If C-USA expands to 16 I would ask App State and JMU to join but that most likely wont happen for now

(05-12-2012 12:40 AM)Dukes09 Wrote:  I hope for that too. I would also be content joining the Mac.
Jmu's admin needs to realize from the odu example that if vcu and gmu get football, they also will be fast tracked to FBS potentially due to their markets. There needs to be a smart sense of urgency.

George Mason any closer to adding football ?? Lived right down the road from GMU and know they have been talking about Football since the late 80's. I think if JMU moves up to FBS that they will do well. Would like to see ECU and JMU play each other in Football sometime in the future. Would be a nice road trip for our fans. I have made many a road trip to JMU to visit friends and back in the old CAA days to watch ECU play Basketball and Baseball.

Thanks for the kind words. It's a shame jmu and ecu have never met in football in our histories. If the cusa is serious and becoming competitive and not just grabbing every city they can find on a map, then jmu and app state should be among the top of their list for 15 and 16.

That would be a fun conference to be a part of with a lot of regional rivalries.

I guess we are about to find out what JMU has been up to or not up to with the reported pending move of VCU to the A-10. Hopefully we are either in the CUSA with ODU or in the MAC as a football only member or full sports member. If and when ODU leaves, JMU has to move up, I seriously doubt it wants to be second to ODU after building a 25,000 seat stadium and having an increase in better athletes.

(05-13-2012 04:42 PM)ShoreBuc Wrote:  

(05-12-2012 12:40 AM)Dukes09 Wrote:  I hope for that too. I would also be content joining the Mac.
Jmu's admin needs to realize from the odu example that if vcu and gmu get football, they also will be fast tracked to FBS potentially due to their markets. There needs to be a smart sense of urgency.

George Mason any closer to adding football ?? Lived right down the road from GMU and know they have been talking about Football since the late 80's. I think if JMU moves up to FBS that they will do well. Would like to see ECU and JMU play each other in Football sometime in the future. Would be a nice road trip for our fans. I have made many a road trip to JMU to visit friends and back in the old CAA days to watch ECU play Basketball and Baseball.

Mason has done studies on it and has club football that has been popular but they have stated they are focused on academics not athletics. Plus they would need to build a stadium and they aren't that committed. VCU would add football before Mason.

(05-14-2012 11:21 AM)Old Dominion Navy Wrote:  

(05-13-2012 04:42 PM)ShoreBuc Wrote:  

(05-12-2012 12:40 AM)Dukes09 Wrote:  I hope for that too. I would also be content joining the Mac.
Jmu's admin needs to realize from the odu example that if vcu and gmu get football, they also will be fast tracked to FBS potentially due to their markets. There needs to be a smart sense of urgency.

George Mason any closer to adding football ?? Lived right down the road from GMU and know they have been talking about Football since the late 80's. I think if JMU moves up to FBS that they will do well. Would like to see ECU and JMU play each other in Football sometime in the future. Would be a nice road trip for our fans. I have made many a road trip to JMU to visit friends and back in the old CAA days to watch ECU play Basketball and Baseball.

Mason has done studies on it and has club football that has been popular but they have stated they are focused on academics not athletics. Plus they would need to build a stadium and they aren't that committed. VCU would add football before Mason.

As a Mason graduate, I hope they never add scholarship football.

I would absolutely hate if Mason or VCU started football. The amount of D1 football programs is plenty in VA and should stay at that number.

Now that VCU is moving, and ODU probably moving, wondering how this effects JMU.

Just makes their current situation start being a little less desirable. If ODU leaves the CAA, then JMU's heels will be on fire.

It does and now that VCU to A10 is official, the CAA has taken a big hit, and will more than likely take another big hit in June if and when ODU leaves for CUSA. I know people scoff at JMU to CUSA idea, but I really do think that happens, especially when ODU is announced, maybe not right away, but soon.

JMU spends about $31 million a year on athletics http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/s...54955804/1

(05-07-2012 12:15 PM)jmufan Wrote:  The MAC, CUSA, or SBC?

CUSA would be the best option for JMU, especially if ODU does makes the jump. CUSA has stated that they could go to 16. Could number 15 and 16 be JMU and MTSU? In the mid-Atlantic region you would have Marshall, JMU, ODU, ECU, Charlotte, and just outside MTSU. All within driving distance.

SBC if it does add AppSt and NMSU, would be another conference that I think JMU could live with, given the rivalry it has with AppST.

The MAC would be a good fit and the conference has some good schools within it. The problem, JMU would probably have to go in it alone. I seriously doubt UD would make the jump. However, JMU does have a history playing UMASS.

On the market thing, JMU does deliver DC, if it didn't does anyone think that Dan Snyder would approve of a JMU/WVU game at FedEx if it didn't think JMU could deliver its side of the field?

What do all of you think?

I would be for for JMU,and Liberty

JMU came out today with a statement of complacency. Looks like their massive spending isn't a sign that they want to be in the FBS, but rather that they just like to waste money. No other way to put it when they build half of a stadium for $60 million and now want to build a new basketball arena for even more money in a league where the teams that are left don't spend half as much as they do.

(05-17-2012 04:20 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  JMU came out today with a statement of complacency. Looks like their massive spending isn't a sign that they want to be in the FBS, but rather that they just like to waste money. No other way to put it when they build half of a stadium for $60 million and now want to build a new basketball arena for even more money in a league where the teams that are left don't spend half as much as they do.

Well they didnt have an invite what else they could say?


I wouldnt read everything into overall budget. Some schools are including all student fees drawn but are returning the unused portion of those fees once expenses are met.

(05-17-2012 04:38 PM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  Well they didnt have an invite what else they could say?

That they would be interested in an invite, or that they were open to new opportunities given the changing athletics environment, or something along those lines.

(05-17-2012 04:38 PM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  I wouldnt read everything into overall budget. Some schools are including all student fees drawn but are returning the unused portion of those fees once expenses are met.

Some schools do that but JMU is spending every last penny, and then asking for donations to cover the rest, on BCS-caliber facilities. Their fans took that spending as a sign that JMU was interested in moving up the sports ladder, and supported it. Now that it's clear that JMU was only building stuff for the heck of it, or to have outlandishly expensive and lavish facilities for a conference like the CAA, they are on the verge of outright revolt.

Yeap, that letter was really depressing. But hopefully, that was smoke and mirrors.

http://jamesmadison.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1366572

Quote:It turns out James Madison has gotten a nibble or two from other conferences, as the Colonial Athletic Association loses its appeal quicker than an "American Idol" champion.

Two leagues have contacted JMU to gauge the university's interest. One was expected: The Mid-American Conference, a stable group of mostly 20,000-plus enrollment schools. One wasn't expected: The Western Athletic Conference, a league that makes the Big East look normal.

Yes, the MAC and the WAC.

Madison, for the record, has zero interest in the latter. Even if the WAC succeeded in collecting enough mid-level schools (think the JMUs and Delawares) to form an East Coast branch, the idea of sending its volleyball team to Idaho or New Mexico State - the only current members that haven't announced their intentions of moving elsewhere - is a non-starter for Madison officials.

The MAC? That's a different story. If Delaware and Appalachian State came along, some JMU officials would be highly interested in the conference. But - for the millionth time - it all depends what new president Jonathan Alger wants to do after he assumes office on July 1.

Alger needs to do something with urgency, he will get hit with a storm of livid fans that just received news that jmu has talked with at least 3 conferences and turned away any further discussion.
The athletic admin needs to clean house and they need to start with Jeff bourne and Charlie king, vp of finance and unofficial, true AD.

Not in CUSA. JMU in the MAC may not be a bad idea. They are definitely not ready for CUSA.

(05-17-2012 07:28 PM)jmufan Wrote:  http://jamesmadison.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1366572

Quote:Two leagues have contacted JMU to gauge the university's interest. One was expected: The Mid-American Conference, a stable group of mostly 20,000-plus enrollment schools. One wasn't expected: The Western Athletic Conference, a league that makes the Big East look normal.

Yes, the MAC and the WAC.

Madison, for the record, has zero interest in the latter.

If JMU wants to be FBS, they can't dismiss the WAC so easily. If the WAC is allowed to fail, FBS will be down to 10 conferences. There are now 127 FBS + transitional teams. That's 12.7 teams per conference. That's a very dangerous number if you're waiting for an opening. Only 1 conference had more than 12 football teams last year. Put the WAC back in play, and that's at least 10 more seats on the last train out of FCS-ville. JMU can make that train, but the WAC needs commitments right now. The other trains might not be making a stop in Harrisonburg.