(11-13-2019 11:41 AM)ah59396 Wrote:  

(11-13-2019 11:22 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  

(11-13-2019 11:18 AM)ah59396 Wrote:  

(11-13-2019 10:50 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  

(11-13-2019 10:12 AM)Capt Ed Wrote:  JMU would be a great addition to the Sunbelt Conference. It's not too late.

JMU would instantly elevate the conferences athletic and academic standings, raise overall attendance numbers, and resurrect a great rivalry with App.

For JMU, it provides a chance to get out of FBS and prove your worth on a bigger stage. App will never be in the AAC but JMU could. The "not so lowly anymore" Sun Belt Conference can be your stepping stone.

I don't think the Sun Belt would send an invite at this point. They seem content at 12 teams, and the geography of the conference is still too wide spread for the JMU Admin. I also don't think it would provide a home for all our sports, which might be an issue if the CAA has any resentment to our leaving.

I would certainly love to play App State again. I hated App, but I did/do respect you all (unlike Montana, Richmond, etc).

Interestingly enough, we are at 10. And if Texas-Arlington decides to move forward with football as they are discussing, they almost assuredly would become #11 and with an obvious spot in the West division.

I’d assume at that point the Sunbelt would look to add an East team to share a place with App, Ga Southern, Coastal, Troy & Ga State.

You're right. I just assumed it was 12 without looking it up.

Yeah we dropped NMSU and Idaho. Thank god. Nice programs but the travel was not optimal.

Just to further the hypothetical fun, assuming JMU joined the Sunbelt East and had a schedule similar to App these past couple years, you could imagine something like the following:

@UVA
Vs. Richmond
Vs. Marshall/ODU
@Ga State
Vs. App State - ESPN game
@ Coastal Carolina
Vs Louisiana Cajuns
@ Ga Southern - ESPN game
Vs. Troy
@ Va Tech - ESPN game (really if you’re winning at this point they are all on ESPN/2/U)
@ Ark State
Vs. UL Monroe

SB Championship game (we can pretend you win the East and host UL at home on ESPN here)

@ New Orleans for bowl game vs La Tech/Marshall/Southern Miss - ESPN game

Or the ultimate dream, @ Cotton Bowl. - ABC game

Not going to lie, I like that schedule. But I feel like the SBC ship sailed already unfortunately.