tyndal23 wrote: ↑June 14th, 2022, 4:16 pm
rtb72 wrote: ↑June 14th, 2022, 3:35 pm
tyndal23 wrote: ↑June 14th, 2022, 3:22 pm
ECU has a large G5 fickle fan base.
App St has a passionate fan base with local support but geographically challenged to ever grow much more.
Charlotte has a great tv market and metro with a few rich alumni who will pour $ in, but a lot of local competition vying for the same eyeballs and butts in seats.
LU is none of the above and trying to emulate any of them is a mistake.
ECU has a history and passionate (what you might call fickle) fan base. If you think App isn't becoming more expansive and is geographically challenged with respect to their fanbase...you might want to touch base with many of the fans at games who travel 3+ hours routinely on home games. Several live in my area. Their ceiling is far from being reached, and they are positioning themselves well in recruiting. Agreed on competition in Charlotte market...and the 49ers are far from the top in that arena. Not sure LU is trying emulate them...
ECU - when they win stands are full. When is the last time you saw a sellout there? I don’t know, just last few years every game I saw was woefully unattended.
App St - is my point - they have a passionate fan base that travels an hour more than average team, ( LU does not - local support is not there and most alum are from out of state - more than 3 hours ). What makes you say App will get much bigger in population or tv market ? Population isn’t going to explode, they are successful every year so if anything, mediocre seasons will hurt them.
Based on their trend, they are clearly continuing to grow. They have established themselves, and there is no indication they won't continue to establish themselves in this state and the surrounding states. Population has nothing to do with it if the product is worthwhile. They had home games at away venues this past year (UNC-Charlotte being one). They travel very well, especially in NC and surrounding. When it comes to their FB program...money is no issue. And with their conference, a mediocre year or trend would be short lived. As for ECU, they've had a few down years, but every year, their poor fanbase continue to have faith, whether it's with new coaches, recruits, or whatever. If anything, App has a brighter future IMHO. As for LU...winning, recruiting, and turning out products like MW will help. Additionally, I speculate the footprint for LU will grow exponentially over the next decade as more and more parents see what the general "higher education" systems are becoming. This is speculation and personal projection on my part of course, but in my area alone, grads heading to LU has increased significantly. I've taken numerous prospect students and their parents to games to show them around in the past five years, because the name "Liberty University" had become more and more common. Ten years ago, people would ask me where Liberty was, and it was only two hours from where I live. I now have random conversations with strangers in public about LU when I go out with gear on. For the first time I can ever remember, I see college recruiters at college/career fairs in the Piedmont Triad.
It's not going to happen overnight, but the potential is there. As far as size. I don't think Blacksburg and Charlottesville are exactly metropolises. Sure, they have identity....but when it comes to Lynchburg, from what I've seen Liberty is the first thing folks see and think of when they think of Lynchburg, Va. I'd say the same is true with Boone, Greenville, Blacksburg, and Charlottesville. I mean, we are still a very young university, and look how far we have come. The other institutions have had many more decades than we have, but I don't see us anywhere near our ceiling. So long as we pony up and "light'em up". Just my take...