quote:
Originally posted by TexasChopper:
I think it is great that MTSU has done so well with their 22,000 students to support a D1 team, and the metro area of 1.5 million people to draw on.
That is a far cry from UNA at just barely over 7,000 and 140,000. You need students for athletic funds to pay for the move as well as donations from alumni and the community. This is not the time or the economy to consider the move, and there is a moratorium that would keep them from moving up for a couple of years anyway. Additionally, there is the new NCAA D1 $1 million application fee for a D1 move that wasn't considered in the previous proposals.
There is also a consideration that when the moratorium ends that 18 sports will be required for new schools applying for D1 status. Right now UNA has 12. That will mean an increase in the budget from approximately $4 million to around $11 or 12 million to be competitive at the D1 FCS level. That is assuming that tax revenues and student fees could support such an increase.
Probably not a reasonable move for a small regional university.
You do make a good point. However, ASU (Arkansas State) is D1-A and has a student base of about 10k. Their attendance is getting better, but they are able to support a D1 program.
I think it's possible for the area and student size to support a D1-AA school, but you make a good point. It would be incredibly expensive to make that move and I don't think the price would be worth it.
I think people in Florence do a great job of supporting UNA. I also think that support would still be there if they stayed in D II or went to D I-AA. UNA is fine where they are for now, so since it's not broke, why fix it?
As long as the students, fans, alumni, and boosters are happy, that's all that matters.