(11-02-2020 10:34 AM)14SemesterDuke Wrote:  We're still monitoring the situation as things are fluid

Yes, but who's monitoring the monitoring? I demand a $75,000 report on the subject by an appropriate blue-ribbon panel.

(11-04-2020 10:25 AM)Madison 91 Forever Wrote:  

(11-02-2020 10:34 AM)14SemesterDuke Wrote:  We're still monitoring the situation as things are fluid

Yes, but who's monitoring the monitoring? I demand a $75,000 report on the subject by an appropriate blue-ribbon panel.

Well ......

Before all that happens we should have a board meeting, with Alger contacting everyone in advance to find out what they will say at the board meeting.

(11-04-2020 10:25 AM)Madison 91 Forever Wrote:  

(11-02-2020 10:34 AM)14SemesterDuke Wrote:  We're still monitoring the situation as things are fluid

Yes, but who's monitoring the monitoring? I demand a $75,000 report on the subject by an appropriate blue-ribbon panel.

If you give me a days notice, I'll have the report ready for you (as long as I'm paid in advance and you tell me exactly what findings you require)

Why not just move up? What is holding JMU back?

(11-04-2020 09:17 PM)FBS Dave Wrote:  Why not just move up? What is holding JMU back?

No conference, not enough money to play as an independent.

Don’t want to be in a conference with schools from Texas and Louisiana when there is no TV money to pay for the travel. We don’t have a donor base with deep enough pockets to fund the cost of a move to FBS.

(11-04-2020 09:17 PM)FBS Dave Wrote:  Why not just move up? What is holding JMU back?

Alger, Bourne, and King have been waiting for your to reveal your true identity. After that JMU will instantly move to the ACC.

When the perfect situation comes along, we'll stop monitoring and start considering!

(11-05-2020 07:18 AM)JMU2004 Wrote:  

(11-04-2020 09:17 PM)FBS Dave Wrote:  Why not just move up? What is holding JMU back?

No conference, not enough money to play as an independent.

You already have costs equal to G5/MAC programs. How much more is it to be FBS independent? What is the actual $$$ number? I understand the extra scholarships for men and women. That it not much in actual costs.

FCS has no revenue. You would have more buy games as FBS and you could get a modest TV contract like UConn did.

(11-05-2020 07:39 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  Don’t want to be in a conference with schools from Texas and Louisiana when there is no TV money to pay for the travel. We don’t have a donor base with deep enough pockets to fund the cost of a move to FBS.

I can see that those conference affiliations are not attractive. A move to FBS Independent is now possible as Liberty set the precedent. The old rules of having to be invited up (like UMass to the MAC) no longer apply.

Now JMU can just move up to a better schedule like UConn has put together.

The costs for FBS level have mostly already been spent by JMU. You have the stadium, the facilities, and the G5 level operational spending. What is the big cost?

Huskies’ 2021 schedule includes home games against Purdue, Wyoming and Middle Tennessee, and road games at Fresno State, Army, UMass, Clemson and Central Florida.

The 2022 schedule has home games vs. Central Connecticut, Syracuse, Fresno State and Boston College, with road games at Utah State, Michigan, North Carolina State, Florida International, Ball State and Army.

Virginia Tech, Virginia, ODU, App State, Marshall, Coastal Carolina, Kentucky, Wake Forest, Duke, West Virginia, Navy....

It seems like JMU could put together a very attractive regional indy schedule, much like UConn has.

(11-05-2020 07:43 AM)GaryMatthews Wrote:  

(11-04-2020 09:17 PM)FBS Dave Wrote:  Why not just move up? What is holding JMU back?

Alger, Bourne, and King have been waiting for your to reveal your true identity. After that JMU will instantly move to the ACC.

It's Dave

(11-05-2020 07:39 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  Don’t want to be in a conference with schools from Texas and Louisiana when there is no TV money to pay for the travel. We don’t have a donor base with deep enough pockets to fund the cost of a move to FBS.

This is not a complete picture...
JMU stunts the potential of the two most popular, relevant, revenue sports to fully fund whatever you call the other sports. Wrong or right, not saying, but isn't this a more complete picture?

JMU can afford FBS football.

(11-05-2020 10:56 AM)FBS Dave Wrote:  

(11-05-2020 07:18 AM)JMU2004 Wrote:  

(11-04-2020 09:17 PM)FBS Dave Wrote:  Why not just move up? What is holding JMU back?

No conference, not enough money to play as an independent.

You already have costs equal to G5/MAC programs. How much more is it to be FBS independent? What is the actual $$$ number? I understand the extra scholarships for men and women. That it not much in actual costs.

FCS has no revenue. You would have more buy games as FBS and you could get a modest TV contract like UConn did.

Not much in actual costs? An estimate (now several years old) was an additional $4-5 million was needed to support JMU moving to FBS level FB.

When the university is struggling to address a COVID related $30+ million budget shortfall adding another $4 mil to the burden is not going to happen. Especially when G5 television is rapidly shrinking.

(11-05-2020 11:31 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(11-05-2020 10:56 AM)FBS Dave Wrote:  

(11-05-2020 07:18 AM)JMU2004 Wrote:  

(11-04-2020 09:17 PM)FBS Dave Wrote:  Why not just move up? What is holding JMU back?

No conference, not enough money to play as an independent.

You already have costs equal to G5/MAC programs. How much more is it to be FBS independent? What is the actual $$$ number? I understand the extra scholarships for men and women. That it not much in actual costs.

FCS has no revenue. You would have more buy games as FBS and you could get a modest TV contract like UConn did.

Not much in actual costs? An estimate (now several years old) was an additional $4-5 million was needed to support JMU moving to FBS level FB.

When the university is struggling to address a COVID related $30+ million budget shortfall adding another $4 mil to the burden is not going to happen. Especially when G5 television is rapidly shrinking.

As I said JMU already is spending most of the FBS level costs. You have made significant investments that apply to FBS.

Let's look at the numbers. 22 more scholarships, times 2 for women's Title IX matching.

Let's fully load the costs at $35,000 as a mix of in-state and out-of-state. That's $1.54M.

From an accounting perspective these are really incremental costs. You aren't investing more overhead for classrooms, teachers, etc. for these incremental scholarships. So the real incremental costs are less than the fully loaded costs that are documented.

Where does the other $4M in costs come from? If you increase salaries, that is a choice. A regional travel schedule may cost less than a conference travel schedule, even a FCS conference.

That is a look at costs.

For revenue, a modest TV contract would be better than no FCS TV revenue. A better schedule means more fans. Revenue from more fans comes through multiple streams. As FBS you can get more revenue from buy games. Longer term you are building a product and a brand with more value.

So the increase in costs are modest. The increase in costs may be offset by increase in revenue. On top of that you are building long term value.

Now that Liberty has set the precedent for a direct move to FBS Independence, what is holding JMU back? A move seems obvious.

^ many of us appreciate and agree with your thoughts...many will attack you for daring to dream outside of Rose / Alger's over-cautious approach

while we don't have the $$ of LIberty, independent is absolutely doable for JMU

I think you’re being a bit too dismissive about JMU upping coach pay as a “choice”. Sure, but we have already chosen to pay at a certain “competitive level”. Moving to FBS means evaluating our new competitive peers & adjusting pay. We’re not moving up to self-limit a la the MAC.

(Disclaimer: I’m about as strong an FBS advocate as there is.)

And I agree that Indy is doable. But the evidence of our anti-FBS admin is evident. All the well-connected donors are parroting the line about scheduling being impossible due to $$. That line has been spoon-fed to them with flimsy evidence pointing to Liberty’s approach (as if that has to be our approach as an Indy).

(11-05-2020 11:51 AM)FBS Dave Wrote:  

(11-05-2020 11:31 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(11-05-2020 10:56 AM)FBS Dave Wrote:  

(11-05-2020 07:18 AM)JMU2004 Wrote:  

(11-04-2020 09:17 PM)FBS Dave Wrote:  Why not just move up? What is holding JMU back?

No conference, not enough money to play as an independent.

You already have costs equal to G5/MAC programs. How much more is it to be FBS independent? What is the actual $$$ number? I understand the extra scholarships for men and women. That it not much in actual costs.

FCS has no revenue. You would have more buy games as FBS and you could get a modest TV contract like UConn did.

Not much in actual costs? An estimate (now several years old) was an additional $4-5 million was needed to support JMU moving to FBS level FB.

When the university is struggling to address a COVID related $30+ million budget shortfall adding another $4 mil to the burden is not going to happen. Especially when G5 television is rapidly shrinking.

As I said JMU already is spending most of the FBS level costs. You have made significant investments that apply to FBS.

Let's look at the numbers. 22 more scholarships, times 2 for women's Title IX matching.

Let's fully load the costs at $35,000 as a mix of in-state and out-of-state. That's $1.54M.

From an accounting perspective these are really incremental costs. You aren't investing more overhead for classrooms, teachers, etc. for these incremental scholarships. So the real incremental costs are less than the fully loaded costs that are documented.

Where does the other $4M in costs come from? If you increase salaries, that is a choice. A regional travel schedule may cost less than a conference travel schedule, even a FCS conference.

That is a look at costs.

For revenue, a modest TV contract would be better than no FCS TV revenue. A better schedule means more fans. Revenue from more fans comes through multiple streams. As FBS you can get more revenue from buy games. Longer term you are building a product and a brand with more value.

So the increase in costs are modest. The increase in costs may be offset by increase in revenue. On top of that you are building long term value.

Now that Liberty has set the precedent for a direct move to FBS Independence, what is holding JMU back? A move seems obvious.

Your costs figures don't include coaching salary upgrades for football as well as new coaches needed for the Title IX offset (see JMU already FULLY funds it's women's teams, meaning we'd have to add new programs). Then add in costs for new facilities, equipment, etc...

The coaching staff upgrades (including additional support staff and assistants) would easily be $1 million on by itself.

I want us to be FBS, have pushed for it for years, but the $$$ isn't there for an indepent move up.