(04-30-2013 12:40 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote: (04-30-2013 12:31 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote: If the MAC goes to 14 with Delaware instead of JMU and CUSA isnt adding any more, than JMU will go football only to the SBC. That is definitely plausible.
Why would you go to 14? Divides up the money and saddles you with another moveup. I'd make UMASS sign a grant of rights before I tried to add a team to help them. Although Harrisonburg is a LOONG way from Amherst. I'm not sure how JMU "helps" balance UMass.
JMU wants to play in CUSA. If you take them, get ready for another Marshall situation. Or UCF situation.
I think you guys got stuck with UMass because you tried to help out who really wanted to play elsewhere (Temple). Temple left anyway. UMass will too, if they get good enough to warrent an AAC bid.
UMass is a no win situation for the MAC. If they don't suck, they'll leave. And if they show a pulse and some attendence, they'll get a bid to go somewhere else. And if you take a moveup to 'help' them out, you might get stuck with a team you probably didn't want anyway.
The Belt took Denver to balance out NMSU. It was a mistake (NMSU then left). CUSA took ODU and UNCC to balance out ECU. ECU then left (it remains to be seen if those were good ads, but I think CUSA would rather have ASU and ULL at this point). You guys took UMass to balance out Temple.
UD is about as likely to move up at this point as Sam Houston. Maybe in 4 or 5 years, but right now.....nah.
No doubt in my mind that JMU would first choice rather be in the CUSA or both SBC and MAC.
Why would we want to go to 14? Well the cow is already out of the barn with UMass at 13, our contract states we can not force UMass out of the MAC, only exercise a clause to put them on a 2-year term in which we are forced to also offer them all-sports membership at the same time. At that point UMass would have 2-years to decide to leave or join all-in. All the MAC can do is start the clock and say leave or join all in but ultimately per contract the MAC can't force them to leave, only force them to become all out or all in. Nobody knows if that clock has already started sometime after Temple left. Therefore if we are stuck with 13, we will want 14 to balance the divisions.
"IF" the MAC is going to 14 (see above), THEN, their have been rumors for sometime and statements from Kent State's President that at least one Virginia school is tops on our list (this was before ODU joined CUSA). Delaware newspaper has said they have at least studied joining the MAC but they keep their thoughts close to their vest. JMU and Delaware are thought to be #14 with UMass getting to pick "IF" they were to come in all-sports.
My speculation is neither of them really want to join FBS but understand that FCS and CAA has now changed with VCU, Mason, App St. GSU, all making their moves. It makes sense that JMU is stalling the SBC in any scenario as they have a couple options and are weighing them. Maybe SBC is their best choice after they weigh them. Not sure. My assumptions were that JMU associated more to the north than south and ODU associated more to the south than north. But thats another discussion.
I think the MAC, SBC, Delaware, JMU, and any other SBC expansion candidates are all waiting on UMass to make a decision.
The JFowler CBS sports rumor of the MAC looking into a GoR also suggests that UMass is in play because as you mentioned the MAC would not bring in UMass unless it was for a length of time. Somebody like Delaware would also feel more comfortable with a GoR to ensure them that UMass wouldn't abandon them like Temple did to UMass. There is also speculation of the GoR to expand our MAC Digital Network platform.
Who knows, we should hear more come out in the next month or so I think.
