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

Okay fellas, After recent rumors about realignment i just wanted to feel the pulse of conference mates mostly western and have visited fellow member schools private message boards and this is what i saw while sometimes not apparent its written all over there.Its mostly fans like us while their opinions aren't directly heard in the athletic departments of respective schools they are entitled to have an opinion and voice them because they are damn message boards and thats what we do.
Rice,Utep,Utsa and Unt want to bolt for MWC or even AAC if they get a chance. It looks like its only matter of time they see themselves separating from the conference. Like wife and husband who wanted to divorce but have to stay together since neither of them can afford the fees.
With CUSA being texas centered do you foresee it becoming an eastern conference in the future. Is CUSA where we wanted to be in the next 20 years or do you see any realistic chance of us moving to AAC and/or ACC.

I'm sure some of the board members who are UTEP, Rice, UNT, and UTSA fans want to bolt CUSA for "greener pastures." Of those four I would say UTEP would probably find a way out before any of the others if Hawa'ii ever drops football. Rice might be appealing in a Tulane-kind-of-way, and their athletics are much better as a whole; problem is they would be market repetative for the AAC (U. Houston.) UTSA seems attractive, and have a unique market, but do not add much for basketball. UNT has good football history, good facilities, but seems stagnant, and would also represent a second school in Dallas for the AAC (SMU.)

I think ultimately the AAC would be the best home for ODU. Although our teams could, and already do compete quite well with ACC teams, we are nowhere near being an ACC match in many respects. Academics would have to be greatly improved.

(12-10-2014 12:02 AM)paintedblue2 Wrote:  I'm sure some of the board members who are UTEP, Rice, UNT, and UTSA fans want to bolt CUSA for "greener pastures." Of those four I would say UTEP would probably find a way out before any of the others if Hawa'ii ever drops football. Rice might be appealing in a Tulane-kind-of-way, and their athletics are much better as a whole; problem is they would be market repetative for the AAC (U. Houston.) UTSA seems attractive, and have a unique market, but do not add much for basketball. UNT has good football history, good facilities, but seems stagnant, and would also represent a second school in Dallas for the AAC (SMU.)

I think ultimately the AAC would be the best home for ODU. Although our teams could, and already do compete quite well with ACC teams, we are nowhere near being an ACC match in many respects. Academics would have to be greatly improved.

I agree we have to improve our facilities and academics along with being competitive to have any chance into ACC.

If ODU improve academics by a lot then the ACC could be our conference 20+ years down the road. I think a lot would have to happen for that to occur including an EVMS merger and impressive gains in the endowment.

Still, I can't think of an ODU fan who wouldn't want to be in the AAC. That conference has a fair amount of close schools (ECU, Navy, Temple) and has great basketball so I think it would be ideal.

Although a realistic shot into getting ACC is far away i like what they have as a conference. Good FB, good BB and other olympic sports and also in state rivals, a lot of schools in the carolina's and would have been even better if the twerps didn't leave for the damn B12. AAC is also a good fit for ODU while not needing heavy improvements on and off the field. I will take any if we get a chance.

I think fans of all 14 schools would like nothing more than to bolt the conference.

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And what makes anyone here think the AAC gives a schit about academics?

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(12-10-2014 06:36 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  And what makes anyone here think the AAC gives a schit about academics?

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Nothing. Academics was brought up in reference to the ACC.

(12-10-2014 07:32 AM)paintedblue2 Wrote:  

(12-10-2014 06:36 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  And what makes anyone here think the AAC gives a schit about academics?

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Nothing. Academics was brought up in reference to the ACC.

Goodness, similar acronyms, mild dyslexia, and AAC in the first sentence. My bad.

As a graduate of the Civil Engineering Program, I'm not knocking our school as far as academics but I get the feeling they are letting pretty much anyone in with mediocre grades from HS just to get the money to pay for the new infrastructure (buildings, stadium, etc.)

Now maybe this is necessary to make the campus changes that we need but once the master plan is built out do we increase our academic requirements for admission?

(12-10-2014 09:17 AM)cmett003 Wrote:  As a graduate of the Civil Engineering Program, I'm not knocking our school as far as academics but I get the feeling they are letting pretty much anyone in with mediocre grades from HS just to get the money to pay for the new infrastructure (buildings, stadium, etc.)

Now maybe this is necessary to make the campus changes that we need but once the master plan is built out do we increase our academic requirements for admission?

This is nothing new. I only know of one person that has been rejected by ODU admissions and he is a basketball player. ODU has not been, is not, and probably never will be a school with competitive admissions. That doesn't mean it isn't a good academic school, just that the competitiveness is for the top of the class, not admissions like UVA or W&M.

ODU is much harder to get out of than into, but I do know a number of people who were not accepted out of high school. Granted, they were C students... We need to change the perception of the school so HS guidance counselors steer their A and B students to ODU, rather than their B and C students. They'll stop sending C students when we deny admission to more of them. Thats happening now.

ODU should always strive to be as competitive athletically as possible. The objective should be to reach the highest level of competition on the national stage as a member of a P5 conference. You start by winning multiple conference championships in all the sports, but particularly the major sports, in the conference in which you currently reside, and evaluate opportunities as they arise. I truly believe there is no limit for ODU's athletic programs, as long as the will remains to strive for greatness (Aim High). I only hope I live long enough to see the Monarchs competing for national championships.

(12-10-2014 09:46 AM)monarx Wrote:  ODU is much harder to get out of than into, but I do know a number of people who were not accepted out of high school. Granted, they were C students... We need to change the perception of the school so HS guidance counselors steer their A and B students to ODU, rather than their B and C students. They'll stop sending C students when we deny admission to more of them. Thats happening now.

This is definitely true. Always been harder to get out of than into.

With the introduction of football, ODU has been getting more applicants. That allows the school to be more selective than they were in the past. However the mission of the school to grow the student body is somewhat working against the selectivity progress. There was a study done which showed how the number of applicants near the top of their class correlated with the announcement and subsequent growth of our football program.

It's a good thing.

(12-10-2014 09:17 AM)cmett003 Wrote:  As a graduate of the Civil Engineering Program, I'm not knocking our school as far as academics but I get the feeling they are letting pretty much anyone in with mediocre grades from HS just to get the money to pay for the new infrastructure (buildings, stadium, etc.)

Now maybe this is necessary to make the campus changes that we need but once the master plan is built out do we increase our academic requirements for admission?

I would agree with this statement if we were talking about 1997 when I started. Kids with a C average were the norm as freshman. Many of them didn't even make it through their first year.

ODU finally realized they had a problem and tightened the standards for getting in So not as many kids are dropping out as had been. Now, I know, their standards aren't the same as UVA or Tech but they aren't bad either.

I am very proud of the education they gave me and it has been integral in helping me get to where I am today.