South Alabama

[NT91]

9-0

We should have them open the new Fouts in 2011.

[NT03]

They are a very good football team and will continue to improve. I don't see them being like wKu and struggling out of the gate. I wouldn't be surprised if they start out with 2 or 3 wins in the Belt their very 1st year of play

[oldguystudent]

It's so hard to judge with the teams they're playing. They were literally playing high schools last year, and have moved up to FCS this year. I asked on the sunbelt board once, but it got buried. How does their program work? How do they get to play such an odd schedule before finally moving up to full FBS membership? I recall UC Santa Barbara was forced to drop their football program in 1990 because they were playing a D2 schedule with an otherwise D1 athletic department. Does South Alabama get some sort of exemption because they're just starting the program? I've tried googling this, but I've gotten no answers.

[Green Mean]

They may be different but I think anybody making a jump to FBS will always have trouble no matter what. It is a very big jump and even for South Alabama they will probably struggle mightily the first few years.

[foutsrouts]

They may be different but I think anybody making a jump to FBS will always have trouble no matter what. It is a very big jump and even for South Alabama they will probably struggle mightily the first few years.

Not USF.

http://michigan-football.com/ncaa/f/sflorida.htm

[Green Mean]

Not USF.

http://michigan-foot.../f/sflorida.htm

They are more of the exception, not the rule. Now South Alabama could be different but I still expect a lot of growing pains the first few years.

[foutsrouts]

They are more of the exception, not the rule. Now South Alabama could be different but I still expect a lot of growing pains the first few years.

Marshall, UAB, UCF, and last night's opponent all transitioned pretty well for the most part, so I guess it's one of those things that you just never know.

[stebo]

Marshall, UAB, UCF, and last night's opponent all transitioned pretty well for the most part, so I guess it's one of those things that you just never know.

I think that the thread is referring to a start up program. Last year was USA's first "year" to play games - they played all prep schools and one Div II school. This year they moved to a harder schedule - mostly FCS teams with a couple of Div II teams scattered about. Next year will be the first transition year - they will play a Div I schedule next year with a few FCS games (but mostly FBS). 2012 will be the second and final transition year - 2013 will be the first year as a Belt member. They have never lost a game. They are averaging over 20K in attendance this year (and averaged over 24K last year playing prep/high school teams. They beat UC-Davis on the road, a week after UC-Davis beat FBS WAC member San Jose State. I think that they are doing it right - they are not rushing into anything... they are building this program slowly and with the right mix of winnable games/competitive games.

As for opening the new stadium with USA? Heck no! They haven't lost a game yet (in two years!) and I would be thoroughly embarrased to have them extend that winning streak in Denton, lol.