News from yesterday. My apologizes if already had been posted on the ‘Newest Conference Rumor’ thread. I don’t bother ever going on there anymore because its 400+ pages of mind numbing blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Also this isn’t a rumor. If you want to move this over there mod/H’burg, fine by me..

So it looks like for Connecticut the possibilities are:
1. Remain in the AAC for football: Unlikely AAC will allow this.
2. Join another conference for football only: Unlikely another conference will allow this.
3. Become the 7th I-A football independent, joining Notre Dame, Army, Massachusetts, Liberty, BYU, New Mexico.
https://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-foo...utType=amp
4. Drop to I-AA, taking the Idaho route. I imagine this is unlikely.
5. Drop football. Most likely in the long run?

As for future implications for JMU, I’m sure will be discussed ad nauseum on the 400+ page Rumor thread..

From late Jan, but even more applicable now. Makes a compelling argument Connecticut pulling an Idaho and dropping down, even though I’m sure its highly unlikely Connecticut would do this.
https://www.sbnation.com/college-footbal...ll-aac-fcs

(06-23-2019 06:53 AM)BDKJMU Wrote:  From late Jan, but even more applicable now. Makes a compelling argument Connecticut pulling an Idaho and dropping down, even though I’m sure its highly unlikely Connecticut would do this.
https://www.sbnation.com/college-footbal...ll-aac-fcs

Highly unlikely but Villanova & Georgetown play FCS football.....and it certainly doesn't seem to have a negative effect on their basketball programs.

I’m glad this has its own thread, if for any reason than NCR is too large to function without quadruple posting every time someone posts.

(06-23-2019 09:36 AM)Potomac Wrote:  I’m glad this has its own thread, if for any reason than NCR is too large to function without quadruple posting every time someone posts.

I'm surprised GTS hasn't shut that thread down and made you start a new one yet

So many schools have stayed the FCS designation rather than move up. Football is expensive and in the northeast where pro teams exists, college football goes mostly unnoticed. UConn likely regretted leaving the BE the day after doing so but could not admit their mistake. College football will continue to thrive in the south in cities that don’t have pro teams; otherwise, it is going to struggle and more schools will make money decisions like this.

Look for UMass and UConn to work together to form a football only FBS league with the other independents and high level FCS schools..

The AAC is really getting into a bind trying to create travel partners which is an important piece of all G5 conferences for most sports outside of football. Trying to pair Temple with ECU is not a good situation. Memphis and Cincy are seven hours apart. Those four schools are simply way too far apart to receive the benefit of playing two games in three days without flying from one to the other. It's simply a mess for scheduling and saving costs at the same time.

It's probably a step up for their MBB and a baby step for WBB. The BE isn't what it once was, with the departure of Notre Dame et al, but it's a little better than the AAC in terms of WBB anyway.

As for creating travel partners, the AAC isn't much worse than C-USA, or for that matter the Big 12 or the SEC these days. Take a look at where some of these schools are located and get back to me. Conference realignments are ridiculous any more.

(06-23-2019 10:54 AM)CameramanJ Wrote:  

(06-23-2019 09:36 AM)Potomac Wrote:  I’m glad this has its own thread, if for any reason than NCR is too large to function without quadruple posting every time someone posts.

I'm surprised GTS hasn't shut that thread down and made you start a new one yet

Hburg has asked the same and 80% of our posters lose their **** that they’re being censored.

Pretty sure I called them not remaining the AAC for too much longer his past season and people dismissed it because their FB team had only had a couple bad years or something... Anyway, the chances of them staying in the AAC for football is extremely unlikely. That means that whether we get the unlikely call up or someone else in the region does (leaving an open space in their wake), this will be one of the best chances for JMU to move up. The only way this doesn't at least help our chances is if CUSA or MAC trades for FB-only UConn and one of their schools moves up to AAC, but I think that scenario is very unlikely.

I'd love an invite from the AAC as much as anybody. And I truly believe that's the only conference (other than the pipedream "East Coast Conference") that the admin would act on. But despite many valid reasons why we should be in the mix of schools being considered, I don't see it happening. They are a conference that has worked hard to separate themselves with the P6 moniker. Adding an FCS football school, even one like JMU that defeats their members on the gridiron, would not further their public relations cause.

Our upside would be tremendous with membership there, but can't see us overcoming the FCS stink as discussions commence. It would truly be a shame too, because several of the current AAC members have reached full potential and will never improve on what they are now. Maybe if we were to knock off WVU and had a good year in basketball...

Here's CBS Sports early take. Some of the suggestions are insulting, but they are already in the "Club"
https://www.cbssports.com/college-footba...placement/

(06-23-2019 02:06 PM)olddawg Wrote:  I'd love an invite from the AAC as much as anybody. And I truly believe that's the only conference (other than the pipedream "East Coast Conference") that the admin would act on. But despite many valid reasons why we should be in the mix of schools being considered, I don't see it happening. They are a conference that has worked hard to separate themselves with the P6 moniker. Adding an FCS football school, even one like JMU that defeats their members on the gridiron, would not further their public relations cause. Our upside would be tremendous with membership there, but can't see us overcoming the FCS stink as discussions commence. It would truly be a shame too, because several of the current AAC members have reached full potential and will never improve on what they are now. Maybe if we were to knock off WVU and had a good year in basketball...

Here's CBS Sports early take. Some of the suggestions are insulting, but they are already in the "Club"
https://www.cbssports.com/college-footba...placement/

100% agree, olddawg. Bottom line, I think JMU's lack of serious attention and investment in men's hoops is going to kill any chances. If JMU would've become a much bigger player in MBB over a decade ago, I'd like our chances but we didn't. Not just a new arena, but head coaches, buzz around the program due to multiple conference titles and advancing in the NCAAT, etc.

Once again, those who want greener pastures focus far too much on football when the real difference is in MBB (IMO). To get the votes of the likes of Memphis, Wichita State, and so forth, we are viewed as nothing in MBB unfortunately.

Well said WP. Our weak men's basketball program is going to prevent us from getting an AAC invite.

Realistically speaking, we need to hope AAC steals a team from CUSA not named ODU and we can be invited to CUSA and renew our rivalry with ODU.

(06-23-2019 02:33 PM)Rock House Duke Wrote:  Well said WP. Our weak men's basketball program is going to prevent us from getting an AAC invite.

Harrisonburg, VA is doing more to hurt us than any other factor.

(06-23-2019 03:01 PM)Potomac Wrote:  

(06-23-2019 02:33 PM)Rock House Duke Wrote:  Well said WP. Our weak men's basketball program is going to prevent us from getting an AAC invite.

Harrisonburg, VA is doing more to hurt us than any other factor.

Please elaborate.

(06-23-2019 02:43 PM)Rock House Duke Wrote:  Realistically speaking, we need to hope AAC steals a team from CUSA not named ODU and we can be invited to CUSA and renew our rivalry with ODU.

Yes, this is the best, realistic case scenario for JMU at this point. We also have to hope CUSA doesn’t want to take from the Sun Belt. I’d imagine app and Georgia state would jump at a CUSA spot.

(06-23-2019 03:02 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(06-23-2019 03:01 PM)Potomac Wrote:  

(06-23-2019 02:33 PM)Rock House Duke Wrote:  Well said WP. Our weak men's basketball program is going to prevent us from getting an AAC invite.

Harrisonburg, VA is doing more to hurt us than any other factor.

Please elaborate.

An estimated metro area consisting of 134k population.

(06-23-2019 03:06 PM)Potomac Wrote:  

(06-23-2019 03:02 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(06-23-2019 03:01 PM)Potomac Wrote:  

(06-23-2019 02:33 PM)Rock House Duke Wrote:  Well said WP. Our weak men's basketball program is going to prevent us from getting an AAC invite.

Harrisonburg, VA is doing more to hurt us than any other factor.

Please elaborate.

An estimated metro area consisting of 134k population.

OK thanks. Wasn't sure what you meant. I tend to agree with that viewpoint. The Valley has a lot more people of course. Heck, Charlottesville only has 48K people. Certainly, the Tidewater, Charlotte, and places like that have a much larger set of eyeballs to watch TV's.

I will disagree with you but only slightly. I think if JMU had invested in being significantly better in MBB 1-2 decades ago, the relatively small size "view" of Harrisonburg would've been overlooked. When you can't even draw 1,200 for a home MBB game with a student population of over 20K it doesn't matter if we are in Harrisonburg or NYC or Honolulu or Mars.

(06-23-2019 02:43 PM)Rock House Duke Wrote:  Realistically speaking, we need to hope AAC steals a team from CUSA not named ODU and we can be invited to CUSA and renew our rivalry with ODU.

Have we not determined that JMU would turn down CUSA for reason, not a perfect situation?