Yeah, I would bet the future involves getting that celebration bowl money funneled to the SWAC title game that might have a cool “bowl” title. There’s still quite a few other HBCUs scattered across a few conferences, so maybe there’s hope to have a system where the top-rated non-SWAC team plays the SWAC champ in the Celebration Bowl. Will be interesting to see if the $$$ to participate in a Celebration Bowl (for the non-SWAC team) will trump the desire to play in the playoffs. I imagine in such a scenario that schools will have to indicate their preference maybe even before the season starts.

(06-26-2020 10:30 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(06-26-2020 10:23 AM)HyperDuke Wrote:  Can they do a “bowl” that’s just the SWAC title game? Keep all that money/exposure while participating in the playoffs?

That's what I was thinking when I said they may devise something else. This past year, they did the SWAC title game on Dec. 7. If they do a SWAC title game as a substitute for MEAC vs SWAC and stick to the same type schedule, they won't be in the playoffs of course because they typically are announced before Thanksgiving and start Turkey Day weekend. Doing a SWAC title game and being a part of the playoffs isn't really feasible in many ways (they'd have to do the title game in mid-November). So, they either dump the title game idea and head full steam ahead with the playoffs like the other D1AA conferences do it or they continue to stay out of the playoffs and schedule title/bowl games however/whenever they want. I'd bet on the latter.

I've read on FCS Nation that they can't do playoffs and have a title game per NCAA. They make too much with their own closed system and their playoff history being spotty over the last two decades it just doesn't make sense to ditch the big payday and national exposure of the Celebration Bowl. I agree it isn't going away completely but it won't make sense for it to be MEAC vs. SWAC (if there is even a MEAC at all). I think you're spot on with the 'latter' comment.

How would JMU feel about adding Howard and NC Central to the CAA now that the MEAC is imploding. This would give the CAA 9 "core" football members, 7 all sports CAA members plus Richmond and Villanova, allowing for the northern football schools to cut loose so they can do their own thing.

This would also allow the CAA to have a true northern and southern half for basketball and other sports helping alleviate the Boston to Charleston round robin travel burden that we have now

I would have no issue with either of those schools joining the CAA but it would also give another reason for us to leave in my opinion. They are both great schools but not the same level at all.

Would rather have Norfolk State than NCCU, personally. Howard would be great academically but those football facilities are URI-level bad.

To follow-up, Howard COULD happen, but I don’t see that bringing in NCCU (who’s not been D1 long at all), nor do I see it resulting in booting all the FB affiliates. They want to be in the CAAF. In closing, I hope Richmond U burns to the ground.

(06-26-2020 01:41 PM)HyperDuke Wrote:  In closing, I hope Richmond U burns to the ground.

Wait. What? Hope? You mean that hasn't been taken care of already? DAMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT! I just arranged for that to take place a couple of weeks ago. Thanks for the heads up. I'll get this taken care of before the weekend is over. You just can't buy good criminals anymore. Sheesh.

(06-26-2020 01:04 PM)solohawks Wrote:  How would JMU feel about adding Howard and NC Central to the CAA now that the MEAC is imploding. This would give the CAA 9 "core" football members, 7 all sports CAA members plus Richmond and Villanova, allowing for the northern football schools to cut loose so they can do their own thing.

This would also allow the CAA to have a true northern and southern half for basketball and other sports helping alleviate the Boston to Charleston round robin travel burden that we have now

If the CAA added Howard and NCCU, I would definitely hope it would not be at the expense of losing the northern football schools. Losing UNH and Maine would seriously downgrade the competition of the league and hurt our standing as the top one or two football conferences in the FCS.
Howard might be good for the conference academically, but their football team is terrible, and their football facilities are laughable. MEAC football does not stack up with CAA football. we don't need to add bad MEAC teams at the expense of good CAA teams
If we're talking about travel and geography, then I would hope the goal would be to be part of a better/more competitive conference

I'd say that the best thing that could happen would be for the MEAC to crumble (which seems inevitable) then some Eastern CUSA and Sun Belt schools buy the shell, and JMU gets invited to be part of that conference. With the MEAC shell, the NCAA auto-bid would remain. Then what's left of the CUSA and Sun Belt could do whatever they want.

For my money, Howard would be a great fit for the Patriot League. Academics and location align, they could share a league with American U, drop scholarships for football and still have a playoff bid, and rise to a better basketball conference.

NCCU makes more sense in the Big South - NC A&T would be a better fit for the CAA, with their aspirations of the last decade coming to fruition.

Maybe the CAA’s flexible scheduling model will teach us more about how these programs stack up.

Imo the Caa would be better off adding Monmouth if they are expanding. Word is they kicked the tires on Robert Morris.

With the Big South now home to Hampton, A&T and potentially SCSU/NCCU/NSU, I suspect most would rather keep playing those rivals. Think Hampton would go, but not sure about any others. I do realize A&T has been checking out FBS, so they might be more willing than the others. We need to see what happens with SCSU/NCCU/NSU/Howard first.

(06-26-2020 11:48 AM)JMaddy Wrote:  

(06-26-2020 10:30 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(06-26-2020 10:23 AM)HyperDuke Wrote:  Can they do a “bowl” that’s just the SWAC title game? Keep all that money/exposure while participating in the playoffs?

That's what I was thinking when I said they may devise something else. This past year, they did the SWAC title game on Dec. 7. If they do a SWAC title game as a substitute for MEAC vs SWAC and stick to the same type schedule, they won't be in the playoffs of course because they typically are announced before Thanksgiving and start Turkey Day weekend. Doing a SWAC title game and being a part of the playoffs isn't really feasible in many ways (they'd have to do the title game in mid-November). So, they either dump the title game idea and head full steam ahead with the playoffs like the other D1AA conferences do it or they continue to stay out of the playoffs and schedule title/bowl games however/whenever they want. I'd bet on the latter.

I've read on FCS Nation that they can't do playoffs and have a title game per NCAA. They make too much with their own closed system and their playoff history being spotty over the last two decades it just doesn't make sense to ditch the big payday and national exposure of the Celebration Bowl. I agree it isn't going away completely but it won't make sense for it to be MEAC vs. SWAC (if there is even a MEAC at all). I think you're spot on with the 'latter' comment.

Along with their title game, the SWAC has the Bayou Classic (Grambling vs Southern) on NBC or NBCSN on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (1st week of playoffs). And with many other rivalries held on Friday of that weekend, there is a lot less competition for viewers. (Plus, they actually show the bands!) There is no way those teams voluntarily give up that game. I would assume the SWAC gets some cut of that $$$ as well. This is much bigger than the Celebration Bowl.

(06-26-2020 02:15 PM)DukeThaDawg Wrote:  

(06-26-2020 01:04 PM)solohawks Wrote:  How would JMU feel about adding Howard and NC Central to the CAA now that the MEAC is imploding. This would give the CAA 9 "core" football members, 7 all sports CAA members plus Richmond and Villanova, allowing for the northern football schools to cut loose so they can do their own thing.

This would also allow the CAA to have a true northern and southern half for basketball and other sports helping alleviate the Boston to Charleston round robin travel burden that we have now

If the CAA added Howard and NCCU, I would definitely hope it would not be at the expense of losing the northern football schools. Losing UNH and Maine would seriously downgrade the competition of the league and hurt our standing as the top one or two football conferences in the FCS.
Howard might be good for the conference academically, but their football team is terrible, and their football facilities are laughable. MEAC football does not stack up with CAA football. we don't need to add bad MEAC teams at the expense of good CAA teams
If we're talking about travel and geography, then I would hope the goal would be to be part of a better/more competitive conference

I'd say that the best thing that could happen would be for the MEAC to crumble (which seems inevitable) then some Eastern CUSA and Sun Belt schools buy the shell, and JMU gets invited to be part of that conference. With the MEAC shell, the NCAA auto-bid would remain. Then what's left of the CUSA and Sun Belt could do whatever they want.

I've thought about this, but there are some issues that would have to be sorted out. First, there likely will be some schools left in the MEAC to invite said C-USA/SB schools into their league. For example, I think Howard, Delaware State, NCCU, Norfolk State, and maybe SCSU will be able to find some landing spot. (Maybe Howard --> Patriot, Del. State --> NEC, and NSU/NCCU/SCSU -->ASUN/Big South football.) That would leave Coppin State, Morgan State, and UMES with the ability to TRY to invite whomever they can in order to keep the MEAC's existence and to avoid going down to D2.

Would C-USA, SB, and JMU want to join a league with those schools? On the one hand, they question of whether their new league would be able to have an automatic NCAA bid would be eliminated. They'd be able to collectively determine their roster of members without having to get cooperation from schools way out on the western footprint of their leagues.

On the other hand, there would be a huge disparity in resources between legacy MEAC members and incoming members. There also would be a question of how the "new" MEAC would be able to have bowl tie ins, TV contracts, and get included in the CFP contract. Right now, only tge AAC, MW, SB, MAC, and C-USA can have access to the NY6 bowl bid.

Also, I feel a little wrong for even discussing this. It's kind of dancing on the MEAC's grave before it's actually dead.

I don't think anyone is celebrating the possible end of the MEAC, but it is an interesting possibility to discuss. I don't think it would happen, and I don't know how the NCAA would react (in this or any climate) to a conference shell being sold to schools not in the conference, and then those new conference members moving that shell from FCS to FBS. I don't see what would be in it for the P5 schools, so I don't know if they would grant a waiver or whatever would need to be done to facilitate a new FBS conference.

(06-26-2020 05:54 PM)NJDuke97 Wrote:  Imo the Caa would be better off adding Monmouth if they are expanding. Word is they kicked the tires on Robert Morris.

WE HAVE GOT TO GO...

(07-01-2020 08:34 AM)bcp_jmu Wrote:  

(06-26-2020 05:54 PM)NJDuke97 Wrote:  Imo the Caa would be better off adding Monmouth if they are expanding. Word is they kicked the tires on Robert Morris.

WE HAVE GOT TO GO...

And there we go...

...5-star MBB student-athlete commits to Howard over UCLA...

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket...oward-ucla

History in the making as far as recruiting goes. That is, a 5-star recruit going to a HBCU.

There's an "HBCU movement?" Really? I hadn't heard of that.

5-star basketball phenom Makur Maker chooses Howard over Kentucky and UCLA

(07-03-2020 08:53 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  And there we go...

...5-star MBB student-athlete commits to Howard over UCLA...

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket...oward-ucla

History in the making as far as recruiting goes. That is, a 5-star recruit going to a HBCU.

It's just a publicity thing. He's going to the G-League. Maybe if something goes awry and he can't play in the G-League he'll be forced to play for Howard lol? That would be interesting to see.

(07-03-2020 09:53 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  

(07-03-2020 08:53 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  And there we go...

...5-star MBB student-athlete commits to Howard over UCLA...

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket...oward-ucla

History in the making as far as recruiting goes. That is, a 5-star recruit going to a HBCU.

It's just a publicity thing. He's going to the G-League. Maybe if something goes awry and he can't play in the G-League he'll be forced to play for Howard lol? That would be interesting to see.

Not so sure about that. There is at least one other high level basketball prospect who is suggesting that he will play for an HCBU as well. Could start a trend.