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Post by retiredcat on Nov 29, 2023 17:11:12 GMT -5
WCU's only chance of being in position for a run at a FSC National Championship depends on the current fund raising campaign to upgrade our athletics facilities. IF we build the football facilities that are on the drawing board....probably in the $30 to $40 million range...we could attract the recruits that could make a difference. I think "If we build it...they will come" should be the theme for the project We lose a lot of potential "difference makers" to the programs that have impressive facilities in place like App State, Charlotte, Furman, Chattanooga, Georgia State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern and others.
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Post by Speedwell Cat on Dec 5, 2023 15:01:51 GMT -5
Interesting thread
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Post by Speedwell Cat on Dec 5, 2023 15:03:07 GMT -5
From the same conversation:
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Post by FLCATAMOUNT on Dec 5, 2023 16:37:01 GMT -5
Western is not going anywhere and I doubt ETSU or UTC will go anywhere either. None of us can afford the fee for leaving and we can’t move up because we can’t afford the $5 million to move up. Footprint wise, it would be hard to beat what we have in the SoCon. We need to concentrate on winning championships where we are before we even think about going anywhere.
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Post by jim68 on Dec 6, 2023 18:10:45 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!
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Post by jim68 on Dec 6, 2023 18:34:59 GMT -5
Western is not going anywhere and I doubt ETSU or UTC will go anywhere either. None of us can afford the fee for leaving and we can’t move up because we can’t afford the $5 million to move up. Footprint wise, it would be hard to beat what we have in the SoCon. We need to concentrate on winning championships where we are before we even think about going anywhere.
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Post by jim68 on Dec 6, 2023 19:03:24 GMT -5
Western is not going anywhere and I doubt ETSU or UTC will go anywhere either. None of us can afford the fee for leaving and we can’t move up because we can’t afford the $5 million to move up. Footprint wise, it would be hard to beat what we have in the SoCon. We need to concentrate on winning championships where we are before we even think about going anywhere. Flacat, I totally agree with you. The Cats are not going anywhere as long as they stay in the SoCon. The money to leave the SoCon & join a G5 Conference can be had by getting a bank loan & pay back over a number of years. The Conference hates the Public Schools & I don’t normally stay anywhere when I know that I’m not welcomed. You can not grow Western’s Football Program by staying in the SoCon. Maybe you are satisfied with the status quo but I’m not. I keep saying the blueprint on how to get this done can be found at App State & ECU. If you really care about the football program at WCU, we have been in this conference's since 1977 & has it helped our program grow in anyway? With the possible departure of Desmond Reid via the portal today, it shows that Bell can’t keep good players in Cullowhee. Unless by some magical thing occurring, I think we may wind up having a weak team next year. Kerwin Bell is an outstanding offensive coach but he can’t put together a good defensive unit. He is doing the same thing for 3 years & expecting different results. Every year that the RPO has been run in Cullowhee, we have had injuries to the starting QB. This dates back to the first year that Mark Speir was Coach. It will be interesting to see how quickly Desmond will be offered by another school.
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Post by The Cats on Dec 6, 2023 20:27:47 GMT -5
In today's cut-throat recruiting environment, I'm sure Reid was approached (back door) by several FBS schools prior to his entering the portal. Kids today have no loyalty to the first school that brings them into DI football, just take a look at the ones leaving the SEC power house schools, so it's inevitable they will leave FCS schools, with stars in their eyes for the "big time"...
Good Luck to Reid, he helped the team for two years, some kids only give you one year...
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Post by wcu77 on Dec 7, 2023 13:51:16 GMT -5
In today's cut-throat recruiting environment, I'm sure Reid was approached (back door) by several FBS schools prior to his entering the portal. Kids today have no loyalty to the first school that brings them into DI football, just take a look at the ones leaving the SEC power house schools, so it's inevitable they will leave FCS schools, with stars in their eyes for the "big time"... Good Luck to Reid, he helped the team for two years, some kids only give you one year... So many of these kids using the portal these days are never going to make it "big time" or in the pros and many were never considered by better and bigger schools. It is almost criminal to dangle cash and such in front of them just to try and lure them away when in almost all the cases there will not be a next step up to the "big time". Smaller schools like us take a chance and give them the opportunity they might not have had otherwise, and in return they have no loyalty. These new rules the incompetent and crooked ncaa has enacted ensure that there will be shady behind the scenes dealings and it's become all about the money. I will not pick on any individuals but my opinion is if you don't want to be here...goodbye and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out! Amateur athletics is dead and buried. I am from the old school I guess, where if you make a commitment such as accepting a scholarship then you need to honor it and not back out when it suits you.
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Post by Admin on Dec 10, 2023 14:29:20 GMT -5
As of today, over 1,279 players have entered the transfer portal (DI - FBS & FCS). You can't take 250 of theses players and make any kind of prediction of why a certain group makes a decision to leave their current school...
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