The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Allow me on this bright Christmas morn (well, it was morn when I started) to expand my thoughts a little more:

* Results mean something, and the way they were accomplished mean something as well. The way some people here were talking, a game against NSU should be seen the same way that I presume NSU fans saw their game against Mid-Atlantic Christian. An 11-point win in which ODU trailed with less than eight minutes left doesn't mean that the two programs are on equal footing, but it also doesn't provide much support for the idea that NSU is beneath even cursory notice. It's in the same neighborhood as the argument that CUSA is somehow to blame for ODU not being good enough to win CUSA; Gonzaga probably and rightfully feels it's miles above the non-St. Mary's/BYU competition in the WCC, but they also rarely lose to those other programs. If a Gonzaga fan told me that they team shouldn't be sullied by having to share a floor with Portland or Pepperdine while they had a .500 record against those teams in the past five years, I'd laugh at them.

* Whatever you might think of Norfolk State as a program, they and Hampton should have at least some elevated status as an OOC foe based on their proximity. ODU plays William and Mary all the time. ODU frequently plays a regional D2 or D3 in the preseason. We complain about the far-flung nature of CUSA, but also complain about the regional nature of the OOC, when the two are pretty obviously related. ODU should be playing a regional-heavy OOC because those schools have the most brand recognition and alumni presence and thus generate more interest than an equivalent school 1,500 miles away. NSU and Hampton have a role to play in the ODU OOC and should continue to have one (if Christopher Newport ever elevates to D1, then I'd include them as well).

Does that mean that ODU-Norfolk State should be a permanent neutral-site game with an even distribution of tickets? I wasn't at the Scope game so I can't speak to the atmosphere and logistics, but at least in theory I like the idea of the two D1 programs in the city, separated by five miles, facing off in the city arena. If it doesn't work as is, maybe it can be reworked going forward. If not, then maybe it's an idea better left on paper than put in practice (I think they had the same idea when they moved the ODU-VCU series to the Hampton Coliseum back in the 90s — I was there for two of those games and it definitely wasn't the same. Maybe if Phish played the halftime show ...)

* As for that, y'know, OTHER thing:

First off, I'm not calling anyone racist. I don't call anyone anything; it's who I E-am. (Well, maybe I make fun of DavidSt for trying to move half of D2 into the WAC and Big South and making the AAC a 44-team monstrosity, but that's just its own ball of wax). I was making two points:

1. (and the point that Adopted Monarch sussed out quickly): ODU and other programs in their position can't complain about the power programs disrespecting them and not treating them fairly, then turn around and rattle off a laundry list of programs that they shouldn't even have to know exist. It is, if nothing else, maddingly inconsistent. How can you get haughty about playing a low-major program while then rising up with fists because VT and UVa. won't schedule ODU? That doesn't mean that you should schedule a nickel tour of America's Greatest Sub-300 RPI Basketball Programs for an OOC, but it's certainly no harm to have a few easier opponents as warmups. Everyone buys tomato cans in the OOC; some get theirs from Whole Foods, others get theirs from the damaged-goods basket at Tinee Giant, but nobody is above it.

2. (the more controversial point): You can absolutely say that ODU shouldn't play MEAC and SWAC schools and not be a racist. I don't think ODU should bring in SWAC schools, but that's because I don't see the point in buy games against teams near or west of the Mississippi for ODU — with exceedingly rare exceptions based on opponent quality, I don't think they should bring in Summit, Big Sky, Southland or WAC schools either. As for the MEAC: I do again think that NSU and Hampton are exceptions based on proximity and relationships, and quite frankly I'd rather watch ODU play N.C. Central than any of the lesser lights in CUSA, but while I don't see the harm in Maryland-Eastern Shore coming in for a bodybag game, I wouldn't go out of my way for them either.

BUT, and this is the big but (phrasing): If your argument is that the MEAC and SWAC are the ONLY conferences that ODU shouldn't schedule in D1, you have to admit, that's troubling optics. Even acknowledging that they're the worst two RPI conferences this season:
a) RPI as a way to measure conference quality is less than perfect [unless you really think CUSA with Middle Tennessee and UAB was the 24th best conference the past two seasons],
b) it's not particularly fair to the MEAC, which is consistently better than the SWAC in the major sports,
c) the difference between the 31st-best conference and, I dunno, the 28th-best conference is measurable to RPI and Warren Nolan but not as much to the naked eye. Is playing a mediocre team from one really that much better than playing one from the other?
d) the best teams in those conferences [NC Central and maybe Texas Southern, which God bless 'em, they're nothing if not battle tested this season] are going to be better than a lot of schools in more "acceptable" conferences.

If you think ODU shouldn't play MEAC and SWAC schools because ODU shouldn't play games against low-majors in general, I get it and to a degree I agree (understanding that tomato-can games are necessary and invoking the NSU/Hampton local-tie and NC Central quality-opponent exception). If you think ODU shouldn't play MEAC and SWAC schools but are OK with them playing literally anyone else in Division 1, including sub-300 schools from the Big South, WAC, Big Sky and Atlantic Sun, then at BEST that's a ****** look.

I'd go on, but it's nearly 1 p.m. on Christmas Day and I'm not even close to being drunk.