(12-10-2021 04:45 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(12-10-2021 04:38 PM)TexasTerror Wrote:  

(12-10-2021 04:28 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  ACtually, I think they could play as an FCS Independent with 8 FBS games. No rule against it.

But I'm not sure the Sun Belt is going to be happy moving heaven and earth to set up an 11-team schedule for 2022 with uneven divisions etc.

They are petitioning the NCAA for a one-year transition.

In traditional circumstance, JMU would be FCS Independent in '22 playing a hodge podge schedule. It sounds like they are hoping to 'skip' that year and play a FBS schedule with eight Sun Belt games (four home/four away), a home game vs another FBS school (is SHSU or Jax State allowed due to transition to be that squad?) and then they got two FCS games locked in per their beat writer - that's seven home games and four road games. Not bad!

I presume they can play 12 though? And perhaps they could travel to Sam or Jax State (whomever doesn't travel to JMU) to help them reach their goal of five FBS home games if those schools count?

Why can't they just count Weber State as their FCS game? You can count 1 FCS game as an FBS game for scheduling purposes.

For example, ULM's OOC next year is Nichols State, @Texas, @Alabama, @Army.
So their 5 home games are FCS + 4 Sun Belt.

If the Sun Belt gets them 4 home, 4 away, they have 6 home games (4 FBS, 2 FCS), and 5 FBS road games (4 Sun Belt, @Louisville).

That doesn't solve the 2-year transition issue. But the tough part of that schedule is wedging an 11th team into the 2022 Sun Belt.

It sounds like the SBC is planning on having all 4 new teams for a 14 team conference in 2022.

Does make you wonder if the SBC does bring in the four new teams next year, how much other movement will we see around the landscape? Many of these questions have to be answered in the next 4-6 weeks. Football scheduling is certainly a big part of equation and it looks like JMU, Sun Belt will be where the answers derive from.

I absolutely support all 4 new SBC teams entering the league in July 2022. Let’s get this thing rolling!

However, This must be harder to accomplish than the average fan (like me) understands as it seems that it would already have happened. Perhaps all 4 want to announce together, or there are some timing issues that I just don’t understand, which is probable.

No panic here, as there is time, and perhaps all want to just get through the year end bowl games before declaring, one way or another. I take some hope in believing that if it wasn’t going to happen, we would have heard that, for sure.

(12-12-2021 08:22 AM)Cnelson203 Wrote:  I absolutely support all 4 new SBC teams entering the league in July 2022. Let’s get this thing rolling!

However, This must be harder to accomplish than the average fan (like me) understands as it seems that it would already have happened. Perhaps all 4 want to announce together, or there are some timing issues that I just don’t understand, which is probable.

No panic here, as there is time, and perhaps all want to just get through the year end bowl games before declaring, one way or another. I take some hope in believing that if it wasn’t going to happen, we would have heard that, for sure.

You wonder if JMU won't want to announce until after either next weekend or 1/8 when the FCS Playoffs are over.

(12-12-2021 11:13 AM)stever20 Wrote:  

(12-12-2021 08:22 AM)Cnelson203 Wrote:  I absolutely support all 4 new SBC teams entering the league in July 2022. Let’s get this thing rolling!

However, This must be harder to accomplish than the average fan (like me) understands as it seems that it would already have happened. Perhaps all 4 want to announce together, or there are some timing issues that I just don’t understand, which is probable.

No panic here, as there is time, and perhaps all want to just get through the year end bowl games before declaring, one way or another. I take some hope in believing that if it wasn’t going to happen, we would have heard that, for sure.

You wonder if JMU won't want to announce until after either next weekend or 1/8 when the FCS Playoffs are over.

I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. Eliminate ALL distractions and focus on winning FCS championship.

(12-12-2021 08:22 AM)Cnelson203 Wrote:  I absolutely support all 4 new SBC teams entering the league in July 2022. Let’s get this thing rolling!

However, This must be harder to accomplish than the average fan (like me) understands as it seems that it would already have happened. Perhaps all 4 want to announce together, or there are some timing issues that I just don’t understand, which is probable.

No panic here, as there is time, and perhaps all want to just get through the year end bowl games before declaring, one way or another. I take some hope in believing that if it wasn’t going to happen, we would have heard that, for sure.

I think it's just a situation where you don't want to announce until you know what's going on. It's much better to say "SBC will be at 14 schools next year!" as a way to be able to take a moment and declare the new culture. This would generate interest with the media and the general public much better vice announcing the addition of 3, maybe 1, with 1 on the way out (UALR) and maybe one more (UTA).

If the C-USA schools can wrangle out of C-USA early
and if JMU can get the NCAA to agree to the 1 year waiver
and if JMU can get the 5th home FBS game
and if this can all be done in time for schedules to be made
and if SBC can manage to sponsor Men's Soccer next year
then you will see an announcement.
But if you think both UTA and UALR could find new conferences for next year
then you wait for them to make their announcements before SBC makes theirs.

edit: added men's soccer, which is another roadblock (although I think it's been resolved)

My hypothetical schedules for the three FCS to FBS schools looking to minimize shuffling if they are looking to get the FBS transition down to a single year...

James Madison 2022 Schedule
Home: FCS (Weber St), FBS (Jacksonville St), 4 Sun Belt teams
Road: FBS (Sam Houston), Guarantee (Louisville), 4 Sun Belt teams
Note: Need to 'buy out' or work out of Weber or Norfolk State games; suggesting Norfolk State (see below)

Sam Houston 2022 Schedule
Home: FCS (Northern Arizona), FBS (James Madison), 4 CUSA teams
Road: FBS (Jacksonville St), Guarantee (Texas A&M), 4 CUSA teams
Note: This sadly ends the BOTPW without a "finale"

Jacksonville State 2022 Schedule
Home: FBS (Sam Houston), FCS (TBA), 4 CUSA teams
Road: FBS (James Madison), Guarantee (Tulsa), 4 CUSA teams
Note: Has Murray State on road on 9/10; perhaps Jax St can 'broker' a deal for Norfolk State to travel to Murray State (same dates)

Well, JMU just lost their FCS playoff game so news about them for next year would be on the proverbial clock now.

JMU will make the move. The end game for them is the AAC.

(12-18-2021 03:35 AM)Realignment Wrote:  JMU will make the move. The end game for them is the AAC.

The calculus on that one has changed.

Being in the same conference as ODU is very important. AAC 2.0 is also not a step up from the new SBC which has been on the roll since securing Georgia State.

GSU led to the signing of GS/ASU which opened the door for Coastal, the SBC dominance flip over CUSA and the blockbuster move (in mid major terms) of landing Marshall, SoMiss, ODU and JMU.

At best I don't see JMU to AAC as an easy decision. At worst its off the table completely.

(12-11-2021 04:59 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(12-11-2021 04:56 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Again you guys are more worried about the intern running the computer program for scheduling (nice to have such concern for that poor 22 year old computer geek) than about the distribution of money to the schools.

It's not a close balance, you screw the intern so that your school gets $500K more each year. That geek's workload is not worth that kind of money.

The SBC can take schools early and will even be happy to, as they have no exiting schools paying any exit fees or being withheld any distributions. It's a much different situation than CUSA or the AAC.

Im not sure why you seem to think the money issue wasnt handled before any of these teams were ever invited. I assure you---the AAC and Sunbelt both already largely had the money angle hammered out with ESPN before a single invite left a conference HQ. The only one who didnt really consider money was CUSA---their moves were driven solely by survival. CUSA was just taking whoever they could get. The AAC is being paid a reduced rate due to the exit of UConn. If the AAC replaces UConn with a single CUSA team for 2022---that would be easily handled because ESPN has already told the AAC what they would be worth and the AAC invited those teams to join if they accpeted that lower rate of compensation. Point being---its not going to cost any of the existing teams of the AAC to bring in a 12th team in 2022. I m pretty sure the same can be said for the Sunbelt if they take the 3 CUSA teams in 2022.

...I have a candidate for that move... ...seriously, UAB's OOC games for 2022 thus far is Liberty, Ga. Southern, and LSU... interesting that the Liberty game may end up as a C-USA game (hopefully we show up this time)... ...but if new teams enter C-USA next year, I guess a team can jump out as well - and the AAC can mix in one somewhat easily to make for an even slate. I'd love to see us play all three 'BigXII movers' one more time, even if we get frog stomped three times... and ironically, we are fixing to play the FOURTH BIGXII mover (BYU) in a few hours - another TALL order.

(12-11-2021 04:59 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(12-11-2021 04:56 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Again you guys are more worried about the intern running the computer program for scheduling (nice to have such concern for that poor 22 year old computer geek) than about the distribution of money to the schools.

It's not a close balance, you screw the intern so that your school gets $500K more each year. That geek's workload is not worth that kind of money.

The SBC can take schools early and will even be happy to, as they have no exiting schools paying any exit fees or being withheld any distributions. It's a much different situation than CUSA or the AAC.

Im not sure why you seem to think the money issue wasnt handled before any of these teams were ever invited. I assure you---the AAC and Sunbelt both already largely had the money angle hammered out with ESPN before a single invite left a conference HQ. The only one who didnt really consider money was CUSA---their moves were driven solely by survival. CUSA was just taking whoever they could get. The AAC is being paid a reduced rate due to the exit of UConn. If the AAC replaces UConn with a single CUSA team for 2022---that would be easily handled because ESPN has already told the AAC what they would be worth and the AAC invited those teams to join if they accpeted that lower rate of compensation. Point being---its not going to cost any of the existing teams of the AAC to bring in a 12th team in 2022. I m pretty sure the same can be said for the Sunbelt if they take the 3 CUSA teams in 2022.

The money is there for 2023, but not for 2022.

I don't know why you think the timetable can be moved up and why you think there would be no issue about exit fee distributions of members who are in the conference early, so there when the schools are exiting.

Why would you assume that is settled, that they negotiated an immediate entry terms that included those provisions? I think it is you who are making the assumptions here. We do not know that anything was negotiated on these issues for entry prior to 2023 with either CUSA or the AAC.

It should be noted, there is no chatter whatsoever of early movement of any of the schools other than the four (three from CUSA and JMU) who want to join the SBC.