OT: Conference Realignment

[Pablo]

This conference is reportedly in discussions to add multiple teams

"Who might Conference USA add to stay afloat?

Per Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel, the conference is in discussions with Sam Houston State, New Mexico State and Tarleton State, among others.

Sam Houston State, located in Huntsville, Texas, plays in the Southland Conference and is the No. 1-ranked FCS team in the country. The Bearkats won the delayed 2020 FCS national championship in the spring, defeating South Dakota State.

Tarleton State, meanwhile, is located in Stephenville, Texas, and also plays at the FCS level, in the Western Athletic Conference.

New Mexico State is an FBS independent in football and competes in the WAC for all other sports. NMSU was a member of the Sun Belt from 2014 through 2017, before becoming an independent in 2018.

The three schools offer Conference USA a chance to rebuild its western presence, per Thamel, after UTSA, North Texas and Rice announced their future departure for the AAC."

 

[GMU79]

BTW, you guys need to quit calling it 1-AA. It hasn't been called that in years. It's FCS, Football Championship Subdivision.

 

[GMUgemini]

Woof! Conference USA’s demise has been pretty precipitous.

Good idea on Twitter is try to convince UConn, UMass and Liberty to park their football teams in the conference rather than inviting no-name FCS schools, but maybe being independent is preferable to joining that dumpster fire.

New Mexico State is an interesting one, but that’s even worse than having UTEP in your conference from a travel standpoint.

Oh, also surprised no one ever mentions Delaware in all of this, but I’m assuming they’d rather keep their knock-off Michigan uniforms than move up still?

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Oh that's pretty badass my wife is a Georgia Southern alum so we can now go watch them play JMU and I can wear my Georgia Mason stuff and watch college football and look at minkies

 

[Pablo]

New Mexico State has surfaced among conference realignment rumors

"New Mexico State could become a western travel partner for UTEP, which is currently isolated compared to the rest of C-USA.

On Saturday, CBS Sports reporter Dennis Dodd Tweeted, 'New Mexico State administrators (athletic/university) will huddle Sunday after return from Hawaii re C-USA.'

The Sun-News was able to confirm that athletics would meet with NMSU leadership late Sunday afternoon as Athletic Director Mario Moccia traveled to Hawaii with the football team and President John Floros and Chancellor Dan Arvizu have also been on the road this week.

The Sun-News has learned NM State does not have an offer for membership from C-USA, but 'the university is keeping its options open,' according to a spokesman."

 

[Pablo]

Realignment possibilities heat up for JMU

Conversations regarding JMU Athletics and possible conference realignment have heated up over the last week. Scenarios about the Dukes moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) were first reported by

www.breezejmu.org

"Something to note: The conference doesn’t have varsity or scholarship opportunities for men’s soccer, field hockey, women's lacrosse or swim & dive teams.

Bourne emphasized stability and regional rivalries as factors in a potential move for the Dukes during the media day presentation. The Sun Belt has a media rights deal in place until 2030-31 to provide stability and entrance to the conference. Regional rivalries potentially match the Dukes up with Old Dominion and Appalachian State. JMU men’s basketball head coach Mark Byington also coached at a Sun Belt school, Georgia Southern, for seven seasons.

According to the Daily News-Record, CAA commissioner Joe D’Antonio said JMU hasn’t given its notice to leave as of Friday afternoon. It costs $1 million to exit the CAA and another $250,000 to leave CAA football.

JMU has to get through the state level before accepting an invitation. To move divisions in Virginia, public schools must seek state approval through the General Assembly. The JMU Board of Visitors must approve the move first before that can take place."

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Realignment possibilities heat up for JMU

Conversations regarding JMU Athletics and possible conference realignment have heated up over the last week. Scenarios about the Dukes moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) were first reported by

www.breezejmu.org

"Something to note: The conference doesn’t have varsity or scholarship opportunities for men’s soccer, field hockey, women's lacrosse or swim & dive teams.

Bourne emphasized stability and regional rivalries as factors in a potential move for the Dukes during the media day presentation. The Sun Belt has a media rights deal in place until 2030-31 to provide stability and entrance to the conference. Regional rivalries potentially match the Dukes up with Old Dominion and Appalachian State. JMU men’s basketball head coach Mark Byington also coached at a Sun Belt school, Georgia Southern, for seven seasons.

Something to note: The conference doesn’t have varsity or scholarship opportunities for men’s soccer, field hockey, women's lacrosse or swim & dive teams.

Bourne emphasized stability and regional rivalries as factors in a potential move for the Dukes during the media day presentation. The Sun Belt has a media rights deal in place until 2030-31 to provide stability and entrance to the conference. Regional rivalries potentially match the Dukes up with Old Dominion and Appalachian State. JMU men’s basketball head coach Mark Byington also coached at a Sun Belt school, Georgia Southern, for seven seasons.

According to the Daily News-Record, CAA commissioner Joe D’Antonio said JMU hasn’t given its notice to leave as of Friday afternoon. It costs $1 million to exit the CAA and another $250,000 to leave CAA football.

JMU has to get through the state level before accepting an invitation. To move divisions in Virginia, public schools must seek state approval through the General Assembly. The JMU Board of Visitors must approve the move first before that can take place."

My Youngest goes to JMU - he said everyone has stated this is a done deal. Interesting JMU saves ODU kiesters.

 

[GMU79]

My Youngest goes to JMU - he said everyone has stated this is a done deal. Interesting JMU saves ODU kiesters.

I wonder who the "everyone" are.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

I wonder who the "everyone" are.

Students from what he told me - apparently the discussions are close to completing.

 

[mason89]

My how the mighty have fallen. Here are some of the former C-USA members and now they're looking to add current FCS schools. Ouch.

University of Central Florida
University of Cincinnati
DePaul University
East Carolina University
University of Houston
University of Louisville
Marquette University
University of Memphis
Saint Louis University
University of South Florida
Southern Methodist University
Texas Christian University
Tulane University
University of Tulsa

 

[GMU79]

My how the mighty have fallen. Here are some of the former C-USA members and now they're looking to add current FCS schools. Ouch.

University of Central Florida
University of Cincinnati
DePaul University
East Carolina University
University of Houston
University of Louisville
Marquette University
University of Memphis
Saint Louis University
University of South Florida
Southern Methodist University
Texas Christian University
Tulane University
University of Tulsa

Yes, FCS, not 1-AA. Thanks!
And wow, that is quite a list!

 

[Old Man]

Yes, FCS, not 1-AA. Thanks!
And wow, that is quite a list!

Tomāto / Tomäto

 

[Pablo]

My how the mighty have fallen. Here are some of the former C-USA members and now they're looking to add current FCS schools. Ouch.

University of Central Florida
University of Cincinnati
DePaul University
East Carolina University
University of Houston
University of Louisville
Marquette University
University of Memphis
Saint Louis University
University of South Florida
Southern Methodist University
Texas Christian University
Tulane University
University of Tulsa

Conference realignment tracker: Remaining questions, next steps after latest shake-up

With conferences continuing to play musical chairs, we reset the college football landscape and look at what other moves could follow.

www.espn.com

"For most of its existence, Conference USA's role has been to act as a way station for programs moving either up or down in the college football hierarchy. Its name is as noncommittal as possible when it comes to specific membership or region. Twenty percent of FBS programs have belonged to C-USA at one point or another, and of its original football members, only Alabama-Birmingham and Southern Miss remain in the conference. UAB just arranged to leave and Southern Miss may not be far behind. C-USA loses programs to conferences greater in the hierarchy and plucks from conferences lower.

What we've found over the last week is that there might not be anyone lower in the hierarchy anymore.

In the last round of major conference realignment, C-USA lost a number of members (East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa and UCF) to the AAC, then turned around and raided the Sun Belt. But they aimed for schools close to major markets and long known for having football potential; in response, the Sun Belt brought in well-supported football programs -- Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern -- and quickly surpassed C-USA from a football perspective. Now it appears that the Sun Belt will officially add Southern Miss soon, and it might not stop there: Rumors suggest it is likely the Sun Belt will also pluck Marshall and Old Dominion away from C-USA, and also add FCS powerhouse James Madison.

If these moves were to go through, C-USA would be left with only five geographically disparate programs -- Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, UTEP and Western Kentucky -- which is fewer than the six required by the NCAA. The league could quickly attempt to woo independent programs like Liberty, UMass, UConn and New Mexico State to keep its numbers up. It could start slinging out invitations to interested FCS programs, too. But it's appearing more likely that the Sun Belt will win this round of realignment (as it did, in retrospect, the last time around) and that, if it indeed continues to exist, C-USA will look almost completely different in a few years than it does now."

 

[GMU79]

Tomāto / Tomäto

Not really. With tomato/tomato, either is correct. With 1-AA/FCS, only one is.

 

[Patriot8]

Not really. With tomato/tomato, either is correct. With 1-AA/FCS, only one is.

Are you the person whose idea it was to switch the name from 1-AA to FCS? You seem very invested in this..

 

[GMU79]

Are you the person whose idea it was to switch the name from 1-AA to FCS? You seem very invested in this..

Nope, just trying to get it right. Something wrong with that?
You guys seem to be fixated on Brions closing. That's cool. I'm sorry that's been taken away from you. Personally though, I could not care less, but I haven't criticized anybody for being upset about it closing. Why does my interest in the FCS thing bother you so much?

 

[Pikapppatri8]

So if JMU leaves for the SBC - that really hurts the CAA. There is not much left there - only one Virginia school remains.

 

[Old Man]

Nope, just trying to get it right. Something wrong with that?
You guys seem to be fixated on Brions closing. That's cool. I'm sorry that's been taken away from you. Personally though, I could not care less, but I haven't criticized anybody for being upset about it closing. Why does my interest in the FCS thing bother you so much?

I don't know that we're 'fixated' on Brion's as much as it's like we're lamenting the passing of a good friend (both the bar and Brion). (No Brion didn't pass to my knowledge but he will no longer be there, so it will feel like it.).

For years, we would go to Brions before basketball games, and some of us (Patriots81) were a regular there otherwise. We were welcomed there much akin to the bar Cheers on TV. We had our spots (Pats81 even had a name plate above his seat), we had our orders, we had our drinks. It was as much like drinking at home with friends as it was going out. The bartenders became friends and we all had a great time. My kids literally grew up there pregaming, with root beer and jack sticks, with me before Mason games. Now two of my kids go to Mason. My youngest just commented to me yesterday how weird it will be not going to Brions before the game.

Brions also catered, literally and figuratively, to the GMU community in a way no other restaurant did. Mason people were welcomed as Mason people as opposed to other restaurants who would just welcome us as customers.

And if you didn't know, Brion Sumser was a Mason basketball player from the 70's, I believe. So his love of Mason wasn't just a commercial decision to cater to a local entity to increase business (although from a business sense, I'm sure that played into it), but he loves Mason just like a regular fan does.

There is no other place like Brions around Mason at the moment, and I don't know if there ever will be.

If wish to call this a fixation, cool. I'm fixated, but I don't think you realize how close to the heart its closing is felt by the Mason community regulars.

And for the record, I'm not upset or trying to argue. I'm just trying to explain why we care so deeply about it's closing and continue to reference it.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming ....

 

[GMU79]

I don't know that we're 'fixated' on Brion's as much as it's like we're lamenting the passing of a good friend (both the bar and Brion). (No Brion didn't pass to my knowledge but he will no longer be there, so it will feel like it.).

For years, we would go to Brions before basketball games, and some of us (Patriots81) were a regular there otherwise. We were welcomed there much akin to the bar Cheers on TV. We had our spots (Pats81 even had a name plate above his seat), we had our orders, we had our drinks. It was as much like drinking at home with friends as it was going out. The bartenders became friends and we all had a great time. My kids literally grew up there pregaming, with for beer and jack sticks, with me before Mason games. Now two of my kids go to Mason. My youngest just commented to me yesterday how weird it will be not going to Brions before the game.

Brions also catered, literally and figuratively, to the GMU community in a way no other restaurant did. Mason people were welcomed as Mason people as opposed to other restaurants who would just welcome us as customers.

And if you didn't know, Brion Sumser was a Mason basketball player from the 70's, I believe. So his love of Mason wasn't just a commercial decision to cater to a local entity to increase business (although from a business sense, I'm sure that played into it), but he loves Mason just like a regular fan does.

There is no other place like Brions around Mason at the moment, and I don't know if there ever will be.

If wish to call this a fixation, cool. I'm fixated, but I don't think you realize how close to the heart its closing is felt by the Mason community regulars.

And for the record, I'm not upset or trying to argue. I'm just trying to explain why we care so deeply about it's closing and continue to reference it.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming ....

Perhaps "fixated" was too strong a word. I was merely trying to find an example. Thanks for all the info. I mean it. Sounds like it was a great place.

 

[Patriotsince81]

I don't know that we're 'fixated' on Brion's as much as it's like we're lamenting the passing of a good friend (both the bar and Brion). (No Brion didn't pass to my knowledge but he will no longer be there, so it will feel like it.).

For years, we would go to Brions before basketball games, and some of us (Patriots81) were a regular there otherwise. We were welcomed there much akin to the bar Cheers on TV. We had our spots (Pats81 even had a name plate above his seat), we had our orders, we had our drinks. It was as much like drinking at home with friends as it was going out. The bartenders became friends and we all had a great time. My kids literally grew up there pregaming, with root beer and jack sticks, with me before Mason games. Now two of my kids go to Mason. My youngest just commented to me yesterday how weird it will be not going to Brions before the game.

Brions also catered, literally and figuratively, to the GMU community in a way no other restaurant did. Mason people were welcomed as Mason people as opposed to other restaurants who would just welcome us as customers.

And if you didn't know, Brion Sumser was a Mason basketball player from the 70's, I believe. So his love of Mason wasn't just a commercial decision to cater to a local entity to increase business (although from a business sense, I'm sure that played into it), but he loves Mason just like a regular fan does.

There is no other place like Brions around Mason at the moment, and I don't know if there ever will be.

If wish to call this a fixation, cool. I'm fixated, but I don't think you realize how close to the heart its closing is felt by the Mason community regulars.

And for the record, I'm not upset or trying to argue. I'm just trying to explain why we care so deeply about it's closing and continue to reference it.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming ....

Well said!!! Home away from home is gone.