07-02-2022, 02:09 PM
In 2012, I was convinced that the Sun Belt was headed towards annihilation. I was very wrong.
https://howlraiser.com/2022/07/01/the-su...-sun-belt/
https://howlraiser.com/2022/07/01/the-su...-sun-belt/
(07-02-2022 02:09 PM)HowlRaiser Wrote: [ -> ]In 2012, I was convinced that the Sun Belt was headed towards annihilation. I was very wrong.
https://howlraiser.com/2022/07/01/the-su...-sun-belt/
(07-02-2022 03:00 PM)Purple Wrote: [ -> ](07-02-2022 02:09 PM)HowlRaiser Wrote: [ -> ]In 2012, I was convinced that the Sun Belt was headed towards annihilation. I was very wrong.
https://howlraiser.com/2022/07/01/the-su...-sun-belt/
We have the AAC to thank for their stupidity, favoring huge, fanless markets to very strong football programs at solid schools with large, rabid fan bases. It is one of the dumbest moves I have ever seen in my life.
The AAC had first choice. They could have poached Marshall and ODU from CUSA, added JMU, and probably poached App and Coastal, greatly diluting the Belt. They chose another, bizarre strategy.
The AAC is being run by morons. P6, my ass! But, thanks! You managed to make the Sun Belt by far the strongest conference in G5.
(07-03-2022 04:12 PM)chiefsfan Wrote: [ -> ](07-02-2022 03:00 PM)Purple Wrote: [ -> ](07-02-2022 02:09 PM)HowlRaiser Wrote: [ -> ]In 2012, I was convinced that the Sun Belt was headed towards annihilation. I was very wrong.
https://howlraiser.com/2022/07/01/the-su...-sun-belt/
We have the AAC to thank for their stupidity, favoring huge, fanless markets to very strong football programs at solid schools with large, rabid fan bases. It is one of the dumbest moves I have ever seen in my life.
The AAC had first choice. They could have poached Marshall and ODU from CUSA, added JMU, and probably poached App and Coastal, greatly diluting the Belt. They chose another, bizarre strategy.
The AAC is being run by morons. P6, my ass! But, thanks! You managed to make the Sun Belt by far the strongest conference in G5.
Very similar strategy that CUSA used in 2012 and 2013, and we see how well that worked out for them...
(07-05-2022 09:17 AM)JMad03 Wrote: [ -> ](07-03-2022 04:12 PM)chiefsfan Wrote: [ -> ](07-02-2022 03:00 PM)Purple Wrote: [ -> ](07-02-2022 02:09 PM)HowlRaiser Wrote: [ -> ]In 2012, I was convinced that the Sun Belt was headed towards annihilation. I was very wrong.
https://howlraiser.com/2022/07/01/the-su...-sun-belt/
We have the AAC to thank for their stupidity, favoring huge, fanless markets to very strong football programs at solid schools with large, rabid fan bases. It is one of the dumbest moves I have ever seen in my life.
The AAC had first choice. They could have poached Marshall and ODU from CUSA, added JMU, and probably poached App and Coastal, greatly diluting the Belt. They chose another, bizarre strategy.
The AAC is being run by morons. P6, my ass! But, thanks! You managed to make the Sun Belt by far the strongest conference in G5.
Very similar strategy that CUSA used in 2012 and 2013, and we see how well that worked out for them...
I would say almost identical. In some ways the new AAC is similar to the old CUSA. I seriously doubt this is what ECU had in mind for the future of the conference.
CUSA suffered big time for their mistakes (and still is) and AAC had a "hold my beer" moment. I really thought the AAC was run better than that, but I was so, so wrong.
And if I'm being honest, I did not have much respect for the Sun Belt a few years ago. They have made moves to prove me wrong every step of the way. They should be a model of how to build a conference the right way.
Now, I couldn't be happier to be in this conference and being a part of the future of the Sun Belt.
I hope we can all work together and be the model for doing this the right way.
Regional opponents/rivalries and a universal desire to improve and build together.
(07-05-2022 10:12 AM)JMURocks Wrote: [ -> ](07-05-2022 09:17 AM)JMad03 Wrote: [ -> ](07-03-2022 04:12 PM)chiefsfan Wrote: [ -> ](07-02-2022 03:00 PM)Purple Wrote: [ -> ](07-02-2022 02:09 PM)HowlRaiser Wrote: [ -> ]In 2012, I was convinced that the Sun Belt was headed towards annihilation. I was very wrong.
https://howlraiser.com/2022/07/01/the-su...-sun-belt/
We have the AAC to thank for their stupidity, favoring huge, fanless markets to very strong football programs at solid schools with large, rabid fan bases. It is one of the dumbest moves I have ever seen in my life.
The AAC had first choice. They could have poached Marshall and ODU from CUSA, added JMU, and probably poached App and Coastal, greatly diluting the Belt. They chose another, bizarre strategy.
The AAC is being run by morons. P6, my ass! But, thanks! You managed to make the Sun Belt by far the strongest conference in G5.
Very similar strategy that CUSA used in 2012 and 2013, and we see how well that worked out for them...
I would say almost identical. In some ways the new AAC is similar to the old CUSA. I seriously doubt this is what ECU had in mind for the future of the conference.
CUSA suffered big time for their mistakes (and still is) and AAC had a "hold my beer" moment. I really thought the AAC was run better than that, but I was so, so wrong.
And if I'm being honest, I did not have much respect for the Sun Belt a few years ago. They have made moves to prove me wrong every step of the way. They should be a model of how to build a conference the right way.
Now, I couldn't be happier to be in this conference and being a part of the future of the Sun Belt.
I hope we can all work together and be the model for doing this the right way.
Regional opponents/rivalries and a universal desire to improve and build together.
If you read their posts, ECU fans have a different mindset. They hope to dominate the weakened AAC, and punch their ticket out to a P5 conference in a few years. They recall the old days of scheduling some of the P5 schools when they were all Indy, and believe they belong in that group.
Geographically and profile wise, they would fit well in the SBC, but it doesn't seem likely unless the SBC steps up another level in power. And even then, it might not work, because they would be eyeballing the exits before they joined.
(07-06-2022 08:09 AM)ODUODUODU Wrote: [ -> ]It seemed pretty clear the ODU Sports had no interest in an AAC that is essentially C-USA. Our AD has vocally advocated for a more regional arrangement for a few years now. The Sun Belt East has fulfilled that vision.
(07-07-2022 10:55 AM)hburg Wrote: [ -> ]I think this is a nice spot for this tweet.
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(07-07-2022 11:07 AM)JMad03 Wrote: [ -> ](07-07-2022 10:55 AM)hburg Wrote: [ -> ]I think this is a nice spot for this tweet.
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I knew we would get a boost for football, but I wasn't sure how it would impact the other sports, especially MBB/WBB.
Perhaps it is showing the strength of the Sun Belt brand. It also exposes JMU to a new part of the country, which definitely helps with recruiting. Perhaps it's not brand, it's regional?
Not really surprised too much about soccer, as Sun Belt soccer is looking like one of the best in the country.
(07-07-2022 11:07 AM)JMad03 Wrote: [ -> ]In the eyes of 85%+ of Americans we just became a D1 school with the move to the Sunbelt. One of those "the perception is the reality" kind of things that we had to deal with. I'm sure a lot of kids/parents that now think we're top level in all sports beyond football where maybe they didn't before.(07-07-2022 10:55 AM)hburg Wrote: [ -> ]I think this is a nice spot for this tweet.
Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk
I knew we would get a boost for football, but I wasn't sure how it would impact the other sports, especially MBB/WBB.
Perhaps it is showing the strength of the Sun Belt brand. It also exposes JMU to a new part of the country, which definitely helps with recruiting. Perhaps it's not brand, it's regional?
Not really surprised too much about soccer, as Sun Belt soccer is looking like one of the best in the country.
(07-02-2022 03:00 PM)Purple Wrote: [ -> ](07-02-2022 02:09 PM)HowlRaiser Wrote: [ -> ]In 2012, I was convinced that the Sun Belt was headed towards annihilation. I was very wrong.
https://howlraiser.com/2022/07/01/the-su...-sun-belt/
We have the AAC to thank for their stupidity, favoring huge, fanless markets to very strong football programs at solid schools with large, rabid fan bases. It is one of the dumbest moves I have ever seen in my life.
The AAC had first choice. They could have poached Marshall and ODU from CUSA, added JMU, and probably poached App and Coastal, greatly diluting the Belt. They chose another, bizarre strategy.
The AAC is being run by morons. P6, my ass! But, thanks! You managed to make the Sun Belt by far the strongest conference in G5.
(07-07-2022 12:08 PM)space orange Wrote: [ -> ](07-02-2022 03:00 PM)Purple Wrote: [ -> ](07-02-2022 02:09 PM)HowlRaiser Wrote: [ -> ]In 2012, I was convinced that the Sun Belt was headed towards annihilation. I was very wrong.
https://howlraiser.com/2022/07/01/the-su...-sun-belt/
We have the AAC to thank for their stupidity, favoring huge, fanless markets to very strong football programs at solid schools with large, rabid fan bases. It is one of the dumbest moves I have ever seen in my life.
The AAC had first choice. They could have poached Marshall and ODU from CUSA, added JMU, and probably poached App and Coastal, greatly diluting the Belt. They chose another, bizarre strategy.
The AAC is being run by morons. P6, my ass! But, thanks! You managed to make the Sun Belt by far the strongest conference in G5.
I don't know if we'll ever truly know how much ESPN had a hand in this though. Because I can see ESPN not wanting to weaken one of their G5 properties to strengthen another. Meanwhile, CUSA wasn't under an ESPN contract and got ripped apart by 2 ESPN G5 leagues.
There are tinges of the same bad moves CUSA made last time around but right away the new AAC has a higher floor than old CUSA just due to working with ESPN. This works out nicer for having 2 distinct identities as conference.
(07-07-2022 11:40 AM)JMaddy Wrote: [ -> ](07-07-2022 11:07 AM)JMad03 Wrote: [ -> ]In the eyes of 85%+ of Americans we just became a D1 school with the move to the Sunbelt. One of those "the perception is the reality" kind of things that we had to deal with. I'm sure a lot of kids/parents that now think we're top level in all sports beyond football where maybe they didn't before.(07-07-2022 10:55 AM)hburg Wrote: [ -> ]I think this is a nice spot for this tweet.
Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk
I knew we would get a boost for football, but I wasn't sure how it would impact the other sports, especially MBB/WBB.
Perhaps it is showing the strength of the Sun Belt brand. It also exposes JMU to a new part of the country, which definitely helps with recruiting. Perhaps it's not brand, it's regional?
Not really surprised too much about soccer, as Sun Belt soccer is looking like one of the best in the country.
(07-08-2022 12:50 PM)chiefsfan Wrote: [ -> ]Yep and also the notion that we're somehow a 'small school' because of the FCS level. When they say "small school" I'm sure a majority of America is thinking of a truly small school like a a Lehigh or Williams College (or at most a William & Mary) when they hear it. I know that's the image that pops into my head when I hear it, small liberal arts school sub 9k students.(07-07-2022 11:40 AM)JMaddy Wrote: [ -> ](07-07-2022 11:07 AM)JMad03 Wrote: [ -> ]In the eyes of 85%+ of Americans we just became a D1 school with the move to the Sunbelt. One of those "the perception is the reality" kind of things that we had to deal with. I'm sure a lot of kids/parents that now think we're top level in all sports beyond football where maybe they didn't before.(07-07-2022 10:55 AM)hburg Wrote: [ -> ]I think this is a nice spot for this tweet.
Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk
I knew we would get a boost for football, but I wasn't sure how it would impact the other sports, especially MBB/WBB.
Perhaps it is showing the strength of the Sun Belt brand. It also exposes JMU to a new part of the country, which definitely helps with recruiting. Perhaps it's not brand, it's regional?
Not really surprised too much about soccer, as Sun Belt soccer is looking like one of the best in the country.
This was a noted issue with App and Southern right before they moved up. No one understood that FCS was D1, and people just assumed they were on a different level from everyone else.
People suddenly know your name when you move up, which helps in recruiting. Its not permanent, Georgia Southern had a really good first 2 years, and then had 3 bad years in a row and lost much of their early advantages, but if you win behind it, ala App and Coastal, the benefits become tremendous.