OT: Conference Realignment

[mkaufman1]

Yes. I don't know if the SoCon would allow for a football-only member to join, like the CAA does. JMU leaving the CAA in Football really hurts that conference. Richmond Football has really fallen off in recent years though, so maybe they would be content staying in the CAA.

Interesting. Knowing nothing about what Richmond prefers or how they handle one versus the other as a University, I would think that the A10 provides them more benefit especially in basketball (natural rivalry with vcu, Mason, GW). I also think they are putting a lot into their basketball program. I do agree that they would probably have to stay in the CAA or find another league that allows them to just play as a football member.

 

[Five Two]

The original CAA made sense for W&M. But now, the Patriot League seems like a better fit academically and athletically, IMO

 

[GMU79]

The original CAA made sense for W&M. But now, the Patriot League seems like a better fit academically and athletically, IMO

FWIW, the W&M football coach, Mike London, is a terrific guy. Started as a Richmond City Police officer. Once had a gun misfire at his head from point blank range during a traffic stop. Decided to go into coaching! Won a national championship at UR and despite struggling at UVA, they kept him for an extra couple of years due to his character and the esteem the university and players had for him.
I will always pull for him.

 

[Old Man]

This is interesting, though I don't see it ever happening. And I don't know who Nathan Strauss is, so I have no idea if he has any souuuurrces (said in the best Ken Beatrice accent you can manage) behind his speculation.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1451200926274916364

View: https://twitter.com/NathanPStrauss/status/1451200926274916364?t=s3jWLTxzURYYuzFqkKyZkg&s=19

 

[phoenix-arizona]

I don’t follow 1-aa football enough to realize Richmond was in the CAA. I was thinking that if JMU leaves the CAA, which once had such a VA footprint, would be down to the Orangeman and the Stuart.

 

[Pablo]

Brett McMurphy
@Brett_McMurphy
·
2h

Nearly 15% of all 130 FBS teams will change conferences because OU & Texas went to SEC. Now Sun Belt & C-USA in loser-leave-town death match over Marshall, ODU & James Madison. Latest on realignment plus changes w/Southern Miss & Liberty

actionnetwork.com
McMurphy: Most Likely Scenarios for Sun Belt & C-USA Realignment
Check out Brett McMurphy's reports on the most likely scenarios for Sun Belt and Conference USA college football conference realignment.

“'I hate to say it,' a Group of Five official said, 'but if you’re not in a Power Five conference, you’re just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.'”

 

[bravesfan]

I was always for football when I was in college because I wanted something to do on a Saturday afternoon. However, it never made financial sense for Mason.

They'd be in the same boat as ODU: In a dying conference with the potential to be left holding the bag.

 

[Patriot8]

I was always for football when I was in college because I wanted something to do on a Saturday afternoon. However, it never made financial sense for Mason.

They'd be in the same boat as ODU: In a dying conference with the potential to be left holding the bag.

ODU's mistake wasn't re-starting their football program, it was rushing to get to the FBS level.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

They'd be in the same boat as ODU: In a dying conference with the potential to be left holding the bag.

That's a shame.

 

[Walter]

With JMU probably leaving the CAA, the CAA becomes a much worse football conference compared to, say, the SoCon. It had already falling behind the SoCon in basketball. Would some of the CAA teams - Elon or W&M, maybe Richmond for football - return to the SoCon? Would the SoCon want them? I could think if the SoCon was able to shed the low academic publics, they would be more appealing to Elon, W&M and Richmond.

 

[Patriot8]

With JMU probably leaving the CAA, the CAA becomes a much worse football conference compared to, say, the SoCon. It had already falling behind the SoCon in basketball. Would some of the CAA teams - Elon or W&M, maybe Richmond for football - return to the SoCon? Would the SoCon want them? I could think if the SoCon was able to shed the low academic publics, they would be more appealing to Elon, W&M and Richmond.

This is my thing. W&M fits in perfectly with the likes of Wofford and Furman. It would be a more geographically compatible fit Elon. My question on Richmond is if the SoCon would allow them to enter as a football-only school.

 

[Pablo]

My question on Richmond is if the SoCon would allow them to enter as a football-only school.

Richmond is already an associate member for men's lacrosse.

 

[Walter]

My guess is the SoCon would accept Richmond as a football only member, especially if it helps to get W&M and, to a lesser extent, Elon.

 

[GSII]

How about all schools are independents.

 

[bravesfan]

ODU's mistake wasn't re-starting their football program, it was rushing to get to the FBS level.

Meh. Does it matter? Point being: Mason is currently in a better place because they don't have to try and balance a football program against conference realignment.

 

[Patriot8]

Meh. Does it matter? Point being: Mason is currently in a better place because they don't have to try and balance a football program against conference realignment.

I agree on Mason, but you said that if Mason had a program, they’d be in the same position as ODU. The reason ODU is in this spot is because they rushed to get to FBS as opposed to staying in the CAA and establishing themselves alongside JMU, who is in a fantastic position to move to the Sun Belt.

 

[Pablo]

Brett McMurphy
@Brett_McMurphy
·
2h

.
@SunBelt officially added Southern Miss from C-USA on Friday, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. ODU, Marshall & JMU also expected to join Sun Belt, but haven't formally applied for membership. Liberty no longer interested in C-USA, now down to 5 schools


actionnetwork.com
Sources: Southern Miss Joins Sun Belt, Other C-USA Schools Expected Soon
College football's great reshuffle continues -- Southern Miss is officially joining the Sun Belt, with three other teams still in limbo.

"A charter member of Conference USA since 1995, Southern Miss applied and was accepted into the Sun Belt on Friday. The Golden Eagles will begin play in their new conference in 2023, sources said.

USM is expected to be the first of four new Sun Belt members, sources said. Conference USA members Old Dominion and Marshall and FCS member James Madison are expected to join the Sun Belt, although those schools have not officially applied for Sun Belt membership yet, sources said.

However, the additions of those three schools to the Sun Belt are viewed as just a formality, and an official announcement of some new members to the Sun Belt is expected Monday, sources said.

The addition of Marshall to the Sun Belt likely won’t be official for at least another week until the school names a new president."

"The addition of USM, ODU, JMU and Marshall will give the Sun Belt a 14-team football league in 2023.

East Division member Troy is expected to move to the West Division, along with Southern Miss. The remaining West Division schools are Arkansas State, Louisiana, South Alabama, Texas State and UL Monroe. New members Marshall, Old Dominion and James Madison will compete in the East Division with Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia State and Georgia Southern.

Last year, the Sun Belt was the only Group of Five league that finished with two football teams ranked in the Top 15 of the final Associated Press poll.

Non-football playing Sun Belt members Arkansas-Little Rock and Texas-Arlington will no longer be league members by the 2023 season, sources said."

"Conference USA Will be Down to 5 schools; Long-Term Future in Doubt​

Conference USA — or at this rate, soon-to-be Conference DOA — will be left with five members: FIU, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, UTEP and Western Kentucky and must add new schools to remain an FBS conference.

Among the possible additions could be FBS independents Liberty, UConn, UMass and New Mexico State or any FCS programs that may move up to the FBS level.

Liberty Reconsiders, Likely to Remain Independent and Not Join C-USA​

However, Liberty may not be as willing to join C-USA now, a source said. The Flames were once thought to be a top candidate for Conference USA but have some reservations about C-USA and likely will remain an independent, sources said.

Without Liberty, Conference USA could be hard-pressed to find enough new members to reach the required eight-school minimum needed to remain an FBS conference.

Ironically, three of the remaining C-USA members — FIU, Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky — left the Sun Belt in 2013 to join C-USA."

 

[GMUgemini]

I agree on Mason, but you said that if Mason had a program, they’d be in the same position as ODU. The reason ODU is in this spot is because they rushed to get to FBS as opposed to staying in the CAA and establishing themselves alongside JMU, who is in a fantastic position to move to the Sun Belt.

And moving to the Sun Belt gets you what exactly?

 

[Patriot8]

And moving to the Sun Belt gets you what exactly?

Gets you into a pretty decent football conference. App State, Coastal Carolina, Louisiana are all Top 25 caliber teams, Arkansas State, Southern Miss, Marshall all have good tradition. It’s the perfect conference for JMU to jump to D1, and it’s a good transition for ODU to a more stable situation. They have a pretty good tv deal as well, considerably better than Conference USA.

 

[Five Two]

New members Marshall, Old Dominion and James Madison will compete in the East Division with Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia State and Georgia Southern.

Weren't all of these I-AA football "powers" (being generous calling GA State and ODU "powers" because I'm too lazy to look up their I-AA records) at one point in their histories?