(03-08-2017 08:38 AM)Potomac Wrote:  Betting on 20-30 different sets of ADs and Presidents eating their pride and going regional is asking a lot. It's asking even more for them to make sure an FCS school has a seat at their "new table". If JMU were already up there, we'd have a lot more weight to throw around in those negotiations.

That's my concern. Just because it's logical doesn't mean Presidents will swallow their pride & follow that logic. I'm open to the thought that our patience with realignment COULD be rewarded with a quality FBS conference home, but it takes more than logic to make that happen. So far, Bourne hasn't told me why it will pay off for us to stay on this FCS path. He has just continued to speculate about what other schools SHOULD do financially.

I worry that, like the UMASS/JMU MAC scenario, these "leaders" are clueless to what is actually happening outside of JMU.

(03-08-2017 08:38 AM)Potomac Wrote:  Perhaps that's what Bourne was alluding too. He anticipates the next round of TV contracts will be depressingly low from a $$ perspective and members of those leagues are going to have to take a good long look in the mirror.

Betting on 20-30 different sets of ADs and Presidents eating their pride and going regional is asking a lot. It's asking even more for them to make sure an FCS school has a seat at their "new table". If JMU were already up there, we'd have a lot more weight to throw around in those negotiations.

Precisely the point I was trying to make earlier. You said it better, but agree 100%

JMU's slogan: "Be the Change"
Athletic Dept. slogan: "Monitor While Others Do the Changing and Hope for Scraps"

(03-08-2017 09:31 AM)91Alum Wrote:  

(03-08-2017 08:38 AM)Potomac Wrote:  Perhaps that's what Bourne was alluding too. He anticipates the next round of TV contracts will be depressingly low from a $$ perspective and members of those leagues are going to have to take a good long look in the mirror.

Betting on 20-30 different sets of ADs and Presidents eating their pride and going regional is asking a lot. It's asking even more for them to make sure an FCS school has a seat at their "new table". If JMU were already up there, we'd have a lot more weight to throw around in those negotiations.

Precisely the point I was trying to make earlier. You said it better, but agree 100%

JMU's slogan: "Be the Change"
Athletic Dept. slogan: "Monitor While Others Do the Changing and Hope for Scraps"

Yep. Thinking that even if the TV contracts bottom out, that a bunch of AD's are suddenly going to do something reveloutionary is a bit insane.

So, that still leaves JMU in the same position. In summary, If all the G5 conference TV contracts disappear and the AD's take a LONG look in the mirror, JMU is still in the CAA.

Think about how long it takes for a team to transition from I-AA to I-A....building the schedule several years in the future to get to the desired end state. And this is just talking about one sport, not all Olympic sports.

If there was going to be a regional conference anytime around the next expiration of TV contracts, that decision would need to be made NOW, if not yesterday. The fact that TV contracts are not all expiring at the same time is another impediment. Also, whether we like it or not, I can't see a regional conference bringing in anywhere close to the (already small) TV dollars that some of the existing conferences are getting. Money is not made from people in the stands---it's made from eyeballs on TV--this is national versus local thinking. MAC made a move to expand their viewing base and TV dollars at the expense of the in-person experience--good for national footprint, bad for those who can/will go to games in person.

The regional conference is wishful thinking from a school on the sidelines without the gumption to get a seat at the table to actually negotiate with credibility and power.

(03-08-2017 08:38 AM)Potomac Wrote:  Perhaps that's what Bourne was alluding too. He anticipates the next round of TV contracts will be depressingly low from a $$ perspective and members of those leagues are going to have to take a good long look in the mirror.

Betting on 20-30 different sets of ADs and Presidents eating their pride and going regional is asking a lot. It's asking even more for them to make sure an FCS school has a seat at their "new table". If JMU were already up there, we'd have a lot more weight to throw around in those negotiations.

Who are you and what did you do with Potomac?

(03-08-2017 12:47 PM)2Buck Wrote:  

(03-08-2017 08:38 AM)Potomac Wrote:  Perhaps that's what Bourne was alluding too. He anticipates the next round of TV contracts will be depressingly low from a $$ perspective and members of those leagues are going to have to take a good long look in the mirror.

Betting on 20-30 different sets of ADs and Presidents eating their pride and going regional is asking a lot. It's asking even more for them to make sure an FCS school has a seat at their "new table". If JMU were already up there, we'd have a lot more weight to throw around in those negotiations.

Who are you and what did you do with Potomac?

Let's give him credit where credit is due, the man's thinking logically. I actually follow the thinking that a few have, but when I make a list of the pro's and con's in moving to any FBS situation outweighs staying put especially when I try to think 25 years down the road. Short term thinking (less than 5 years) makes the two options pretty equal, but stretching my thoughts way out, I come to only one conclusion, we've got to move on. The odd thing is, I now firmly believe all of our admin is set on staying put and that there is no conference we wouldn't here anything but why we need to stay put and continue monitoring including the ACC and the AAC.

(03-08-2017 01:38 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(03-08-2017 12:47 PM)2Buck Wrote:  

(03-08-2017 08:38 AM)Potomac Wrote:  Perhaps that's what Bourne was alluding too. He anticipates the next round of TV contracts will be depressingly low from a $$ perspective and members of those leagues are going to have to take a good long look in the mirror.

Betting on 20-30 different sets of ADs and Presidents eating their pride and going regional is asking a lot. It's asking even more for them to make sure an FCS school has a seat at their "new table". If JMU were already up there, we'd have a lot more weight to throw around in those negotiations.

Who are you and what did you do with Potomac?

Let's give him credit where credit is due, the man's thinking logically. I actually follow the thinking that a few have, but when I make a list of the pro's and con's in moving to any FBS situation outweighs staying put especially when I try to think 25 years down the road. Short term thinking (less than 5 years) makes the two options pretty equal, but stretching my thoughts way out, I come to only one conclusion, we've got to move on. The odd thing is, I now firmly believe all of our admin is set on staying put and that there is no conference we wouldn't here anything but why we need to stay put and continue monitoring including the ACC and the AAC.

BP, I have got to start reading the posts here on the JMU board closer. I was not aware that "...all of our admin is set on staying put and that there is no conference we wouldn't here anything but why we need to stay put and continue monitoring including the ACC and the AAC.
[/quote] JMU monitoring the ACC! That's a twist.

(03-08-2017 05:19 PM)NewTimes Wrote:  

(03-08-2017 01:38 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(03-08-2017 12:47 PM)2Buck Wrote:  

(03-08-2017 08:38 AM)Potomac Wrote:  Perhaps that's what Bourne was alluding too. He anticipates the next round of TV contracts will be depressingly low from a $$ perspective and members of those leagues are going to have to take a good long look in the mirror.

Betting on 20-30 different sets of ADs and Presidents eating their pride and going regional is asking a lot. It's asking even more for them to make sure an FCS school has a seat at their "new table". If JMU were already up there, we'd have a lot more weight to throw around in those negotiations.

Who are you and what did you do with Potomac?

Let's give him credit where credit is due, the man's thinking logically. I actually follow the thinking that a few have, but when I make a list of the pro's and con's in moving to any FBS situation outweighs staying put especially when I try to think 25 years down the road. Short term thinking (less than 5 years) makes the two options pretty equal, but stretching my thoughts way out, I come to only one conclusion, we've got to move on. The odd thing is, I now firmly believe all of our admin is set on staying put and that there is no conference we wouldn't here anything but why we need to stay put and continue monitoring including the ACC and the AAC.

BP, I have got to start reading the posts here on the JMU board closer. I was not aware that "...all of our admin is set on staying put and that there is no conference we wouldn't here anything but why we need to stay put and continue monitoring including the ACC and the AAC.

JMU monitoring the ACC! That's a twist.
[/quote]

Some guys have been joking about the ACC and that Bourne is waiting for their call. We all know, just like everyone else in the universe knows, the ACC will not be making a phone call to Harrisonburg.

Now, is there some slim possibility of the AAC calling, well maybe, but that too is a pretty far stretch. I firmly believe that that we will go nowhere until there is a change at the top. Even if our President, JA, was on the fence about it, the one right below him, King, is having none of it and our AD, Bourne is not about to rock the boat. There is no right opportunity in their eyes, IMHO.

(03-08-2017 06:07 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(03-08-2017 05:19 PM)NewTimes Wrote:  

(03-08-2017 01:38 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(03-08-2017 12:47 PM)2Buck Wrote:  

(03-08-2017 08:38 AM)Potomac Wrote:  Perhaps that's what Bourne was alluding too. He anticipates the next round of TV contracts will be depressingly low from a $$ perspective and members of those leagues are going to have to take a good long look in the mirror.

Betting on 20-30 different sets of ADs and Presidents eating their pride and going regional is asking a lot. It's asking even more for them to make sure an FCS school has a seat at their "new table". If JMU were already up there, we'd have a lot more weight to throw around in those negotiations.

Who are you and what did you do with Potomac?

Let's give him credit where credit is due, the man's thinking logically. I actually follow the thinking that a few have, but when I make a list of the pro's and con's in moving to any FBS situation outweighs staying put especially when I try to think 25 years down the road. Short term thinking (less than 5 years) makes the two options pretty equal, but stretching my thoughts way out, I come to only one conclusion, we've got to move on. The odd thing is, I now firmly believe all of our admin is set on staying put and that there is no conference we wouldn't here anything but why we need to stay put and continue monitoring including the ACC and the AAC.

BP, I have got to start reading the posts here on the JMU board closer. I was not aware that "...all of our admin is set on staying put and that there is no conference we wouldn't here anything but why we need to stay put and continue monitoring including the ACC and the AAC.

JMU monitoring the ACC! That's a twist.

Some guys have been joking about the ACC and that Bourne is waiting for their call. We all know, just like everyone else in the universe knows, the ACC will not be making a phone call to Harrisonburg.

Now, is there some slim possibility of the AAC calling, well maybe, but that too is a pretty far stretch. I firmly believe that that we will go nowhere until there is a change at the top. Even if our President, JA, was on the fence about it, the one right below him, King, is having none of it and our AD, Bourne is not about to rock the boat. There is no right opportunity in their eyes, IMHO.
[/quote]

Yet we are told that we would "enthusiastically" accept an invite from the right opportunity...there is no right opportunity which means that we have been and we are still being told lies by the AD, president and now, coach.

They could prove this thought process wrong by simply telling us about this right opportunity...Houston, Bourne or Alger, please describe the right opportunity that JMU would "enthusiastically" accept. You have Twitter, the DNR, the Dialogue de Bourne platform, text, mass emails, the Breeze, madizone, coches caravans, the DC and sky writing planes as options.

(03-08-2017 06:07 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  Some guys have been joking about the ACC and that Bourne is waiting for their call. We all know, just like everyone else in the universe knows, the ACC will not be making a phone call to Harrisonburg.

Now, is there some slim possibility of the AAC calling, well maybe, but that too is a pretty far stretch. I firmly believe that that we will go nowhere until there is a change at the top. Even if our President, JA, was on the fence about it, the one right below him, King, is having none of it and our AD, Bourne is not about to rock the boat. There is no right opportunity in their eyes, IMHO.

I believe this is 100% true. They keep saying they'll consider the "right opportunity" but never give a hint as to what that means.

We're not going anywhere. For all I know that may be the right decision long run, but it seems clear that what they think is the "right opportunity" is more or less an implausible one.

seems we have moved an inch in the right direction to use the words "enthusiastically accept"...

still, just say "we want it, it's our goal"...jeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

MAC and Sunbelt are regional conferences for the most part.

MAC football plays lots of games mid week. Everyone in CUSA wants out. Sunbelt is an academic joke and crazy spread out for all sports other than CFB which flies/weekend travel.

Which league did you want JMU to join that they haven't? JMU's admin may be going the conservative route but I don't see some obvious place they should be at that they aren't because of their "lack of vision or balls".

(03-09-2017 01:17 AM)UofRfan Wrote:  MAC football plays lots of games mid week. Everyone in CUSA wants out. Sunbelt is an academic joke and crazy spread out for all sports other than CFB which flies/weekend travel.

Which league did you want JMU to join that they haven't? JMU's admin may be going the conservative route but I don't see some obvious place they should be at that they aren't because of their "lack of vision or balls".

Why do some folks treat JMU's next step as it's final step? We are not going directly to AAC or whatever pie in the sky conference the admin wants. They just keep kicking the can down the road as the road keeps getting longer.

Many of teams that have dominated FCS (App St, Ga Southern, Marshall) have moved on for a reason.

(03-09-2017 10:15 AM)2Buck Wrote:  

(03-09-2017 01:17 AM)UofRfan Wrote:  MAC football plays lots of games mid week. Everyone in CUSA wants out. Sunbelt is an academic joke and crazy spread out for all sports other than CFB which flies/weekend travel.

Which league did you want JMU to join that they haven't? JMU's admin may be going the conservative route but I don't see some obvious place they should be at that they aren't because of their "lack of vision or balls".

Why do some folks treat JMU's next step as it's final step? We are not going directly to AAC or whatever pie in the sky conference the admin wants. They just keep kicking the can down the road as the road keeps getting longer.

Many of teams that have dominated FCS (App St, Ga Southern, Marshall) have moved on for a reason.

"conference the admin wants" It doesn't exist.

hahah ^ so true...

the point is that we need a stepping stone for a few years. period. FCS call-ups won't jump a level...gotta be FBS first for anyone outside of MAC,CUSA, SB to consider us. Why is this confusing?

there is even a chance that IF there is a total re-org...and we are still FCS...that we may *not* receive an invite...what then?

(03-09-2017 11:24 AM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(03-09-2017 10:15 AM)2Buck Wrote:  

(03-09-2017 01:17 AM)UofRfan Wrote:  MAC football plays lots of games mid week. Everyone in CUSA wants out. Sunbelt is an academic joke and crazy spread out for all sports other than CFB which flies/weekend travel.

Which league did you want JMU to join that they haven't? JMU's admin may be going the conservative route but I don't see some obvious place they should be at that they aren't because of their "lack of vision or balls".

Why do some folks treat JMU's next step as it's final step? We are not going directly to AAC or whatever pie in the sky conference the admin wants. They just keep kicking the can down the road as the road keeps getting longer.

Many of teams that have dominated FCS (App St, Ga Southern, Marshall) have moved on for a reason.

"conference the admin wants" It doesn't exist.

Sunbelt - nope, academics
MAC - nope, weekday games
CUSA - nope, not regional
Indy - nope, can't schedule
New G5 conf. that does not exist - nope, Liberty would be a member
"Monitor" - yep, we tell alum we have/are managing the situation
"Not if, when" - yep, allows us to lie to the alum and fans about goals

Pretty much covers the options that are both real and imaginary.

(03-09-2017 11:51 AM)Purplehazed Wrote:  

(03-09-2017 11:24 AM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(03-09-2017 10:15 AM)2Buck Wrote:  

(03-09-2017 01:17 AM)UofRfan Wrote:  MAC football plays lots of games mid week. Everyone in CUSA wants out. Sunbelt is an academic joke and crazy spread out for all sports other than CFB which flies/weekend travel.

Which league did you want JMU to join that they haven't? JMU's admin may be going the conservative route but I don't see some obvious place they should be at that they aren't because of their "lack of vision or balls".

Why do some folks treat JMU's next step as it's final step? We are not going directly to AAC or whatever pie in the sky conference the admin wants. They just keep kicking the can down the road as the road keeps getting longer.

Many of teams that have dominated FCS (App St, Ga Southern, Marshall) have moved on for a reason.

"conference the admin wants" It doesn't exist.

Sunbelt - nope, academics
MAC - nope, weekday games
CUSA - nope, not regional
Indy - nope, can't schedule
New G5 conf. that does not exist - nope, Liberty would be a member
"Monitor" - yep, we tell alum we have/are managing the situation
"Not if, when" - yep, allows us to lie to the alum and fans about goals

Pretty much covers the options that are both real and imaginary.

(03-09-2017 01:17 AM)UofRfan Wrote:  MAC football plays lots of games mid week. Everyone in CUSA wants out. Sunbelt is an academic joke and crazy spread out for all sports other than CFB which flies/weekend travel.

Which league did you want JMU to join that they haven't? JMU's admin may be going the conservative route but I don't see some obvious place they should be at that they aren't because of their "lack of vision or balls".

I agree that the bottom three conferences all have major negatives for JMU - mostly geography, IMO. That's not JMU's fault - just the way it is.

I also agree that the ideal conference is unlikely to fall into JMU's lap, although many continue to downplay JMU's attractiveness as a conference addition, IMO.

The reason an FCS school is a sucky addition is because most have low budgets, poor fan support, crappy facilities, etc. There is so much more that schools look at besides the FBS or FCS beside the school name. JMU would be a more attractive candidate than most schools currently in one of the bottom three conferences if the geography worked.

But yeah, the new mid-atlantic compact conference will never happen unless there is a critical mass of extremely unhappy schools. Generally, schools will be more likely to stick with a known semi-crappy situation than jump into the unknown.

The opportunity cost has been substantial