(09-10-2021 04:15 AM)OscarWildeCat Wrote:  

(09-10-2021 12:35 AM)Troy_Fan_15 Wrote:  

(09-10-2021 12:34 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  I posted a link that Chattanooga might make a move now. SBC pursued them before. They do have good history of footbaall and men's basketball.

I would rather keep the 12 we have now. JMU might be the ONLY FCS team worth inviting up and keep perceptions up but I think the SBC is beyond that now. They got their eyes on teams like Marshall and Southern Miss I bet.

JMU’s athletic budget us bigger by far than any current or prospective member of the SBC and their facilities are definitely FBS quality. https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances

The question isn’t whether the SBC would be interested in JMU. It’s whether JMU would be interested in the SBC.

During the last round of expansion JMU let it be known that while they were open to a move to FBS they wouldn’t join the SBC which at the time was the lowest ranked conference in FBS. The SBC has improved significantly since then, so JMU might entertain this option.

JMU wouldn't join at the time because the Sun Belt was at 11 members, needed to get to 12 to hold a conference title game (per NCAA rules) and included Idaho and NM State.

Alot has changed:

no requirement for 12 which led to....
Idaho and NM state getting the boot and
Coastal (a more regional school for JMU) coming in to get back to 10

and let's be clear, JMU said they WOULD go for football only. but the SB wanted an all sports member. And because of the geography at the time (with ID/NMSt) JMU didn't think it was a good fit.

if the SB comes again, especially if paired with another east cost team (Marshall, Liberty, ODU), there is no doubt JMU would say yes this time.