(12-22-2020 12:58 PM)Dukester Wrote: (12-22-2020 12:50 PM)Purplehazed Wrote: Dave Thomas is pointing out that JMU has not played VCU in 8 years. Former conference mate, a VA peer, 130 miles away.
How can this be explained? Are Rams afraid to play JMU like Cignetti claims for the football team?
Go Dukes, show up today!
Here's what I'd guess on why they have not scheduled us. There is no benefit to scheduling us -
We're viewed as the inferior product
- If they win? so what, they were supposed to win
- If they win a close game, we hurt their RPI
- If they lose, it would be a crushing unexpected loss which would effect their potential tournament seeding
What's the benefit to play us ? We travel well, but they sell out all of their games. The only partial benefit to them is we are close so their fans can travel, but they already play a lot of regional teams where their fans can already do that.
Agree with that generally. They do it because they can. They don’t really want to play at JMU more likely than not and I’m sure JMU doesn’t want to be bought either because of the optics.
I think the same logic generally applies to W&M as well. Neither are true historical rivals the way ODU is or Richmond was when we were in the CAA. JMU and VCU didn’t play all that often when we were in different conferences prior to the CAA days either.
More for VCU to lose playing at JMU or W&M. Pretty sure they’d likely be fine with playing the Dukes or Tribe at home but equally as sure those programs on pride alone would refuse such an arrangement. This is obviously a unique situation with COVID-19 that brought this matchup about.
Is it fair and equitable? No way, but D1 sports aren’t anyway. P5 programs do the same thing to VCU all the time. They’d be happy to buy VCU but would they come to the Siegel Center where every person in the building will be amped to knock them off? Precious few programs that have leverage agree to that.
Given that VCU has some inherent perception and recruiting advantages playing in the A-10, they’re going to guard that advantage against in-state teams they have leverage over. Just smart business. VCU does just fine scheduling and doesn’t need these games.
Plus with several teams less than 4-5 hours drive away in conference (Richmond, George Mason, George Washington, Davidson, La Salle and St. Joe’s), there are plenty of driveable games for VCU fans to watch their team anyway. It’s not like ODU who are on an island by themselves and are desperate for in state games because they have to travel all over the country and their fans can rarely if ever see them away from home.
