It seems like a good discussion topic to me. Lots of varying perspective and opinions.

Where does JMU football belong? It feels like the AAC based on spending trends. UConn announced their departure and Aresco publicly said he will listen to universities that approach him to fill the spot.
I wish the data was more current, but what we know is JMU increased their football spending 18% last year to $11.8 million. My assumption is very few football programs increased that percentage vs 2017 because the overall NCAA annual increase is between 3% and 5%.

We also know JMU has turned their nose up at the Sun Belt, CUSA, and the MAC but are already outspending them even with 22 less scholarships ( approx $800K ) not to mention other FBS startup costs.
Without any additional investment than today, JMU is much closer to AAC spending than FCS spending. Is Alger Flying to AAC HQ in Providence every week? Is he trying to make it happen? I hope so, but am not confident based on my interactions with him.

Do we want to align in football only with Navy, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Central Florida, South Florida, Houston, Memphis, Temple, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa? Many are prominent universities, but still second fiddle to State Flagship universities. Kind of like JMU’s position.
The kicker is getting to schedule 4 OOC games per year with Leverage. 1 FCS patsy at home like Richmond/William & Mary, 1 home game and 2 away games against FBS teams like UVA, Va Tech, Maryland, UNC, NC State.

What seemed like a pipe dream 10 years ago is much more feasible now.

My favorite is the argument that the schools of the people you know and work with are JMU's peers. I know a guy that moved to Alaska to work on fishing boats after graduating. Add "The Fisher King Trawler Academy" to the list of JMU's peers.

(09-07-2019 10:59 AM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  It seems like a good discussion topic to me. Lots of varying perspective and opinions.

Where does JMU football belong? It feels like the AAC based on spending trends. UConn announced their departure and Aresco publicly said he will listen to universities that approach him to fill the spot.
I wish the data was more current, but what we know is JMU increased their football spending 18% last year to $11.8 million. My assumption is very few football programs increased that percentage vs 2017 because the overall NCAA annual increase is between 3% and 5%.

We also know JMU has turned their nose up at the Sun Belt, CUSA, and the MAC but are already outspending them even with 22 less scholarships ( approx $800K ) not to mention other FBS startup costs.
Without any additional investment than today, JMU is much closer to AAC spending than FCS spending. Is Alger Flying to AAC HQ in Providence every week? Is he trying to make it happen? I hope so, but am not confident based on my interactions with him.

Do we want to align in football only with Navy, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Central Florida, South Florida, Houston, Memphis, Temple, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa? Many are prominent universities, but still second fiddle to State Flagship universities. Kind of like JMU’s position.
The kicker is getting to schedule 4 OOC games per year with Leverage. 1 FCS patsy at home like Richmond/William & Mary, 1 home game and 2 away games against FBS teams like UVA, Va Tech, Maryland, UNC, NC State.

What seemed like a pipe dream 10 years ago is much more feasible now.

I agree that budget is a big factor in the "peer" consideration, especially when you look at correlation between those funds and one of the areas there's a huge gap in FCS- facilities and crowds. Of course a budget is no guarantee of success, but it's one of many reference points that show a big gap between us and the far majority of FCS.

From an athletics perspective, other important peer qualities are familiarity, proximity, history, relevance and identity. But at the end of the day, it comes down to desirability- which are the schools you want to "be seen with" and compete against? From the excitement level of our FBS games compared to the vast majority of our FCS games, is it not obvious which level most JMU fans would prefer to be associated with?

The AAC will eventually add a Virginia school.

If ODU gets the call solo, JMU fans will go full on nuclear meltdown with cause, FAIL.

If JMU gets the call solo, ODU will go full on nuclear meltdown but ODU alum would at least know the ODU admin 100% tried.

If both go, great.

Hart's metrics above may offer hope but can any of us honestly say that we believe Jon Alger/JMU is out working ODU's admin for an AAC invite? Do we have any real evidence JMU is trying at all besides the "answer the phone" platitudes we get when conference moves are in the news?

Week 2 results (listed from closest to most lopsided)

vs G5
SIU 45, UMass 20
Kent St 26, KSU 23 (OT)
GST 48, Furman 42
Grambling @ La Tech 20, Grambling 14
GSU 26, Maine 18
MTSU 45, Tenn St 26
Prairie View @ Houston 37, Prairie View 17
USA 37, Jackson St 14
Col St 38, WIU 13
Ball St 57, Fordham 29
Memphis 55, Southern 24
Miami (OH) 48, Tenn Tech 17
ECU 48, G Webb 9
UT St 62, SBU 7
1-13

vs P5
Sacramento @ AZ St 19, Sac St 7
AZ 65, NAU 41
UR @ BC 45, UR 13
Duke 45, NC A&T 13
UVA 52, W&M 17
NC St 41, WCU 0
L’Ville 42, EKU 0
OK St 56, McNeese 14
Wa St 59, N Colorado 17
FL 45, UT Martin 0
UGA 63, Murray St 17
Indiana 52, EIU 0
Oklahoma 70, S Dakota 14
USC 72, CSU 10
0-14

Season totals:
vs G5: 2-39
vs P5: 0-27

(09-08-2019 03:03 AM)BDKJMU Wrote:  Week 2 results (listed from closest to most lopsided)

vs G5
SIU 45, UMass 20
Kent St 26, KSU 23 (OT)
GST 48, Furman 42
Grambling @ La Tech 20, Grambling 14
GSU 26, Maine 18
MTSU 45, Tenn St 26
Prairie View @ Houston 37, Prairie View 17
USA 37, Jackson St 14
Col St 38, WIU 13
Ball St 57, Fordham 29
Memphis 55, Southern 24
Miami (OH) 48, Tenn Tech 17
ECU 48, G Webb 9
UT St 62, SBU 7
1-13

vs P5
Sacramento @ AZ St 19, Sac St 7
AZ 65, NAU 41
UR @ BC 45, UR 13
Duke 45, NC A&T 13
UVA 52, W&M 17
NC St 41, WCU 0
L’Ville 42, EKU 0
OK St 56, McNeese 14
Wa St 59, N Colorado 17
FL 45, UT Martin 0
UGA 63, Murray St 17
Indiana 52, EIU 0
Oklahoma 70, S Dakota 14
USC 72, CSU 10
0-14

Season totals:
vs G5: 2-39
vs P5: 0-27

Sadly we are part of the 2 fer 68 alignment.

(09-07-2019 06:54 AM)HyperDuke Wrote:  When a post begins with "Whatever dude", I usually expect a bad argument to follow.

Whatever dude, now this happens.

JMU has arrived. We now have the nations #1 whiny, bitchy fan base that is more concerned with how others perceive us than how we perceive ourselves.

(09-09-2019 11:24 AM)AllForDukes Wrote:  JMU has arrived. We now have the nations #1 whiny, bitchy fan base that is more concerned with how others perceive us than how we perceive ourselves.

We're so whiny and bitchy that we have people whining and bitching about how whiny and bitchy we are!

(09-09-2019 11:24 AM)AllForDukes Wrote:  JMU has arrived. We now have the nations #1 whiny, bitchy fan base that is more concerned with how others perceive us than how we perceive ourselves.

Somebody posted a magazine's college rankings today. Why, perception of a university does not matter.

Besides the Ivies, Georgetown, Nova & W&M whom all can academically afford to not care about foosball conference affiliation the fcs perception is smalltime and it matters. It matters a lot when the athletic budget is not fcs.

(09-09-2019 11:32 AM)fishingduke12 Wrote:  

(09-09-2019 11:24 AM)AllForDukes Wrote:  JMU has arrived. We now have the nations #1 whiny, bitchy fan base that is more concerned with how others perceive us than how we perceive ourselves.

We're so whiny and bitchy that we have people whining and bitching about how whiny and bitchy we are!

That right there is funny!

Speaking of perception, UVa fell out of the top 25.

I bet that matters to UVa and UVa alum.

(09-09-2019 02:02 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(09-09-2019 11:32 AM)fishingduke12 Wrote:  

(09-09-2019 11:24 AM)AllForDukes Wrote:  JMU has arrived. We now have the nations #1 whiny, bitchy fan base that is more concerned with how others perceive us than how we perceive ourselves.

We're so whiny and bitchy that we have people whining and bitching about how whiny and bitchy we are!

That right there is funny!

Funny , but true.

Black kettle.

(09-09-2019 11:32 AM)fishingduke12 Wrote:  

(09-09-2019 11:24 AM)AllForDukes Wrote:  JMU has arrived. We now have the nations #1 whiny, bitchy fan base that is more concerned with how others perceive us than how we perceive ourselves.

We're so whiny and bitchy that we have people whining and bitching about how whiny and bitchy we are!

Then there’s me. Whining and bitching about your whining and bitching about their whining and bitching. Free country. Yadda yadda yadda.

(09-08-2019 03:03 AM)BDKJMU Wrote:  Week 2 results (listed from closest to most lopsided)

vs G5
SIU 45, UMass 20
Kent St 26, KSU 23 (#9) (OT)
GST 48, Furman 42 (#13)
Grambling @ La Tech 20, Grambling 14
GSU 26, Maine 18 (#6)
MTSU 45, Tenn St 26
Prairie View @ Houston 37, Prairie View 17
USA 37, Jackson St 14
Col St 38, WIU 13
Ball St 57, Fordham 29
Memphis 55, Southern 24
Miami (OH) 48, Tenn Tech 17
ECU 48, G Webb 9
UT St 62, SBU 7
1-13

vs P5
Sacramento @ AZ St 19, Sac St 7
AZ 65, NAU 41
UR @ BC 45, UR 13
Duke 45, NC A&T (#17) 13
UVA 52, W&M 17
NC St 41, WCU 0
L’Ville 42, EKU 0
OK St 56, McNeese 14
Wa St 59, N Colorado 17
FL 45, UT Martin 0
UGA 63, Murray St 17
Indiana 52, EIU 0
Oklahoma 70, S Dakota 14
USC 72, CSU 10
0-14

Season totals:
vs G5: 2-39
vs P5: 0-27

A little late for week 2 but here are their games against AGS ranked teams from Week 2.

The G5 played 3 ranked teams. The P5 played one. The one upset was from an unranked FCS team (Southern Illinois).

Season to date games scheduled against ranked FCS (Week 2):
P5 - 9
G5 - 7

Week 3
P5 (1-11)
The Citadel 27, Ga Tech 24
VT 24, Furman 17
Ole Miss 40, SELA 29
Utah 31, Idaho St 0
Oregon 35, Montana 3
Boise State 45, Portland St 10
Oregon State 45, Cal Poly 7
Tenn 45, UTC 0
Mizzou 50, SEMO 0
LSU 65, Northwestern State 14
Tex A&M 62, Lamar 3
Miami 63, Bethune-Cookman 0

G5 (0-8)
Wyoming 21, Idaho 16
Nevada 19, Weber St 13
FIU 30, UNH 17
CCU 46, Norfolk St 7
USF 55, SC State 16
Toledo 45, Murray St 0
Tulane 58, Missouri St 6
ULL 77, TX Southern 6

Season Totals:
vs G5: 2-47
Vs P5: 1-38

Week 4

vs P5
WF 49, Elon 7

vs G5 (0-8)
E Mich 34, CCSU 29
ECU 19, W&M 7
Ark St 41, SIU 28
Fresno St 34, Sac St 20
Hawaii 35, UCA 16
Army 52, Morgan St 21
FAU 42, Wagner 7
Liberty 62, Hampton 27

Season totals:
vs G5: 2-55
vs P5: 1-39

Week 3
P5 (1-11)
The Citadel 27, Ga Tech 24
VT 24, Furman (#13) 17
Ole Miss 40, SELA (#20) 29
Utah 31, Idaho St 0
Oregon 35, Montana (#16) 3
Boise State 45, Portland St 10
Oregon State 45, Cal Poly 7
Tenn 45, UTC 0
Mizzou 50, SEMO (#21) 0
LSU 65, Northwestern State 14
Tex A&M 62, Lamar 3
Miami 63, Bethune-Cookman 0

G5 (0-8)
Wyoming 21, Idaho 16
Nevada 19, Weber St (#7) 13
FIU 30, UNH 17
CCU 46, Norfolk St 7
USF 55, SC State 16
Toledo 45, Murray St 0
Tulane 58, Missouri St 6
ULL 77, TX Southern 6

Week 3 vs ranked FCS (AGS poll)

P5 four games. G5 one game.

Season to Date:
P5: 13 ranked FCS
G5: 8 ranked FCS

Week 4
vs P5
WF 49, Elon (#22) 7

vs G5 (0-8)
E Mich 34, CCSU 29
ECU 19, W&M 7
Ark St 41, SIU 28
Fresno St 34, Sac St 20
Hawaii 35, UCA (#8) 16
Army 52, Morgan St 21
FAU 42, Wagner 7
Liberty 62, Hampton 27

The P5 and G5 had one ranked FCS each.

Season to Date:
P5: 14 ranked FCS
G5: 9 ranked FCS

A clear trend of G5 dodging quality teams more often.