Hey, it's silly season, so why not? Here's the hypothetical:

On June 30, 2016, Georgetown announces that it will offer scholarships and leave the Patriot Conference with an eye on being invited to an FBS conference. They sign a four-year deal with CAA Football to join, effective the 2017-18 season. If Georgetown gets an FBS invite, they are free to leave after the 2020-21 season; if not, the two sides can continue the agreement. They do this because a) they need time to transition from non-scholarship FCS to FBS, and b) the CAA needed assurance they would be there for at least four years (they also got a men's basketball scheduling deal out of it).

They also announced plans to rent/purchase RFK Stadium and do a massive renovation. First stage (FCS) it's a 20,000-seat stadium, second stage (FBS) is expanded to 40-45,000. They may or may not share it with DC United.

What happens? Clearly the G5 conferences (except the MWC) are tripping all over themselves to make an all-sports invitation, but Georgetown won't be taking that route. But would they accept a CUSA, Sun Belt or MAC football-only invitation? Would the AAC offer a football-only, or would they insist on all-sports? Would Georgetown be willing to move its basketball to the AAC? And what of the P5? Does the ACC accept a football program that won't be competitive at that level for a while in order to fortify their hoops, double-down on the DC market and deliver a crippling blow to the Big East? Would the Big Ten be willing to take the football blow to improve its presence in the Mid-Atlantic with an academic peer? Would the Big XII, seeing this as their best chance to make an East Coast splash, jump in? Could even the SEC make its surge northeast and sell Georgetown on itself, or is that a bridge to far? Or could Georgetown try to force their way into football independence?

If they're lucky, AAC. Otherwise either the Sun Belt or the MAC, and they would hate it. GU won't move up unless they can keep everything else in the BE, and that can't happen.

Georgetown football and scholarships?!?! Well, it is the silly season :-)

I think in your scenario, they would be an attractive all-sports option for the American Athletic Conference (AAC). Whether Georgetown would want it might be incumbent on whether UConn and Cincinnati are still there. There would have to be some decent strength in basketball.

Football independence I think would be a non-starter.

what is sad is if we had gone FBS when UConn did, we would be in the ACC right now for sure.

(06-11-2015 02:00 PM)stever20 Wrote:  what is sad is if we had gone FBS when UConn did, we would be in the ACC right now for sure.

Maybe so... a geographic replacement for Maryland, to be sure.

If Georgetown was going to even consider it, the Hoyas would already be playing FBS football. They were offered a gift invite to the Big East at the same time UConn was. They were given a 2nd chance when Villanova was offered. But they chose not to take those opportunities, when they had every advantage in their favor.

Now it would be far more difficult, with no specific destination in mind, other than moving up. So this entire line of thought is ludicrous and non-productive.

There's a greater chance of Georgetown folding up football altogether than going FBS. RFK Stadium is beyond the point of reasonable renovation anyway.

(06-11-2015 02:31 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  If Georgetown was going to even consider it, the Hoyas would already be playing FBS football. They were offered a gift invite to the Big East at the same time UConn was. They were given a 2nd chance when Villanova was offered. But they chose not to take those opportunities, when they had every advantage in their favor.

Now it would be far more difficult, with no specific destination in mind, other than moving up. So this entire line of thought is ludicrous and non-productive.

It's a thought exercise. An alternate universe in which Georgetown made the necessary moves to position themselves for top-level football. How does the FBS universe react to a nationally-branded athletic program in a major East Coast market going FBS?

When the AAC gets a pay raise in the next few years it would be good for all interested parties if Georgetown were to join as a full member. In fact, it could be predetermined and used as a bargaining chip. I feel the same way about Villanova but they've always had cold feet about moving up.

(06-11-2015 02:40 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(06-11-2015 02:31 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  If Georgetown was going to even consider it, the Hoyas would already be playing FBS football. They were offered a gift invite to the Big East at the same time UConn was. They were given a 2nd chance when Villanova was offered. But they chose not to take those opportunities, when they had every advantage in their favor.

Now it would be far more difficult, with no specific destination in mind, other than moving up. So this entire line of thought is ludicrous and non-productive.

It's a thought exercise. An alternate universe in which Georgetown made the necessary moves to position themselves for top-level football. How does the FBS universe react to a nationally-branded athletic program in a major East Coast market going FBS?

If you want to exercise your brain by laying on a sofa discussing comics, then you're covered. But there is no way in hell Georgetown will ever consider a move to FBS, and only somebody without any knowledge of Georgetown would even consider it.

They had a 10 year window to move up to FBS with every advantage in their favor. It is NOT going to happen now. Bet the house on it.

This conversation is silly. It's like discussing the possibility of New York City being destroyed by a tsunami from an earthquake centered off the Jersey shore. It ain't happening.

When was the last time any private school started FBS/I-A football or moved up from I-AA/FCS? Has it happened any time in the last 50 years?

(06-11-2015 02:51 PM)Wedge Wrote:  When was the last time any private school started FBS/I-A football or moved up from I-AA/FCS? Has it happened any time in the last 50 years?

Villanova thought about it. But they put so little thought into it that the conference they were planning to join broke up and scattered.

I believe contractually the former Big East would have been required to accept both Villanova and Georgetown as equal football playing members if they made the move. I know that was true of UConn and they did so.

I'm not sure of the divorce language between the NBE and the AAC but the possibility exists that both Villanova and Georgetown left some options open for themselves.

I read a few years ago that Villanova, Georgetown and St. John's were in talks with the ACC to join them. They are like minded schools like Duke about basketball.

(06-11-2015 02:56 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  

(06-11-2015 02:51 PM)Wedge Wrote:  When was the last time any private school started FBS/I-A football or moved up from I-AA/FCS? Has it happened any time in the last 50 years?

Villanova thought about it. But they put so little thought into it that the conference they were planning to join broke up and scattered.

Villanova was 1A in the early 80's but downgraded to FCS.

(06-11-2015 02:31 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  If Georgetown was going to even consider it, the Hoyas would already be playing FBS football. They were offered a gift invite to the Big East at the same time UConn was. They were given a 2nd chance when Villanova was offered. But they chose not to take those opportunities, when they had every advantage in their favor.

Now it would be far more difficult, with no specific destination in mind, other than moving up. So this entire line of thought is ludicrous and non-productive.

Where would they play? Landover, MD? RFK? Is it already not enough that their basketball team plays off campus in a pro stadium? G'town wouldn't need anything above 35,000 seats (with the SRA crowd being 38-40K) and since there's no space in DC or in Georgetown, I don't see how it gets built.

(06-11-2015 02:00 PM)stever20 Wrote:  what is sad is if we had gone FBS when UConn did, we would be in the ACC right now for sure.

If GTOWN worked to move to be a FBS program, they would be the ideal 16th team if ND were ever to join the ACC. ACC would love to get a team back in the DC market.

(06-11-2015 02:00 PM)stever20 Wrote:  what is sad is if we had gone FBS when UConn did, we would be in the ACC right now for sure.

Would the Big East still exist today if both Georgetown and Villanova accompanied UConn to FBS in 2004?

(06-11-2015 05:43 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(06-11-2015 02:56 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  

(06-11-2015 02:51 PM)Wedge Wrote:  When was the last time any private school started FBS/I-A football or moved up from I-AA/FCS? Has it happened any time in the last 50 years?

Villanova thought about it. But they put so little thought into it that the conference they were planning to join broke up and scattered.

Villanova was 1A in the early 80's but downgraded to FCS.

Maryland and Villanova played each other pretty much on an annual basis throughout the 1970s.

(06-11-2015 02:31 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  If Georgetown was going to even consider it, the Hoyas would already be playing FBS football. They were offered a gift invite to the Big East at the same time UConn was. They were given a 2nd chance when Villanova was offered.

There was no second chance at the time of Villanova's offer. Mike Tranghese wanted no part of adding Georgetown to the mix, and said as much.

Georgetown is marooned in the Patriot League. You'e got to know where to go before you go there.