By Russell Varner
SouthernPigskin.com

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Appalachian State is an FCS powerhouse. Can they compete for championships at the FBS level?

In honor of Brett Favre’s mock ‘Nike Rise’ commercial that I finally saw today for the first time (and because I think it’s one of the best commercials ever), I decided to do my own version of it, this time centered around Appalachian State’s feasibility study on moving up to the FBS.

What should App do?

Should they move up to the FBS and leave the SoCon and the FCS behind?

Should they remind you that they’ve done this before? In 1998, the school did a similar study to the one they conducted this past September, but ultimately decided against it.

Should I give you a history lesson? In the unlikely event you need it, Appalachian State has dominated Southern Conference and FCS football for the past six years. They won three consecutive national championships from 2005 to 2007. They have led the FCS in attendance the past three years. They helped put the FCS on the map with their 34-32 victory over Michigan at the Big House in what was one of the biggest upsets in American sports history.

Should the Mountaineers tell you how much fun we had? How much they loved the challenge of facing everyone’s best week in and week out and still coming out on top the vast majority of the time? Or how they gave us legends like Jerry Moore and Armanti Edwards?

Should App really believe they ruined their legacy? No. There’s no reason to think that at all. Really, I just included this because this part of LeBron’s commercial makes me laugh.

Wanna see their shiny trophies? Three national championships and 16 SoCon championships, including six consecutive conference titles?

Should they tell you ‘I am not a role model? If App isn’t a role model for how a football program can be run to succeed at the highest level of FCS play, then I don’t know what is.

Should App accept my role as the villain? There may be those who would be mad at App for leaving. Or just happy to see them go. Either way, the Mountaineers shouldn’t worry too much about how other people view them.

Maybe they should just disappear. Whether they leave or not, it is impossible to erase the mark Appalachian State has left on the conference. So it is impossible for them to just disappear. Their recent run will be remembered among the all-time greats in SoCon history.

What should App do?

What should they do? As much as it pains me to say this because I would love to see them stay in the Southern Conference, they should try to move up if they can. They have the facilities. They have the talent. They have the fan base. Things are a lot different now than they were in 1998. I’ll copy what numerous others have said on message boards across the internet: if App can, go for it. They’ve accomplished everything that can be accomplished on the FCS level. They are as high as they can be, but they have reached a ceiling. The only way they can continue to rise would be to make the jump.

The biggest problem with the move is where would App go? With major conference realignments on the rise, there should be openings in a conference somewhere for a football powerhouse like the Mountaineers. Most likely options would include the Sun Belt and Conference USA.

I’d love to see them go to C-USA and start a rivalry with East Carolina and maybe UNC Charlotte if/when they make the jump to the FBS, but that is very unlikely at the moment. The Mountaineers would have to survive a few years as an independent or in a lower conference (the more likely option). There are also rumors that the NCAA may try to put a limit on the number of teams jumping from the FCS to the FBS, which would present a major road block in App’s path. Where’s hoping the corrupt system that is the NCAA doesn’t make such a decision.

So to recap:

What should App do? Jump now and take their talents to the FBS.