(10-22-2026 08:06 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(10-21-2026 03:53 PM)Luckyshot Wrote:  Poster did some finagling to make it work for the several teams that had been FCS.

Initially I used just the Massey Composite ratings I could get. They don't include FCS teams with the FBS so my data was very limited with Delaware (last year and current rating) so they showed 109.0. I mentioned at the time that metric wasn't strong for the recent FCS callups, so I included average number of wins as a second metric.

I later found a way to get the Sagarin ratings for the past 10 years that do rank both FBS and FCS together, so I compiled that data. I only included FBS teams and all teams being considered in the rating. So all FCS teams, other than the FBS teams that were FCS at the time, were removed. If one of the teams was rated something like #184 and behind a bunch a other FCS teams, I wouldn't use 184 as the ranking but instead move them up to the the last FBS spot instead. That way we got a true 1-136 ranking for each school to compare against. With that rating Delaware fared worse, averaging 121.6 and was the worst of all teams.

77.3 - Ohio (best 54 - worst 111)
81.8 - Western Kentucky (best 19 - worst 111)
94.2 - Liberty (best 51 - worst 128)
102.1 - Jacksonville State (best 74 - worst 129)
108.0 - Middle Tennessee (best 86 - worst 132)
119.8 - Missouri State (best 95 - worst 131)
121.6 - Delaware (best 113 - worst 129)

Another way to think about it - # of times each team was worse than 100:
1 - Ohio
4 - Western Kentucky
5 - Liberty / Jacksonville State
7 - Middle Tennessee
9 - Missouri State
10 - Delaware

Which schools have fans that act show up for games?

Jax State fans show up for the first half. Then the band plays and they all leave. However, that stadium is so trash I can’t blame them. The video board doesn’t do replays, the first down soundtrack is grating on the ears, and the concessions are from the 1960s.

Ohio should be added after the upcoming conference leadership meeting.

Just a solid feeling.

Hope it is Ohio. When is the next conference leadership meeting?

I hope we decide to add three and add from MUHERD's list. But ESPN will have to PAY us for it.

(10-23-2026 08:59 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  Ohio should be added after the upcoming conference leadership meeting.

Just a solid feeling.

I agree. Seems like that would be a good move for a league headed in the right direction.

What would make it enticing for them to join? Could the league waive entrance fees or put JMU's exit fees towards their transition costs?

(10-23-2026 07:08 AM)GreenBison Wrote:  

(10-22-2026 08:06 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(10-21-2026 03:53 PM)Luckyshot Wrote:  Poster did some finagling to make it work for the several teams that had been FCS.

Initially I used just the Massey Composite ratings I could get. They don't include FCS teams with the FBS so my data was very limited with Delaware (last year and current rating) so they showed 109.0. I mentioned at the time that metric wasn't strong for the recent FCS callups, so I included average number of wins as a second metric.

I later found a way to get the Sagarin ratings for the past 10 years that do rank both FBS and FCS together, so I compiled that data. I only included FBS teams and all teams being considered in the rating. So all FCS teams, other than the FBS teams that were FCS at the time, were removed. If one of the teams was rated something like #184 and behind a bunch a other FCS teams, I wouldn't use 184 as the ranking but instead move them up to the the last FBS spot instead. That way we got a true 1-136 ranking for each school to compare against. With that rating Delaware fared worse, averaging 121.6 and was the worst of all teams.

77.3 - Ohio (best 54 - worst 111)
81.8 - Western Kentucky (best 19 - worst 111)
94.2 - Liberty (best 51 - worst 128)
102.1 - Jacksonville State (best 74 - worst 129)
108.0 - Middle Tennessee (best 86 - worst 132)
119.8 - Missouri State (best 95 - worst 131)
121.6 - Delaware (best 113 - worst 129)

Another way to think about it - # of times each team was worse than 100:
1 - Ohio
4 - Western Kentucky
5 - Liberty / Jacksonville State
7 - Middle Tennessee
9 - Missouri State
10 - Delaware

Which schools have fans that act show up for games?

Using last year’s numbers where all schools were FBS you have

Football:
1 - Ohio (21,007)
2 - Jacksonville State (19,684)
3 - Liberty (18,371)
4 - Delaware (16,751)
5 - Western Kentucky (14,772)
6 - Middle Tennessee (12,252)
7 - Missouri State (11,547)

I did start trending that out over 10 years but didn’t finish, but in my preliminary results Ohio was trailing Jacksonville State and Liberty.

Basketball:
1 - Ohio (4,169)
2 - Middle Tennessee (3,682)
3 - Western Kentucky (3,376)
4 - Liberty (3,364)
5 - Missouri State (1,988)
6 - Delaware (1,890)
7 - Jacksonville State (1,295)

(10-22-2026 06:53 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  I honestly can't grasp the WKU, MTSU, Kennesaw, Jacksonville, Charlotte picks.... those are not who we need to be associated with. Hell I would rather have UMass before any of them.

Sun Belt is a Southern based conference.

(10-23-2026 10:14 AM)FreeBirdJohnnyReb Wrote:  I hope we decide to add three and add from MUHERD's list. But ESPN will have to PAY us for it.

But why would they do that?

Who on that list adds so much media value that our partners go up enough to offset dividing the pie 2 more ways (not just for the media deal but also to offset the CFP money and the NCAA basketball tournament)?

(10-22-2026 06:53 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(10-21-2026 07:00 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  Pretty good article from ODU oriented site

https://odumonarchists.com/blogs/news/jm...g-now-what

PS - someone needs to cleanup the bot post above.

I honestly can't grasp the WKU, MTSU, Kennesaw, Jacksonville, Charlotte picks.... those are not who we need to be associated with. Hell I would rather have UMass before any of them.

Come on.

Let's not overstate things. Any of those are vastly preferable to UMass.

(10-23-2026 11:07 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-22-2026 06:53 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(10-21-2026 07:00 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  Pretty good article from ODU oriented site

https://odumonarchists.com/blogs/news/jm...g-now-what

PS - someone needs to cleanup the bot post above.

I honestly can't grasp the WKU, MTSU, Kennesaw, Jacksonville, Charlotte picks.... those are not who we need to be associated with. Hell I would rather have UMass before any of them.

Come on.

Let's not overstate things. Any of those are vastly preferable to UMass.

I'd probably stop paying attention to Georgia Southern athletics altogether if we ever shared a conference with Kenny. It's bad enough they are FBS which still makes no sense.

I don't quite understand the hate for Jacksonville State. It's a carbon copy of other Sun Belt schools.

(10-23-2026 11:16 AM)BlueBird10 Wrote:  

(10-23-2026 11:07 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-22-2026 06:53 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(10-21-2026 07:00 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  Pretty good article from ODU oriented site

https://odumonarchists.com/blogs/news/jm...g-now-what

PS - someone needs to cleanup the bot post above.

I honestly can't grasp the WKU, MTSU, Kennesaw, Jacksonville, Charlotte picks.... those are not who we need to be associated with. Hell I would rather have UMass before any of them.

Come on.

Let's not overstate things. Any of those are vastly preferable to UMass.

I'd probably stop paying attention to Georgia Southern athletics altogether if we ever shared a conference with Kenny. It's bad enough they are FBS which still makes no sense.

No you wouldn't.

And you also wouldn't if we added UMass. But UMass would make less sense.

(10-23-2026 11:24 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-23-2026 11:16 AM)BlueBird10 Wrote:  

(10-23-2026 11:07 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-22-2026 06:53 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(10-21-2026 07:00 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  Pretty good article from ODU oriented site

https://odumonarchists.com/blogs/news/jm...g-now-what

PS - someone needs to cleanup the bot post above.

I honestly can't grasp the WKU, MTSU, Kennesaw, Jacksonville, Charlotte picks.... those are not who we need to be associated with. Hell I would rather have UMass before any of them.

Come on.

Let's not overstate things. Any of those are vastly preferable to UMass.

I'd probably stop paying attention to Georgia Southern athletics altogether if we ever shared a conference with Kenny. It's bad enough they are FBS which still makes no sense.

No you wouldn't.

And you also wouldn't if we added UMass. But UMass would make less sense.

Not serious about UMass but Kennesaw, MTSU, Jacksonville, ect... are not who we need to be adding. You take respectable programs from other conferences to make your's more respectful and their's less. Not the opposite. Ohio and Delaware are 2 that can do that.

Some in the SBC have inferiority complexes and do not like the idea of a stronger brand or team being in the SBC, even though it would raise all ships. A lot of angry posters not seeing the value of adding a good overall program

(10-23-2026 03:57 PM)hburg Wrote:  Some in the SBC have inferiority complexes and do not like the idea of a stronger brand or team being in the SBC, even though it would raise all ships. A lot of angry posters not seeing the value of adding a good overall program

If it were a sure thing that y'all would have made the CFP, sure, it would be in the best interest of everyone (except the team playing you) to root for you.

But there is/was plenty enough uncertainty about that outcome to just root for the underdog/upset (because that's more fun in general) or to root against you because you're leaving (the SB won't get credit for your relative strength anymore anyway).

It's similar to how we all ought to cheer for each other in OOC games at all times, but in some cases you just can't get there. College football is pretty transactional these days, but it's not quite 100% of the way there.

(10-23-2026 11:07 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-22-2026 06:53 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(10-21-2026 07:00 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  Pretty good article from ODU oriented site

https://odumonarchists.com/blogs/news/jm...g-now-what

PS - someone needs to cleanup the bot post above.

I honestly can't grasp the WKU, MTSU, Kennesaw, Jacksonville, Charlotte picks.... those are not who we need to be associated with. Hell I would rather have UMass before any of them.

Come on.

Let's not overstate things. Any of those are vastly preferable to UMass.

Not Charlotte

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

Teams that would make a better conference? In the East…Liberty, Ohio, WKU in my opinion, in that order, although, selfishly, I’d love to renew our annual rivalry with Ohio.

(10-23-2026 11:24 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-23-2026 11:16 AM)BlueBird10 Wrote:  

(10-23-2026 11:07 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-22-2026 06:53 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(10-21-2026 07:00 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  Pretty good article from ODU oriented site

https://odumonarchists.com/blogs/news/jm...g-now-what

PS - someone needs to cleanup the bot post above.

I honestly can't grasp the WKU, MTSU, Kennesaw, Jacksonville, Charlotte picks.... those are not who we need to be associated with. Hell I would rather have UMass before any of them.

Come on.

Let's not overstate things. Any of those are vastly preferable to UMass.

I'd probably stop paying attention to Georgia Southern athletics altogether if we ever shared a conference with Kenny. It's bad enough they are FBS which still makes no sense.

No you wouldn't.

And you also wouldn't if we added UMass. But UMass would make less sense.

Uh, I really would. Might as well have Valdosta State join if we add KSU.

(10-23-2026 04:43 PM)Cnelson203 Wrote:  Teams that would make a better conference? In the East…Liberty, Ohio, WKU in my opinion, in that order, although, selfishly, I’d love to renew our annual rivalry with Ohio.

Can do that by scheduling them OOC.