(10-31-2015 12:11 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  Yep, it's way more profitable to be a first round layup drill most years than to be competitive in D-II or NAIA. It also helps to be the sacrificial lamb in non-conference play (football and basketball) and make off with a huge payday.

Some of these schools could be merging.
Southern U. might have the New Orleans and Shreveport campus merged as one on the main campus.
Oakwood is in Huntsville. That school could merge with Alabama A&M. Oakwood is a private school in the USCAA. They could make an agreements with Alabama A&M that A&M could be a Hybrid as a private/public like Delaware.

Barber Scotia was 2 schools that merged into one. Merging might help the struggling schools with other HBCUs instead with the main schools.

Alabama State, Florida A&M and Delaware State showed signs that they want FBS at one point. Florida A&M was supposed to join the Sun Belt in 2002 I believe. If Alabama State gets an invite someday? Tuskegee could replace them. Alabama State might be the one that could pull off moving to FBS out of the HBCUs.

(10-31-2015 01:15 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(10-31-2015 12:11 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  Yep, it's way more profitable to be a first round layup drill most years than to be competitive in D-II or NAIA. It also helps to be the sacrificial lamb in non-conference play (football and basketball) and make off with a huge payday.

Some of these schools could be merging.
Southern U. might have the New Orleans and Shreveport campus merged as one on the main campus.
Oakwood is in Huntsville. That school could merge with Alabama A&M. Oakwood is a private school in the USCAA. They could make an agreements with Alabama A&M that A&M could be a Hybrid as a private/public like Delaware.

Barber Scotia was 2 schools that merged into one. Merging might help the struggling schools with other HBCUs instead with the main schools.

Alabama State, Florida A&M and Delaware State showed signs that they want FBS at one point. Florida A&M was supposed to join the Sun Belt in 2002 I believe. If Alabama State gets an invite someday? Tuskegee could replace them. Alabama State might be the one that could pull off moving to FBS out of the HBCUs.

I doubt it. Tuskegee has very little interest in moving up and the interest in us(Bama State) moving up isn't there either. Delaware State barely can compete in the MEAC so moving up for them wouldn't be a smart move IMO.

Moving up isn't about competing per se as much as it is publicity and aligning with schools you find to be your peers or trying to raise your profile. Long term, Texas State and UTSA have more potential than former FCS powers Appalachian State and GA Southern.

DSU may have a chance if they had a compatable conference to join but there isn't one. No current Sun Belt team is close to them, the MAC is too far away and C-USA is a pipe dream as is any conference more prestigious. They'd need other HBCU's to move up and perhaps some regional schools like Liberty.

How isn't leaving MEAC for Big South "moving up?" That's what I think of when I think of these MEAC schools leaving.

I suspect there's this perception in MEAC and SWAC that they're at or above the level of conferences like A-Sun, Big South, and Southland. Might as well call it if that's true. Beyond reason.

I thought we were talking about HBCU's moving up to FBS.

(11-02-2015 03:21 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  I thought we were talking about HCU's moving up to FBS.

Oh, yikes...I wouldn't peg their chances that high.

I know I always look at anything other than MEAC and SWAC being a "move up." Honestly, the only conference that those two can *maybe* look down on is the WAC. That's all I've ever meant.

(10-31-2015 01:15 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(10-31-2015 12:11 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  Yep, it's way more profitable to be a first round layup drill most years than to be competitive in D-II or NAIA. It also helps to be the sacrificial lamb in non-conference play (football and basketball) and make off with a huge payday.

Some of these schools could be merging.
Southern U. might have the New Orleans and Shreveport campus merged as one on the main campus.
Oakwood is in Huntsville. That school could merge with Alabama A&M. Oakwood is a private school in the USCAA. They could make an agreements with Alabama A&M that A&M could be a Hybrid as a private/public like Delaware.

Barber Scotia was 2 schools that merged into one. Merging might help the struggling schools with other HBCUs instead with the main schools.

Alabama State, Florida A&M and Delaware State showed signs that they want FBS at one point. Florida A&M was supposed to join the Sun Belt in 2002 I believe. If Alabama State gets an invite someday? Tuskegee could replace them. Alabama State might be the one that could pull off moving to FBS out of the HBCUs.

At no time was FAMU "supposed" to move to the Sun Belt. FAMU announced its intention to move FBS in 2003 the Sun Belt went to take a look and after the visit there was zero interest in adding them because it was apparent their books weren't in order.

^

Sounds like tom-A-to, tom-a-to to me. Not that the Sun Belt was gonna add them necessarily but the point is they were prepared to move up.

(11-01-2015 10:50 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  DSU may have a chance if they had a compatable conference to join but there isn't one. No current Sun Belt team is close to them, the MAC is too far away and C-USA is a pipe dream as is any conference more prestigious.

The MAC would not consider Delaware too far away (bear in mind that under the UMass affiliation agreement, when notice was given that the FB-only affiliation would be shut down, UMass had the option to join all-sports if they had wished. And Delaware is no farther from the Great Lakes than Western (and sometimes Eastern) Massachusetts.

It's rather that Delaware State is too small ... the MAC is not looking to admit a school with an enrollment of ~3400. MAC schools tend to be 20,000 to 30,000 students ... if the MAC were to invite a Delaware school, it would be the one with 20,000+ students.

Every MAC team east of the Ohio border (i.e. not including Marshall, located on the border) has either been kicked out or forced out. And even Marshall was in some ways regarded as an outlaw and outsider in some ways. Delaware and Massachusetts may as well be Texas as far as they're concerned.