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AAC or bust!!!!!!!!!!

As stated by someone else, the A10 would be a major step down in a lot of sports and would leave football in no-mans land.

Outside of VCU and Dayton basketball the A10 doesn't have much else to offer - Fordham, St. Bonnie, La Salle, Duquense, URI, GW, St Louis, etc. No one cares about these schools anymore than CUSA schools and that's half the conference. Exhibit A is GMU - the A10 hasn't really raised their profile at all.

Furthermore, we already play the schools we care about each year or a lot of years, in the case of GMU, St. Joe (I can live without that dang bird flapping its arms), Richmond.

As a whole and that's how you have to evaluate this situation, CUSA is better for us than the A10.

The CAA isn't even worth discussing. It's ridiculous to think we would step backward as a football program and fans would be much less interested in Stony Brook, Elon, Maine, UNH, Towson, etc. And for the love of Big Blue can we stop talking about JMU? I don't understand some peoples fascination with them - it was a nice, short football rivalry for a while, but they're a dumpster fire in most other sports and don't move the needle nationally as a program (save me the Game Day and JV Championship talk).

A lot of CAA schools play in stadiums half our size and draw crowds no bigger than some high schools. UR plays in a 6,500 seat stadium and they are suppose to be a bigger game for us than Southern Miss or Mid Tenn? I don't see it.

Speaking of stadiums, if we were to stay in the CAA or go back to the CAA () we would not be talking about getting a new stadium. We would be talking about new porta-johns and arguing over the new paint scheme in the Men's restroom.

(12-12-2017 02:25 PM)Cant Tame the Lion Wrote:  As stated by someone else, the A10 would be a major step down in a lot of sports and would leave football in no-mans land.

Outside of VCU and Dayton basketball the A10 doesn't have much else to offer - Fordham, St. Bonnie, La Salle, Duquense, URI, GW, St Louis, etc. No one cares about these schools anymore than CUSA schools and that's half the conference. Exhibit A is GMU - the A10 hasn't really raised their profile at all.

Furthermore, we already play the schools we care about each year or a lot of years, in the case of GMU, St. Joe (I can live without that dang bird flapping its arms), Richmond.

As a whole and that's how you have to evaluate this situation, CUSA is better for us than the A10.

The CAA isn't even worth discussing. It's ridiculous to think we would step backward as a football program and fans would be much less interested in Stony Brook, Elon, Maine, UNH, Towson, etc. And for the love of Big Blue can we stop talking about JMU? I don't understand some peoples fascination with them - it was a nice, short football rivalry for a while, but they're a dumpster fire in most other sports and don't move the needle nationally as a program (save me the Game Day and JV Championship talk).

A lot of CAA schools play in stadiums half our size and draw crowds no bigger than some high schools. UR plays in a 6,500 seat stadium and they are suppose to be a bigger game for us than Southern Miss or Mid Tenn? I don't see it.

Speaking of stadiums, if we were to stay in the CAA or go back to the CAA () we would not be talking about getting a new stadium. We would be talking about new porta-johns and arguing over the new paint scheme in the Men's restroom.

+1111

(12-12-2017 02:14 PM)monarx Wrote:  

(12-12-2017 12:54 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  Just wait for UConn to bail for the Big East. Once we build the new stadium, we will become the best candidate to replace them.

Assuming we actually do a good job with the stadium. Though my guess is they just bring in UMass and call it a day.

I don't see why the Big East would come calling for us.

(12-12-2017 02:14 PM)monarx Wrote:  

(12-12-2017 12:54 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  Just wait for UConn to bail for the Big East. Once we build the new stadium, we will become the best candidate to replace them.

Assuming we actually do a good job with the stadium. Though my guess is they just bring in UMass and call it a day.

Why would UMass be a better AAC candidate? They have the same ills that UConn has with college football; New England just doesnt care about it.

Whatever we're going to do we gotta do it fast and effectively before FAU and the Lane train get in our way.

(12-12-2017 02:58 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(12-12-2017 02:14 PM)monarx Wrote:  

(12-12-2017 12:54 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  Just wait for UConn to bail for the Big East. Once we build the new stadium, we will become the best candidate to replace them.

Assuming we actually do a good job with the stadium. Though my guess is they just bring in UMass and call it a day.

Why would UMass be a better AAC candidate? They have the same ills that UConn has with college football; New England just doesnt care about it.

UMass would replace the geographic footprint left behind by UConn. Though it might be a good thing to let that part of their footprint go. Especially if Cincy leaves too. UMass also brings a better basketball brand than ODU does. One could also argue that Marshall and USM bring as good of a basketball brand these days, better football and established relationships and rivalries with AAC teams already.

I figure ODU gets asked to the AAC one day, but it will be after UConn, Cincy, Houston and Memphis (and probably Navy) have left. I'd still happily take it though, because I want to be in a conference with ECU and Temple. If that included Navy, Marshall and UMass as well, even better.

(12-12-2017 02:25 PM)Cant Tame the Lion Wrote:  As stated by someone else, the A10 would be a major step down in a lot of sports and would leave football in no-mans land.

Outside of VCU and Dayton basketball the A10 doesn't have much else to offer - Fordham, St. Bonnie, La Salle, Duquense, URI, GW, St Louis, etc. No one cares about these schools anymore than CUSA schools and that's half the conference. Exhibit A is GMU - the A10 hasn't really raised their profile at all.

Furthermore, we already play the schools we care about each year or a lot of years, in the case of GMU, St. Joe (I can live without that dang bird flapping its arms), Richmond.

As a whole and that's how you have to evaluate this situation, CUSA is better for us than the A10.

The CAA isn't even worth discussing. It's ridiculous to think we would step backward as a football program and fans would be much less interested in Stony Brook, Elon, Maine, UNH, Towson, etc. And for the love of Big Blue can we stop talking about JMU? I don't understand some peoples fascination with them - it was a nice, short football rivalry for a while, but they're a dumpster fire in most other sports and don't move the needle nationally as a program (save me the Game Day and JV Championship talk).

A lot of CAA schools play in stadiums half our size and draw crowds no bigger than some high schools. UR plays in a 6,500 seat stadium and they are suppose to be a bigger game for us than Southern Miss or Mid Tenn? I don't see it.

Speaking of stadiums, if we were to stay in the CAA or go back to the CAA () we would not be talking about getting a new stadium. We would be talking about new porta-johns and arguing over the new paint scheme in the Men's restroom.

Good stuff here and a lot of truth. VCU and Dayton have resources to remain good, but I'm not sure the A10 after losing Xavier, Butler after a few seconds, coupled with the Wichita State pipe dream, will have as strong a top 4 as CUSA after this year even. We're not better than them yet, but I think WKU, MTSU, and ODU are already in there and just need to play out the stretch to prove it.

UMass' better basketball brand has 1 NCAA tournament appearance in the last 20 years.

(12-12-2017 04:51 PM)FearTheLion Wrote:  

(12-12-2017 02:25 PM)Cant Tame the Lion Wrote:  As stated by someone else, the A10 would be a major step down in a lot of sports and would leave football in no-mans land.

Outside of VCU and Dayton basketball the A10 doesn't have much else to offer - Fordham, St. Bonnie, La Salle, Duquense, URI, GW, St Louis, etc. No one cares about these schools anymore than CUSA schools and that's half the conference. Exhibit A is GMU - the A10 hasn't really raised their profile at all.

Furthermore, we already play the schools we care about each year or a lot of years, in the case of GMU, St. Joe (I can live without that dang bird flapping its arms), Richmond.

As a whole and that's how you have to evaluate this situation, CUSA is better for us than the A10.

The CAA isn't even worth discussing. It's ridiculous to think we would step backward as a football program and fans would be much less interested in Stony Brook, Elon, Maine, UNH, Towson, etc. And for the love of Big Blue can we stop talking about JMU? I don't understand some peoples fascination with them - it was a nice, short football rivalry for a while, but they're a dumpster fire in most other sports and don't move the needle nationally as a program (save me the Game Day and JV Championship talk).

A lot of CAA schools play in stadiums half our size and draw crowds no bigger than some high schools. UR plays in a 6,500 seat stadium and they are suppose to be a bigger game for us than Southern Miss or Mid Tenn? I don't see it.

Speaking of stadiums, if we were to stay in the CAA or go back to the CAA () we would not be talking about getting a new stadium. We would be talking about new porta-johns and arguing over the new paint scheme in the Men's restroom.

Good stuff here and a lot of truth. VCU and Dayton have resources to remain good, but I'm not sure the A10 after losing Xavier, Butler after a few seconds, coupled with the Wichita State pipe dream, will have as strong a top 4 as CUSA after this year even. We're not better than them yet, but I think WKU, MTSU, and ODU are already in there and just need to play out the stretch to prove it.

Perhaps, but why then does the A10 have what appears to be 5x the number of games on TV and 3 or 4 teams in the NCAA tournament? I agree that the top 4 or even top 6 in CUSA are very good, but if we can't turn that into multiple bids and an actual television package it may as well be the MEAC.

(12-12-2017 04:58 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  UMass' better basketball brand has 1 NCAA tournament appearance in the last 20 years.

Beat me to it. I keep hearing their brand is better. Why? I thought they had a brand too because of the name... "UMass"... but when I looked it up they've had a worse 20 year run than us by a long stretch.

They've been relatively mediocre since 1998 outside a handful 20+ win seasons. But I guess brand is just that.

(12-12-2017 05:00 PM)monarx Wrote:  Perhaps, but why then does the A10 have what appears to be 5x the number of games on TV and 3 or 4 teams in the NCAA tournament? I agree that the top 4 or even top 6 in CUSA are very good, but if we can't turn that into multiple bids and an actual television package it may as well be the MEAC.

I don't disagree with this, but I also don't believe the A-10's best days are ahead. The days of even 3 teams getting in might be gone...we'll see. On the TV package, I think CUSA just needs to get an at large bid to establish itself. We have historically good basketball programs but TV probably wants to see it come together.

I also think the ADs, Wood included, need to take the lead to get this corrected, because the league office has failed mightily on creating brand value.

I don't get paid enough to figure out. I just know that as a member of the class of 2006 and supporter of Old Dominion athletics I am not happy with what has happened in the name of football. If we were going to make some sacrifices to move to FBS you would think we would have made some immediate major improvements to our football program to accommodate the move. We have not and we are truly enjoying it on the field of play. Those ACC games sure are great aren't they. Hardly even competitive. The shortened 4th Q was just a taste of things to come if we don't get our act together.

We want it and we want it now. Sadly that isn't the way things are without having some really deep pocketed alumni carrying the weight. Unless the fans can all the sudden come up with 100 million dollars it's going to take time.

how much Time do we have to make our move in this current NCAA Football climate before our move is made irrelevant when the g5 is inevitably relegated back to a lesser league? It seems like the AAC is working on correcting this for themselves and desperately trying not to be left behind. Where will we be when it all goes down? Will it have been worth it? Obviously this is worst case if the Monster gets its way.

(12-12-2017 05:10 PM)bit_9 Wrote:  

(12-12-2017 04:58 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  UMass' better basketball brand has 1 NCAA tournament appearance in the last 20 years.

Beat me to it. I keep hearing their brand is better. Why? I thought they had a brand too because of the name... "UMass"... but when I looked it up they've had a worse 20 year run than us by a long stretch.

They've been relatively mediocre since 1998 outside a handful 20+ win seasons. But I guess brand is just that.

Because Coach Cal got them to the Final 4 some 30 years ago. Did they actually have to vacate that? I honestly don't know.

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On May 8, 1997, the NCAA Executive Committee voted to negate the Minutemen's 1996 NCAA Tournament record, for Marcus Camby's acceptance of agents' improper gifts.[1] The 35–2 record was reduced to 31–1, and the UMass slot in the Final Four is officially marked as "vacated." The Final Four trophy, banner and 45% of tournament revenue were returned to the NCAA. Camby reimbursed the school for the $151,617 in lost revenue.

(12-12-2017 05:25 PM)bit_9 Wrote:  We want it and we want it now. Sadly that isn't the way things are without having some really deep pocketed alumni carrying the weight. Unless the fans can all the sudden come up with 100 million dollars it's going to take time.

You could hire a brand name coach for about $3M and fix it in 2 years. The $100M route won't fix it. You hit the epitome of the problem.

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(12-12-2017 07:59 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(12-12-2017 05:25 PM)bit_9 Wrote:  We want it and we want it now. Sadly that isn't the way things are without having some really deep pocketed alumni carrying the weight. Unless the fans can all the sudden come up with 100 million dollars it's going to take time.

You could hire a brand name coach for about $3M and fix it in 2 years. The $100M route won't fix it. You hit the epitome of the problem.

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Would be interesting to see how a 3 million dollar coach would do with limited school resources. I would guess they don't look as good.

They were not born brand name coaches. They got there by winning big at schools with limited resources, then moving up the food chain.