 teams in VA or more South, so why not get to 16 for two 8-team divisions? You could play 7 division games, maybe 2 cross division games, 1 money game and then only have to worry about scheduling 1 true OOC game most years. I think people would be possibly more excited about playing Richmond and William & Mary as they are about anybody in the SOCON. Then multiple in state games with A&T and Campbell. Still get a nice trip to Charleston.
That being said, it takes two to Tango. The CAA has to show they want to add a school, and WCU would need to both show strong interest they want the spot and be the school the CAA wants to choose (they would have more than 1 choice I am sure). It also comes with the payment to leave the conference, which is money we no doubt would need to raise (or is earmarked for things like facilities improvements).
And I am pretty sure Delaware has made their intentions known they are going FBS. When they leave, I wonder if other schools like Villanova and even Richmond follow? So if WCU really looks at making a move, you have to try and guess what the league will look like in the next 2 or 3 years when the big boys make whatever moves they are going to make. The SOCON is the safe play for the decision-makers because it will probably keep looking like it does. I don’t know what WCU’s leadership thinks about that.
|
|