App State fans and supporters can reach out to Director of Athletics
Doug Gillin with questions regarding App State Athletics. Please submit questions via email at
AskTheAD@appstate.edu.
MARCH 2020 – ASK THE A.D.
I have a few questions about the north end zone facility: 1. Will it be named after someone or something significant to App State? 2. Will seating be on one or two levels? 3. Will there be some kind of tunnel or entrance from the facility for the team to take the field from the new locker rooms?
There are several naming opportunities related to the end zone facility and other athletics facilities. As of now, we have not named the end zone facility, but we will before it opens, and anyone interested in naming opportunities can contact the Yosef Club at 828-262-3108.
There will be one level of club seating (picture attached). The team will run out to the field from the new end zone facility once they have moved into their new locker room for the 2021 season, but we are still working on specifically how that will look.
Outside of football, what goals do you have for other App State sports over the next five years?
For all of our 20 intercollegiate sports, we adhere to our core values of academic integrity, social responsibility, competitive excellence and a world-class experience as we seek to sustain comprehensive excellence.
The next step for many of our sports is to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Women's basketball, softball and volleyball all made postseason play last year, and we continue to send individuals to the NCAA Wrestling Championships every year, so we're trending in the right direction.
To give each sport the best chance to succeed, we will continue to work to fully fund scholarships with help from donations to the Yosef Club and increased membership through drives like the Each 1 Reach 1 initiative. We'll also continue to enhance the student-athlete experience by putting more resources into the areas of health and well-being, academic support, recruiting and facilities, as we are able to fund them.
Is App State receiving compensation with the 2021 game against East Carolina in Charlotte being moved from Saturday, Sept. 4, to Thursday, Sept. 2?
When the possibility of Clemson and Georgia playing on that Saturday began to gain steam, we entered into talks with the Charlotte Sports Foundation and renegotiated a contract that is beneficial to App State.
We're excited about the opportunity to open the 2021 college football season against the Pirates in Charlotte, and the biggest way to make this deal impactful for App State is by attending the game. For this event to be as successful as we'd like, it's imperative that App State fans buy tickets and create a homefield advantage in Charlotte.
Given the cost of living in Boone and rising prices, is App State Athletics doing anything to help student-athletes who live off campus?
We are continually monitoring trends and how they affect the student-athlete experience. In both recruiting student-athletes and staff, the cost of living in Boone is something we discuss.
In an effort to give our student-athletes the best experience possible, we've increased our nutrition budget to go along with an enhanced AppFuel station to give them more access to on-campus meals and snacks than they've ever had. With the new
recreational village being constructed right next to Kidd Brewer Stadium, on-campus housing will improve for the entire student body.
Thanks to everyone for your support. Go Mountaineers!
