03-12-2021, 05:31 PM
(03-12-2021 04:27 PM)40smokingcannon Wrote: [ -> ]You guys remind me a lot of UConn fans. Long time basketball fans learning where football fits into your schools athletic culture. UConn had been in the Big East and felt left behind after realignment had happened because of their success and prestige in the BE, not to mention close basketball rivalries they lost. The American to them was a step down (and was). They made the decision to embrace their basketball culture and went back to the BE. Contrary to belief I don't think their football will suffer as an independent long term.
ODU fans (I think) still embrace the basketball heritage and legacy and cherish their old rivals. Perhaps ODU could follow the lead of UConn and put basketball and the olympics in the A10 (if there is an opening) and go independent in football. I don't think it would hurt your football too much. You could schedule Va Tech, Liberty, ECU, Virginia, App At, Charlotte UConn, UMass, Norfolk At, William and Mary, Nc State, Duke, Wake, JMU, Elon, UNC, etc. Get a pay game every year too. Get BYU, South Carolina, Navy Temple, Maryland, etc.
To me, this seems better for ODU and it's fanbase than staying in CUSA or going to the Sun Belt or another conference made up of these teams.
Hampton Roads is an important recruiting area so I don't think you'd have trouble getting home games. Your potential football schedule could look like:
UConn
Liberty
JMU
Va Tech
Charlotte
App State
ECU
Marshall
BYU
West Virginia
Duke
UMass
There's enough money in that schedule to offset travel.
Couple that with basketball playing George Mason, Davidson, GW, VCU, etc. I bet your fans would come back in huge numbers.
It's difficult feeling like your teams are in purgatory. I felt that way with ECU in CUSA 2.0 (no offense) and love being in the AAC even though football and basketball hasn't been kind to us. It was a great move for us and I think ODU would benefit from making a bold move.
Good luck ODU.
Couldn't have said it better myself. Good analysis. I think comparison to UConn is accurate, only obviously at a different level. Our Big East is the A10. I think we'd do well in the AAC eventually too, but the A10/Indy solution seems much more realistic. Id embrace it whole heartedly.