Archive for February, 2012

After blogging yesterday about Georgia State’s FBS feasibility study and how the Panthers have some leverage because of its media position, I thought it important to tell you the markets.

So here are the top-10 media markets, according to Digital Syndicate Network. Below each I’ve added a few of the football-playing colleges that are in that area or close to that area. I reason that if there’s more expansion by the conferences, they might target non-BCS schools that have some regional familiarity with these markets. These schools might be Georgia State’s competition for a spot, depending upon the conference and its needs:

1. New York

2. Los Angeles

3. Chicago

4. Philadelphia

Villanova

5. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose

6. Dallas-Fort Worth

UTSA, Texas State, North Texas

7. Boston

8. Washington D.C.

Towson, James Madison, Old Dominion (though it’s a regional stretch)

9. Atlanta

Georgia State, Georgia Southern (like ODU, a regional stretch).

10. Houston

UTSA, Texas State, …

Continue reading So what are the top-10 markets? »

Georgia State doesn’t need tradition to eventually succeed on college football’s highest levels, according to Russell Wright, the managing director of Collegiate Consulting, the Atlanta-based company that conducted an FBS feasibility study for the university.

Though the Panthers have played football as an FCS-level team for the past two years, including 3-8 last year, he said they have two things going for them: the university is based in Atlanta, the ninth-largest market in the country, and it has such a large student enrollment. Because the university has more than 30,000 students, more than $16 million of its $22 million in the revenues listed in the report come from student  fees. He said that financial support is an important plus, outweighing the barbs of those who have asked why Georgia State would conduct the study so soon after starting football. Athletic director Cheryl Levick has declined to comment on the study.

“The quality of competition doesn’t matter at …

Continue reading Author of FBS study likes Georgia State’s position »

First, some of you, citing coach Bill Curry’s yet-to-be-decided contract status, have suggested a coach-in-waiting hire for the defensive coordinator position. Personally, I’ve never been a fan. Curry and athletic director Cheryl Levick aren’t either. They’ve said so in the past. It doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but I’d be surprised.
Now….
Here’s an interesting note for you, furnished by Georgia State’s sports information department.

Before we get to the note, I must point out I have no way of knowing if this will be a record because I can’t find any evidence that anything like this has ever been monitored.

With that said, Georgia State’s baseball team could do something that’s never been been seen before (like I said, no way of knowing for sure) on Wednesday. What they could do is so odd I can’t even think of a name for it, so I’ll just describe it.

Freshman pitcher Max Schmitz, who is 6-7 and 200 pounds, will face USC Upstate’s David Palladino, who is 6-9, 250 pounds.

I …

Continue reading Baseball Titans will Clash »

John Thompson he is not happy to be leaving as Georgia State’s defensive coordinator, but he is excited to get to go home to Arkansas and join friend Gus Malzahn at Arkansas State.

Thompson, an Arkansas native, joined coach Bill Curry’s first staff  as defensive coordinator in 2008. He resigned on Saturday to take over the same job with the Red Wolves.

“Nothing here had anything to do with me going,” Thompson said. “It was all about the situation there and where it is, what it is.”

Curry said he is happy for him.

“It was just something he couldn’t turn down,”  Curry said. “I don’t blame him at all and I’m very pleased. Like everyone else he came as an act of faith and has worked hard to get us to this point.”

Curry said Thompson’s decision may affect the team’s plans to install a different defensive scheme, a 4-2-5, to replace the various systems used last year when the Panthers gave up 31.2 points and 403.3 yards per game. The Panthers begin spring practice on March …

Continue reading Thompson leaves GSU; Curry will interview Midget »

Georgia State defeated William and Mary 64-60 on Saturday in Williamsburg, Va.

The victory was the Panthers’ 20th this season, a feat accomplished just three times previously in school history and not since the 2003-04 season.

First-year coach Ron Hunter was understandably happy afterward.

“I felt like the past week and a half I put so much pressure on myself and the team to get it,” Hunter said. “To be able to get it, when it’s only happened three times, and you walk in and get it done. It’s a credit to the assistants and the players.

“To me, [the win] justifies so much. The high school games I missed of my son’s, my daughter and spending time with her, it justifies so much. But it’s the most ecstatic I’ve seen the lockerroom in a long time.”

Sixth-seeded Georgia State will next play 11th-seeded Hofstra in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament at 8:30 p.m. Friday in Richmond.

Good

Devonta White. He scored 22 points, …

Continue reading The good and bad of Georgia State’s win over William and Mary »

Georgia State will begin spring football practice on March 6.

While that’s still several days away, here’s something to tide you over: the pre-spring depth chart.

I would caution not to read too much into these things. There’s still a lot of practices between now and the season-opener against South Carolina State at the Georgia Dome.

But, it’s such a beautiful, go-outside-and-play-football type of  day, here you go. I’ll hope you post your thoughts in the comment section (starting with first-string on down):

Quarterback

Kelton Hill

Bo Schlechter

Ben McLane

Running back

Donald Russell

Travis Evans

Parris Lee

Malcolm Smith

Rendell Wilder

Duvall Smimth

Rosevelt Watson

Wide receiver

Albert Wilson

Nathaniel Minor

Bo Carter

Mark Young

Wide receiver

Danny Williams

Lynquez Blair

Zach Jones

Joshua Jackson

Wide receiver

Jordan Giles

Darren McCray

Jabrill Hightower

Daniel King

Tight end

Emmanuel Ogbuehi

Drew Pearson

Alex Smith

Left tackle

Ulrick John

Gabriel Hampton

Nick Nesmith

Left …

Continue reading Georgia State’s depth chart…Go! »

Georgia State was defeated by Old Dominion 65-60 in overtime on Wednesday at the Sports Arena. The loss prevented the Panthers from winning their 20th game this season, a feat that coach Ron Hunter wanted to accomplish in front of the home fans. The Panthers will get another chance when they play at William and Mary on Saturday.

Georgia State also lost a chance at earning the fourth seed in the upcoming Colonial Athletic Association.

Here’s the Bad and the Good of Wednesday’s loss. I’m going to switch it around and do bad first because the bad was a bit more severe than usual.

The bad

The flu. Hunter coached with it, and Eric Buckner played with it. Hunter said he can’t believe Buckner played. He still finished with seven points, 10 rebounds and six blocks. He now has 104 in  his career and became just the sixth player in conference history to achieve the 100-block milestone.

The rebounding. Georgia State gave up a season-high 52 rebounds, including an amazing 25 offensive …

Continue reading The good and bad of GSU’s loss to Old Dominion »

Georgia State defensive coordinator John Thompson has been approached by Arkansas State about its defensive coordinator position, coach Bill Curry said today. In addition, George Pugh, an assistant head coach in charge of recruiting and the wide receivers, has been approached by East Carolina about a coaching position.

Curry said he doesn’t know how the pursuits will turn out. Thompson and Pugh were in Georgia State’s offices this afternoon.

“As long as I know what’s going on, if it’s offered and they want it, I’ll help them get it,” Curry said.

Thompson is in his fourth year at Georgia State. He is a native of Arkansas and played two seasons as a defensive back at Central Arkansas. He has also coached at Arkansas.

Pugh, also in his fourth year, recruits the Atlanta area for Georgia State.

Georgia State’s staff has stayed intact this offseason, which Curry said surprised him.

Gus Malzahn is in his first year as coach at Arkansas State after three years as Auburn’s offensive …

Continue reading Thompson, Pugh approached by other schools »

Here are a few more bits of information from the report commissioned by Georgia State as it explores the possibility of playing FBS (or Division I-A football):

1. First off, this is just a report to give those at GSU information. The only recommendation it makes is that the Sun Belt would be a good fit and that GSU is well-positioned to make a move to an FBS conference, should it receive an invitation. That’s the key.

What you should know: Georgia State can’t simply apply to the NCAA to move up to the FBS level without agreeing to join a FBS conference. The deadline to apply is June 1, with application materials to the NCAA by May 25. If GSU receives no invite, and therefore can’t apply, it must wait another year. Applying this year would allow GSU to  play a FBS schedule by 2014. Waiting a year would put it at 2015, etc.

2. The report is 20 pages and built mostly from database and web searches. There was no travel stipend included for the authors, Collegiate Consulting.

What …

Continue reading 10 things you should know from Georgia State’s FBS report »

Georgia State could join Georgia Tech and Georgia as FBS playing members by 2014-15.

Georgia State’s athletics department commissioned a report that explores the expenses and revenues from moving from the FCS, where Georgia State currently plays, to the FBS, which features bowls games and the BCS. The report concludes that “GSU is well-positioned to make a transition to FBS” and “that the Sun Belt would be the best fit.” A copy of a draft of the report, along with the contract between Georgia State and the authors, Atlanta-based Collegiate Consulting, was obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution through the Freedom of Information Act. The report cost $20,000.

Athletic director Cheryl Levick said that no decisions have been made and that Georgia State hasn’t received any invitation from any conferences. She declined to comment on the details of the report, which focuses on the financial aspects if  GSU were to be invited to join the Big East, Conference USA, Sun …

Continue reading Updated: Georgia State well-positioned to move to FBS »