(09-29-2021 04:34 PM)Purplehazed Wrote:  Snippet from USA Today

"administrators and school presidents are concerned that the last ship for any potential upward mobility from FCS to FBS, or from Division II to Division I, may be about to set sail."

(09-29-2021 03:00 PM)Dadgum Wrote:  The rivalries that would be built and emerge in the SBC between App, Coastal, *JMU, *Marshall, GaSo far outweigh anything we're going to get in CUSA.

I want nothing to do with Old Dominion and hope our leadership feels the same.

JMU/App State has the potential to be one of the great rivalries in college football.

(09-28-2021 05:45 PM)94computerguy Wrote:  

(09-28-2021 09:52 AM)JMUsince89 Wrote:  Since I live here in the Burg, thought I would pass this on. About 2:30 PM yesterday an unfamiliar twin engine aircraft kept circling the JMU campus at minimum altitude for 5 or 6 minutes. I say unfamiliar because I am at SHD a lot and just never seen the markings (stripes and graphics) before. I couldn't get the N numbers, so cant run a FAA ck. Just some more kindling, may be nothing or might be something.

google "dash 8" and lemme know if that looks familiar. There's a company based in Bridgewater that does old-plane restorations and keeps a big inventory of gray Dash 8s for outsourcing to militaries. (pretty sketch, but not my department.)

(09-28-2021 05:45 PM)94computerguy Wrote:  

(09-28-2021 09:52 AM)JMUsince89 Wrote:  Since I live here in the Burg, thought I would pass this on. About 2:30 PM yesterday an unfamiliar twin engine aircraft kept circling the JMU campus at minimum altitude for 5 or 6 minutes. I say unfamiliar because I am at SHD a lot and just never seen the markings (stripes and graphics) before. I couldn't get the N numbers, so cant run a FAA ck. Just some more kindling, may be nothing or might be something.

google "dash 8" and lemme know if that looks familiar. There's a company based in Bridgewater that does old-plane restorations and keeps a big inventory of gray Dash 8s for outsourcing to militaries. (pretty sketch, but not my department.)

(09-29-2021 04:32 PM)CarRamrod Wrote:  

(09-29-2021 03:52 PM)KickItToScotty Wrote:  

(09-29-2021 03:20 PM)jmufan2008 Wrote:  Geographically it would just make sooo much more sense if CUSA and SB did a trade to split between east and central-southern and then add a couple more schools to CUSA. It won't happen, but this would save a ton in travel (again, just looking geographically):

CUSA Atlantic division
JMU (CAA), ODU (CUSA), AppSt (SB), Charlotte (CUSA), Marshall (CUSA), Liberty (Ind), ECU (ACC)

CUSA Southern division
Coastal (SB), MTSU (CUSA), Georgia St (SB), Georgia S (SB), FAU (CUSA), FIU (CUSA), WKU (CUSA)

Could trade out ECU for Coastal and then add someone else in Southern if ECU doesn't want to move.

That would leave Sunbelt with Arkansas St, Arkansas Little Rock, Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana Monroe, South Alabama, Texas St, Texas Arlington, Troy, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTEP, UTSA (minus anyone who moves to AAC). Every school included is in Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi.

I'm hoping something along these lines could be possible due to AAC/MWC poaching CUSA West schools and leaving CUSA shifting east causing the remaining CUSA West schools to want the hell out and the remnants attractive to Sun Belt East schools.

Sounds extremely likely CUSA will lose UAB and USM, then reports AAC is targeting UTSA and speculation that it could be Rice if not them. If those happen and then Mountain West takes a couple that just leaves two remaining in CUSA West. If that makes them want out and SBC East want in then it's not hard to imagine something like:

CUSA - App, Charlotte, Coastal, FAU, FIU, GSU, GSU, JMU, Marshall, MTSU, ODU, WKU
Sun Belt - Ark State, UL, ULM, LA Tech, UNT, USA, USM, TX State, Troy, ???

Seems like a pretty big blow to the Sun Belt to me so definitely not something where they're gonna propose swapping those teams or agree to it if the CUSA does, but there's a path that doesn't seem like a total fairy tale for something like this to fall in to place without any kind of cooperation between Sun Belt and CUSA. Hopefully it actually is realistic and seeing that is why Marshall isn't jumping on the Sun Belt invite.

If the next move is Marshall/USM to Sun Belt then this dream is dead, but if the next move is CSU/AFA and maybe even UAB/UTSA to AAC then Marshall will have even more reason to keep dragging their feet while they wait to see what the Mountain West does.

The problem with it is that whoever becomes the "west" conference gets screwed out of most of the biggest brands.

(09-29-2021 01:43 PM)jmu98 Wrote:  

(09-29-2021 01:21 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(09-29-2021 12:56 PM)MarginalDuke Wrote:  The American could be doing an interesting pivot with their 4 targets. For the American, in the long run, if they can force out the east coast deadweight like ECU, Temple (assuming Memphis and USF go in Big 12 expansion round 2) that puts their membership essentially from CO to LA.

Even if they were to nab second tier schools from MWC (Fresno St., UNM) plus a few Texas schools, you essentially weaken the MWC by forcing them to call up FCS schools out west to backfill and solidly yourself as a more Southwestern conference. If you look at states that face the largest inward migration (state-to-state), a good number of them would exist in this new footprint. I think that could be a very crafty way for the AAC to stay relevant for the future.

I think as a lot of the Marshall folks have insisted, a more eastern CUSA would be great for JMU. A SBC with Marshall would also be great. We don’t need to get caught up in the AAC’s experimentation.

Right now it's looking more likely CUSA will be the more regional conference for us. The more CUSA western teams are gone, the better chance of CUSA moving farther east and north, which works heavily in JMU's interest.
For JMU to be interested to go to the Sun Belt, there may be too many pieces that to fall in place that do not currently exist. It's still possible, but the current build of the Sun Belt is not in JMU's favor. I would still welcome it over FCS.
The less talk there is of Marshall and/or ODU going to the Sun Belt, the less likely we'll be going there and the more likely it'll be that we are bound for CUSA.

Pretty widely thought at this point that ODU will not be going to the Belt just a question if that is mutual or if it is SBC side saying no. Thought as of now is that USM will be coming and then Marshall is up next. Marshall appears to be dragging their feet a bit and waiting to see how things shake out overall. If SBC goes 14 then JMU has a decent chance of getting one of those two invites.

(09-29-2021 02:47 PM)CarRamrod Wrote:  

(09-29-2021 02:10 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(09-29-2021 01:52 PM)KickItToScotty Wrote:  Hopefully Marshall dragging their feet is a sign that they see potential for CUSA to turn their focus east and become a more attractive conference for both Marshall and us. Either way, if the Sun Belt said no thanks to ODU that makes for a bit of a safety net for JMU imo. We can hope for an invite to a Sun Belt that includes App State, Marshall, Coastal, and the GSU's then fall back on an invite to a CUSA that includes ODU, Charlotte, and WKU instead of having to fall back on a CUSA that lost both Marshall and ODU.

I think that could be a good sign for us. I recall a Marshall fan saying a CUSA commitment to the region would certainly help that relationship a LOT (not exact words).
Perhaps Marshall wants to see if CUSA is losing/gaining schools before making their decision.
If we had to a choice of going where Marshall is or going where ODU is, I would choose Marshall. While I dislike ODU more, I think Marshall would be a stronger opponent overall.

I do wonder if Marshalls public commentary about potentially moving conferences was primarily to influence CUSA to build back east when defections occur. I do not see Marshall looking at Sun Belt East in it's current format and paying to defect to it if CUSA East adds JMU or another eastern option. With JMU, CUSA East becomes about as geographically compact as one could hope for (outside of the unicorn East Coast Conference).

(09-29-2021 03:00 PM)Dadgum Wrote:  The rivalries that would be built and emerge in the SBC between App, Coastal, *JMU, *Marshall, GaSo far outweigh anything we're going to get in CUSA.

I want nothing to do with Old Dominion and hope our leadership feels the same.

JMU/App State has the potential to be one of the great rivalries in college football.

(09-29-2021 09:54 PM)herdfan129 Wrote:  

(09-29-2021 03:00 PM)Dadgum Wrote:  The rivalries that would be built and emerge in the SBC between App, Coastal, *JMU, *Marshall, GaSo far outweigh anything we're going to get in CUSA.

I want nothing to do with Old Dominion and hope our leadership feels the same.

JMU/App State has the potential to be one of the great rivalries in college football.

I strongly disagree.

Marshall
Charlotte
WKU
MTSU
ODU
JMU

that would be an excellent core of teams all pretty close by, especially if you add in Liberty.

Coastal hasn't proven anything yet. They are on a good run, but can they sustain it the same way Marshall/JMU/App have sustained programs? I don't know.

(09-30-2021 08:51 AM)Anders Wrote:  

Edit: this might have been better in the Alger thread but I’ll leave it

(09-30-2021 09:03 AM)CharlestonDuke Wrote:  

(09-30-2021 08:51 AM)Anders Wrote:  

Edit: this might have been better in the Alger thread but I’ll leave it

This seemingly precludes JMU from joining any far flung conferences where travel time becomes a factor. This move would support us staying in the CAA. Damn…

(09-30-2021 09:12 AM)Anders Wrote:  List of members in the KCIA

https://www.knightcommission.org/bios/

(09-30-2021 09:18 AM)NJDuke97 Wrote:  

(09-30-2021 09:03 AM)CharlestonDuke Wrote:  

(09-30-2021 08:51 AM)Anders Wrote:  

Edit: this might have been better in the Alger thread but I’ll leave it

This seemingly precludes JMU from joining any far flung conferences where travel time becomes a factor. This move would support us staying in the CAA. Damn…

Where did you come up with that conclusion? Just adds to the narrative that Alger is not respected or connected to intercollegiate Athletics…oh wait it appears to run counter to that story.

(09-30-2021 08:51 AM)Anders Wrote:  

Edit: this might have been better in the Alger thread but I’ll leave it

(09-29-2021 04:26 PM)Purplehazed Wrote:  Jack Witten if SI is talking merger between CUSA and Belt, clais soon.

This his second hand info....I have no idea who Jack Witten is or what he knows

(09-30-2021 11:07 AM)Pitz Wrote:  

(09-29-2021 04:26 PM)Purplehazed Wrote:  Jack Witten if SI is talking merger between CUSA and Belt, clais soon.

This his second hand info....I have no idea who Jack Witten is or what he knows

Who?