In a 178-page report, consultant William C. Carr presented a recommendation concerning Appalachian State remaining a Division I-AA football program. 

“Our recommendation to you is to maintain the I-AA classification,” said Carr, as quoted in The Watauga Democrat.  “That’s not your decision.  It is just our recommendation.” 

“Across the board, income is the issue,” said Carr, as quoted in The Winston-Salem Journal. 

Carr revealed in his presentation that I-AA football programs lose approximately $484,000 per year. 

According to The Watauga Democrat, he stated that in the 1996-97 season, ASU reported $571,595 in revenue, while it lost $1.17 million in football expenses.  That was a deficit of $601,820, Carr said. 

This trend of losing money on football seasons would continue if ASU moved to a I-A program, Carr projected. 

“...The most compelling thing about I-A is that you could lose less (money),” he said. 

Carr also gave suggestions for a move to I-A which included, according to The Watauga Democrat: 

•implementing the recommendations listed in his report to achieve an optimal level of function for I-AA football; 
•striving to increase the average attendance at home football games to 14,000 (I-A minimum is 17,000); 
•developing an annual fund structure for athletics that increases the number of donors and amount of contributions to above $1 million.

Last April, Carr gave the same recommendation to Troy State, which made the decision to become I-A despite his analysis.  “They said, ‘Thank you, very much,’ walked out the door, and at the next meeting, voted to go I-A,” Carr said in The Winston-Salem Journal. 

The recommendation did not come without comment, however.  The ASU study committee met for over four hours discussing the recommendation. 

The committee will meet again at a later date to further discuss the recommendation. 

The Appalachian will continue to cover the story.