VCU is the biggest free agent out there right now for a basketball school. Do they stick with the A-10? Go back to the CAA? Go to C-USA or the Aresco league as a bball-only? Or something else?


Personally, I think that UMass is gone to the MAC, leaving the A-10 no more attractive than the CAA. If I were VCU, I'd form a new league:

George Washington (A10)
Richmond (A10)
St. Joe's (A10)
VCU (A10)
George Mason (CAA)
James Madison (CAA)
College of Charleston (CAA)
UNC-Wilmington (CAA)
Sienna (MAAC)
Davidson (Southern)

That's a fairly solid 10-team conference. And it's a bus conference for 8 of the teams (COC and Sienna will have to fly a bit).

If they want to go to 14, add Duquesene, Rhode Island, the Bonnies, and Delaware (simply for the potential - they have a large football fan base)

If (and only if) Navy is still on board for Conference TBA, then I'd love to have VCU in all sports but football.

The A10 just rebuilds with the best schools out there. They already have a better TV deal than the rest of the conferences.

jmu is a school focused more on its football than it's basketball. unless some fbs conference is willing to extend us a football only invite, then we will not be going to a basketball-centered league.

vcu also just fought their hardest to get out of the CAA asap. why would they voluntarily allow their current league to bring in 3 teams that they just got finished running away from? if we can help it, most schools aren't spending millions of dollars in exit and entrance fees just to end up with the exact same conference members that they just left. VCU wants nothing to do with former caa teams.

If it wasn't so difficult to start a new conference, VCU would be best off getting together with some of the stronger A-10 holdovers and some of the stronger CAA hoops programs in a new league.

From the A-10: GWU, LaSalle, St. Joe's, Richmond, VCU, UMass

From the CAA: Delaware, Drexel, George Mason, James Madison, Northeastern, Towson

(03-01-2013 11:35 AM)Chappy Wrote:  If (and only if) Navy is still on board for Conference TBA, then I'd love to have VCU in all sports but football.

Yes.

Not sure VCU would be wanted in a football centric conference such as CUSA. I'd like to have them for the bball but there is a reason Charlotte was originally kicked out of CUSA back in the day. It took us finally starting football to get back.

(03-01-2013 12:57 PM)VA49er Wrote:  Not sure VCU would be wanted in a football centric conference such as CUSA. I'd like to have them for the bball but there is a reason Charlotte was originally kicked out of CUSA back in the day. It took us finally starting football to get back.

You didn't leave of your own accord?

Man... if we can kick schools out... the sky's the limit!

(03-01-2013 11:41 AM)Dukes09 Wrote:  jmu is a school focused more on its football than it's basketball. unless some fbs conference is willing to extend us a football only invite, then we will not be going to a basketball-centered league.

vcu also just fought their hardest to get out of the CAA asap. why would they voluntarily allow their current league to bring in 3 teams that they just got finished running away from? if we can help it, most schools aren't spending millions of dollars in exit and entrance fees just to end up with the exact same conference members that they just left. VCU wants nothing to do with former caa teams.

I doubt that applies to George Mason. VCU had to know during their talks with the A10 that Mason could possibly join them.

(03-01-2013 12:57 PM)VA49er Wrote:  Not sure VCU would be wanted in a football centric conference such as CUSA. I'd like to have them for the bball but there is a reason Charlotte was originally kicked out of CUSA back in the day. It took us finally starting football to get back.

C-USA made a big mistake in kicking out Charlotte in 2003, IMHO, just as it made a big mistake in not inviting VCU in 1995.

If the Aresco-League ("Conference TBA") does invite VCU (or some other Olympic-sports only school), it would be to even out the # of non-football teams at 12. That may or may not be necessary. We'll see. But if it is necessary, I can't think of a better pick out there than the Rams. I followed them in the old Metro days with Tulane and Louisville and Virginia Tech, and even back in the old Sun Belt days with UAB and USF and South Alabama. I would be glad for them to be in the same league as Tulane again.

(03-01-2013 11:41 AM)Dukes09 Wrote:  most schools aren't spending millions of dollars in exit and entrance fees just to end up with the exact same conference members that they just left

Really? Isn't that exactly what all the CUSA 2.0 (conference formerly known as Big East) teams have ended up with? And to a lesser extent, SBC 2.0

(03-01-2013 01:04 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(03-01-2013 12:57 PM)VA49er Wrote:  Not sure VCU would be wanted in a football centric conference such as CUSA. I'd like to have them for the bball but there is a reason Charlotte was originally kicked out of CUSA back in the day. It took us finally starting football to get back.

You didn't leave of your own accord?

Man... if we can kick schools out... the sky's the limit!

Hell no we didn't leave on our own accord. We were basically told to leave due to no football. Not bluntly, mind you, but the writing was clearly written on the wall. Obviously no bridges were burned as now we are back.

I am not sure VCU will have a choice at this point. Sometimes you have to live with a bad decision. VCU's former AD recommended against the move to the A-10 because he thought it was likely it would lose its top programs. He reasoned why leave all that FF money for a likely depleted A-10. If UR gets an invite to the BE then VCU's decision will look even worse.

(03-01-2013 01:17 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(03-01-2013 12:57 PM)VA49er Wrote:  Not sure VCU would be wanted in a football centric conference such as CUSA. I'd like to have them for the bball but there is a reason Charlotte was originally kicked out of CUSA back in the day. It took us finally starting football to get back.

C-USA made a big mistake in kicking out Charlotte in 2003, IMHO, just as it made a big mistake in not inviting VCU in 1995.

If the Aresco-League ("Conference TBA") does invite VCU (or some other Olympic-sports only school), it would be to even out the # of non-football teams at 12. That may or may not be necessary. We'll see. But if it is necessary, I can't think of a better pick out there than the Rams. I followed them in the old Metro days with Tulane and Louisville and Virginia Tech, and even back in the old Sun Belt days with UAB and USF and South Alabama. I would be glad for them to be in the same league as Tulane again.

Is there a school that has had the rug pulled out from under them more times than VCU? I don't think so.

It all comes down to VCU adding football. Since the A-10 is losing many of their good basketball members (and may lose UMass), VCU kind of has their hands tied. Either go UNCC/ODU route,or get stuck with small, private schools like Fordham.

VCU can either pursue football with the goal of joining ODU in CUSA or stay in the A10 with Richmond and possibly GMU. To say VCU is in a bad spot is a huge overstatement. An A10 with GMU, GW, Richmond and some Philly schools would be good for VCU. It wouldn't be the Big East with the C7 but its not a bad fallback

(03-01-2013 01:40 PM)Clueless Economist Wrote:  

(03-01-2013 11:41 AM)Dukes09 Wrote:  most schools aren't spending millions of dollars in exit and entrance fees just to end up with the exact same conference members that they just left

Really? Isn't that exactly what all the CUSA 2.0 (conference formerly known as Big East) teams have ended up with? And to a lesser extent, SBC 2.0

it's what is happening, but it isn't what the school's involved want to actually happen. they are leaving their conference to get away from current members and move on, but then when the higher conference they move to has members do the same thing.... well they find themselves in the same conference they just left and with a big bill to pay.

(03-01-2013 03:51 PM)solohawks Wrote:  VCU can either pursue football with the goal of joining ODU in CUSA or stay in the A10 with Richmond and possibly GMU. To say VCU is in a bad spot is a huge overstatement. An A10 with GMU, GW, Richmond and some Philly schools would be good for VCU. It wouldn't be the Big East with the C7 but its not a bad fallback

Exactly. GW, Richmond, GMU, St. Joe's, LaSalle, and VCU are all within 5 hours of each other and all have solid basketball history. I don't see where VCU would want to go back to a depleted CAA. It's still a good decision. Plus, UMass, URI, and Duquesne have more history than almost any team in the CAA. The A-10 will still be solid.