http://maroonmusket.com/2013/04/jmu-has-...um=twitter

Apparently they have their sights set on the MAC. They also want to wait until September to make any announcements after what happened to others in the CAA being made ineligible for postseason events after doing so.

(04-03-2013 09:56 PM)CommuterBob Wrote:  http://maroonmusket.com/2013/04/jmu-has-...um=twitter

Apparently they have their sights set on the MAC. They also want to wait until September to make any announcements after what happened to others in the CAA being made ineligible for postseason events after doing so.

In which case what inquiring minds would want to know is whether the MAC have their sights set back, or are they going to aim for the MAC and wait for the next time the Sunbelt needs an FCS team if the MAC does not come through?

The MAC is the future destination for rising Northern FCS schools, especially the ones in the Northeast corridor due to having a presence there. Those teams don't want to be traveling too far for Olympic/non-revenue sports. Even if UMass and Buffalo eventually leave for warmer waters like the AAC someday, the MAC probably can recruit from rising CAA, Northeast, Missouri Valley, Patriot League, and Ohio Valley teams - namely possible risers with growth potential like JMU, Richmond, Delaware, Stony Brook, Albany and Villanova (as a football only)

If they want to wait on announcing a move this fall that will push the start date for JMU athletics at the FBS level back to 2015 right before the MAC begins its next TV contract.

The MAC can hold out for another year at 13 members if it so desires. That is the luxury of being in the middle of an 8 year long term deal with ESPN.

(04-03-2013 10:22 PM)AntiG Wrote:  The MAC is the future destination for rising Northern FCS schools, especially the ones in the Northeast corridor due to having a presence there. Those teams don't want to be traveling too far for Olympic/non-revenue sports. Even if UMass and Buffalo eventually leave for warmer waters like the AAC someday, the MAC probably can recruit from rising CAA, Northeast, Missouri Valley, Patriot League, and Ohio Valley teams - namely possible risers with growth potential like JMU, Richmond, Delaware, Stony Brook, Albany and Villanova (as a football only)

The MAC has been looking at Stony Brook for 5-10 years because of the NYC market but the question with all of these schools is can they build for themselves a MAC level 20k-25k stadium? There are not many schools that can get the proper sized facility in place.

Another issue here is travel. With the exception of James Madison all potential additions to the MAC in the East take the league another 8 hours past its core 12 team footprint. Delaware is 8 hours from Ohio while JMU is only 4 hours. It almost makes more sense for the MAC to look south at Appalachian State rather than East where they can add some football muscle to the MAC East.

I really don't care if JMU says no.

With WKU gone, I'd just as soon bring NMSU in for all sports and take whatever FCS that wants full or football only membership that isn't too embarassing.

(04-04-2013 10:15 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  I really don't care if JMU says no.

With WKU gone, I'd just as soon bring NMSU in for all sports and take whatever FCS that wants full or football only membership that isn't too embarassing.

If I was czar of the SunBelt I would have added NMSU all sports and stayed at 10.

But it doesn't look like the SBC is going to add NMSU for Oly's anytime soon. It looks like one more FCS school for all sports to me.

So does this mean that Liberty will be the team in the SBC next?

(04-04-2013 10:15 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  I really don't care if JMU says no.

With WKU gone, I'd just as soon bring NMSU in for all sports and take whatever FCS that wants full or football only membership that isn't too embarassing.

North Dakota State, then. There's oil money in the state, but still very few people spread across a lot of space. NDSU is both likely to build up to a respectable addition to the Sunbelt football competition as it transitions, while also being unlikely to be raided by any other school because of the distance factor.

But giving a travel subsidy to go to Idaho and North Dakota a maximum of one trip a year to either the northern plains or northern mountains is one thing ... how eager will some of the other members of the Sunbelt be to take the trip to Las Cruces for their Olympic sports?

(04-04-2013 10:15 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  I really don't care if JMU says no.

With WKU gone, I'd just as soon bring NMSU in for all sports and take whatever FCS that wants full or football only membership that isn't too embarassing.

Agreed. I STILL dont see why we HAVE to go to 12 teams. I would only select programs for FCS call-up who are less likely to be desirable to other conferences. No to NDSU. No to Delaware. No to Montana. No to Illinois State.

(04-04-2013 01:13 PM)AlaIllTex Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 10:15 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  I really don't care if JMU says no.

With WKU gone, I'd just as soon bring NMSU in for all sports and take whatever FCS that wants full or football only membership that isn't too embarassing.

Agreed. I STILL dont see why we HAVE to go to 12 teams. I would only select programs for FCS call-up who are less likely to be desirable to other conferences. No to NDSU. No to Delaware. No to Montana. No to Illinois State.

Isn't the FBS pushing something saying to get the full amount of $$$ you have to have a conf. title game.

No to Montana? Are you serious? they are a flagship university and has a huge football following and tradition. They would complement Idaho.

(04-04-2013 01:13 PM)AlaIllTex Wrote:  Agreed. I STILL dont see why we HAVE to go to 12 teams. I would only select programs for FCS call-up who are less likely to be desirable to other conferences. No to NDSU. No to Delaware. No to Montana. No to Illinois State.

Exactly which other conference was North Dakota State going to be desirable to, again? The MWC is not going to expand beyond 12 for a small market school, the American is not going to invite NDSU, the MAC isn't ...

... so why would CUSA chase NDSU, again? I'm not saying they wouldn't, I just don't know why they would.

NDSU and UNI could make travel partners one day

(04-04-2013 01:35 PM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 01:13 PM)AlaIllTex Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 10:15 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  I really don't care if JMU says no.

With WKU gone, I'd just as soon bring NMSU in for all sports and take whatever FCS that wants full or football only membership that isn't too embarassing.

Agreed. I STILL dont see why we HAVE to go to 12 teams. I would only select programs for FCS call-up who are less likely to be desirable to other conferences. No to NDSU. No to Delaware. No to Montana. No to Illinois State.

Isn't the FBS pushing something saying to get the full amount of $$$ you have to have a conf. title game.

The only report of that was the Sun Belt press conference in Hot Springs, it has never been reported or mentioned by anyone outside of that.

(04-04-2013 01:35 PM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  Isn't the FBS pushing something saying to get the full amount of $$$ you have to have a conf. title game.

I've not seen that in anything official, but there will be a bonus to the conference that the G5 rep comes from, and the chance of having the G5 rep coming out of the Sunbelt, already relatively longer odds, takes another big hit if there's no chance for a 13th game and additional win against (by selection) relatively strong competition, while the Mountain West, American, CUSA, and the MAC all have a title game.

(04-04-2013 05:05 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 01:35 PM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  Isn't the FBS pushing something saying to get the full amount of $$$ you have to have a conf. title game.

I've not seen that in anything official, but there will be a bonus to the conference that the G5 rep comes from, and the chance of having the G5 rep coming out of the Sunbelt, already relatively longer odds, takes another big hit if there's no chance for a 13th game and additional win against (by selection) relatively strong competition, while the Mountain West, American, CUSA, and the MAC all have a title game.

Well if the SBC is going into Idaho and looking at Liberty, that tells me that they'll be giving more to the conf. that have title games, the SBC can't afford to take a cut in money.

(04-04-2013 03:26 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 01:13 PM)AlaIllTex Wrote:  Agreed. I STILL dont see why we HAVE to go to 12 teams. I would only select programs for FCS call-up who are less likely to be desirable to other conferences. No to NDSU. No to Delaware. No to Montana. No to Illinois State.

Exactly which other conference was North Dakota State going to be desirable to, again? The MWC is not going to expand beyond 12 for a small market school, the American is not going to invite NDSU, the MAC isn't ...

... so why would CUSA chase NDSU, again? I'm not saying they wouldn't, I just don't know why they would.

NDSU doesnt make sense in the Belt. The MAC makes sense for them. If they're successful in transitioning to FBS they're gone for sure.

If the Belt effectively gets to decide who gets to upgrade (unless someone else wants to invite FCS programs), the Belt should invite teams less likely to generate interest from other leagues.

(04-04-2013 02:09 PM)Panarican Wrote:  No to Montana? Are you serious? they are a flagship university and has a huge football following and tradition. They would complement Idaho.

And Montana would be off to the Mountain West once successfully transitioning to FBS. The Sun Belt will have taken a competitive hit and gotten absolutely nothing to show for it (FCS programs struggle mightily in transitioning to FBS). I dont doubt that Montana wouldnt be hugely successful in FBS, they just wouldnt stick around to be our partners. Idaho is "football only" and needs no travel partner.

FCS transition programs should only be full members close to our all sports footprint IMO. Montana can stay stuck in FCS unless someone else wants to bring them up. Im not a fan of the Sun Belt selecting teams that would be good for other leagues.

Neither Montana nor Idaho make sense in the Sun Belt. The Belt should invest in programs likely to stay and grow with the conference.

(04-04-2013 03:58 PM)GaSouthern Wrote:  NDSU and UNI could make travel partners one day

They'll make awesome travel partners in the MAC.