(04-09-2015 07:46 AM)Hilltop75 Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 07:22 AM)runamuck Wrote:  

(04-08-2015 07:25 PM)TheRevSWT KO16 Wrote:  

(04-08-2015 06:12 PM)Bobcat87 Wrote:  

(04-08-2015 06:05 PM)Eagles Cliff Wrote:  The CUSA everyone wanted to be part of was gutted. How are the F_U's, N. Texas, WKU, MTSU, USM, La Tech, etc. any different than our schools?

I can understand ULL's desire to be in CUSA because the Cajuns stayed 1A during the split and are having some sustained success for the first time in their history, but I still think the focus for any G5 is to be tops in their own conference and strategically schedule OOC to be the best G5 and get the Big Bowl. It would be nice if we could add an Eastern school and a Western school to balance the geography.

Don't care about the "old" CUSA . . . . For us it's the opportunity to be in a conference with multiple Texas schools, and one of our primary rivals . . . UTSA . . .

This. While I don't care about being in a conference SPECIFICALLY with UTSA, I want to be in a conference with at least one other Texas (football playing) school.

they key to this whole thing will be to have an east and west division so the schools in each division can develop rivalries against teams that their fans have more of a connection with. that will leave room for a cpl. games each season with a regional rival or two and a game against a name team or two.

With the change that will be approved in 2016 sponsored by the big 12 and Acc that will allow a conference championship game with less than 12 members no conference needs to expand unless they fall below 8.
So for all of you FCS schools that did not upgrade to FBS
You are stuck

This is one reason why I think there may be Football Independent path established if this passes. Seems like schools like Liberty, JMU, NDSU, etc... Should at least have a path if they meet the requirements and have the funding. I could see using the VA law as a model, saying no more than 50%% of sports can be student funded as a new requirement to move up. Schools have to be financially able to move to FBS. Liberty apparently has the money, why should the be stopped from being independent. I don't know the situations for the other schools, but mandating a conference seems unfair if they allow ND, UMASS, BYU and Army as Independents.

(03-31-2015 09:34 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  I would like to be the first to tell JMU to kiss my hairy ass.

(04-09-2015 07:22 AM)runamuck Wrote:  they key to this whole thing will be to have an east and west division so the schools in each division can develop rivalries against teams that their fans have more of a connection with. that will leave room for a cpl. games each season with a regional rival or two and a game against a name team or two.

Assuming a 12 team (2 division) conference, you'd have:

5 division games (2 home, 3 away - Flipping each year)
3 Cross division games (2 home, 1 away - Flipping each year)
1 P5 Away game (at least that's the usual)
1 FCS home game (at least that's the usual)
2 "fighting" games (against other G5, or maybe a P5 home and home, one away, one home)

Still would like a Texas team in the conference to give us someone close to "hate". Right now, our hate has to go to Louisiana, and hate gets tired going that far.

Yes they are back in play...in the CAA where they belong !

(04-09-2015 10:29 AM)TheRevSWT Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 07:22 AM)runamuck Wrote:  they key to this whole thing will be to have an east and west division so the schools in each division can develop rivalries against teams that their fans have more of a connection with. that will leave room for a cpl. games each season with a regional rival or two and a game against a name team or two.

Assuming a 12 team (2 division) conference, you'd have:

5 division games (2 home, 3 away - Flipping each year)
3 Cross division games (2 home, 1 away - Flipping each year)
1 P5 Away game (at least that's the usual)
1 FCS home game (at least that's the usual)
2 "fighting" games (against other G5, or maybe a P5 home and home, one away, one home)

Still would like a Texas team in the conference to give us someone close to "hate". Right now, our hate has to go to Louisiana, and hate gets tired going that far.

How far is UL from TxSt? Just wondering cause Appy isn't that close to GS and the hate is strong between us. It's nice having an instate rival with GaSt, but since we are mostly a football school and they are a Basketball school we just won't see the same level of hate for awhile. It would be nice if some schools would remove their heads from their collective butts and see the benefit in regional rivals increased fan interest, but that would make too much sense. Most sports fans don't care if one school is tier this or that, but rather can that team beat this team or that. I know a lot of people that come from P5 schools and honestly they wouldn't make it past freshmen year at GS or most other G5 schools.

(04-09-2015 09:19 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(03-31-2015 09:34 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  I would like to be the first to tell JMU to kiss my hairy ass.

Did you just cheers your own quote. lol

(04-09-2015 12:27 PM)trueeagle98 Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 09:19 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(03-31-2015 09:34 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  I would like to be the first to tell JMU to kiss my hairy ass.

Did you just cheers your own quote. lol

I did indeed. And if this thread continues to have life, I will probably do it again. LOL

(04-09-2015 01:05 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 12:27 PM)trueeagle98 Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 09:19 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(03-31-2015 09:34 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  I would like to be the first to tell JMU to kiss my hairy ass.

Did you just cheers your own quote. lol

I did indeed. And if this thread continues to have life, I will probably do it again. LOL

(04-09-2015 01:20 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 01:05 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 12:27 PM)trueeagle98 Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 09:19 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(03-31-2015 09:34 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  I would like to be the first to tell JMU to kiss my hairy ass.

Did you just cheers your own quote. lol

I did indeed. And if this thread continues to have life, I will probably do it again. LOL

LOL. Only problem with that treatment is that it would lead to a brush fire on my back.

(04-09-2015 02:00 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 01:20 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 01:05 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 12:27 PM)trueeagle98 Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 09:19 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

Did you just cheers your own quote. lol

I did indeed. And if this thread continues to have life, I will probably do it again. LOL

LOL. Only problem with that treatment is that it would lead to a brush fire on my back.

Better a brush fire than a bush fire.

(04-09-2015 02:00 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 01:20 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 01:05 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 12:27 PM)trueeagle98 Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 09:19 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

Did you just cheers your own quote. lol

I did indeed. And if this thread continues to have life, I will probably do it again. LOL

LOL. Only problem with that treatment is that it would lead to a brush fire on my back.

*Disclaimer: I have been very much pro-JMU for a while now.*

If JMU doesn't want in, then they can go on their way. At this point, I don' really know what's good enough for them short of the ACC.

If they join the Sun Belt, we know that they would shove any of us down in a heartbeat if it meant they could leave. Their fans have belittled the academics and athletics of current Sun Belt members and they continue to act as if their academics are on the level of Harvard, Yale, or Duke.

Appalachian needs a travel partner still, but getting us a travel partner is not worth the rest of the conference being told they are lesser schools and athletic programs because JMU does not feel it belongs. At this point, I believe JMU should remain in CAA with their academic peers while we wait for other programs to build upon what they have so we have more viable candidates, i.e. Missouri State, Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, and many others. Who knows where many of these schools will be in 2025.

I would love to welcome JMU to the Sun Belt, but until the administration and a few fans decide to lower the noses, I don't see them ever joining the Sun Belt, let alone the FBS.

(04-09-2015 04:09 PM)rknj8993 Wrote:  *Disclaimer: I have been very much pro-JMU for a while now.*

If JMU doesn't want in, then they can go on their way. At this point, I don' really know what's good enough for them short of the ACC.

If they join the Sun Belt, we know that they would shove any of us down in a heartbeat if it meant they could leave. Their fans have belittled the academics and athletics of current Sun Belt members and they continue to act as if their academics are on the level of Harvard, Yale, or Duke.

Appalachian needs a travel partner still, but getting us a travel partner is not worth the rest of the conference being told they are lesser schools and athletic programs because JMU does not feel it belongs. At this point, I believe JMU should remain in CAA with their academic peers while we wait for other programs to build upon what they have so we have more viable candidates, i.e. Missouri State, Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, and many others. Who knows where many of these schools will be in 2025.

I would love to welcome JMU to the Sun Belt, but until the administration and a few fans decide to lower the noses, I don't see them ever joining the Sun Belt, let alone the FBS.

It's the administration that seems to have this superiority complex. Well, the administration and Longhorn (a JMU professor, supposedly), who will make repeated grammatical errors while belittling the academics of the SBC membership.

(04-09-2015 04:28 PM)AppinVA Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 04:09 PM)rknj8993 Wrote:  *Disclaimer: I have been very much pro-JMU for a while now.*

If JMU doesn't want in, then they can go on their way. At this point, I don' really know what's good enough for them short of the ACC.

If they join the Sun Belt, we know that they would shove any of us down in a heartbeat if it meant they could leave. Their fans have belittled the academics and athletics of current Sun Belt members and they continue to act as if their academics are on the level of Harvard, Yale, or Duke.

Appalachian needs a travel partner still, but getting us a travel partner is not worth the rest of the conference being told they are lesser schools and athletic programs because JMU does not feel it belongs. At this point, I believe JMU should remain in CAA with their academic peers while we wait for other programs to build upon what they have so we have more viable candidates, i.e. Missouri State, Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, and many others. Who knows where many of these schools will be in 2025.

I would love to welcome JMU to the Sun Belt, but until the administration and a few fans decide to lower the noses, I don't see them ever joining the Sun Belt, let alone the FBS.

It's the administration that seems to have this superiority complex. Well, the administration and Longhorn (a JMU professor, supposedly), who will make repeated grammatical errors while belittling the academics of the SBC membership.

Please forgive us, for we know not what we have done...

(04-09-2015 04:09 PM)rknj8993 Wrote:  I would love to welcome JMU to the Sun Belt, but until the administration and a few fans decide to lower the noses, I don't see them ever joining the Sun Belt, let alone the FBS.

This does seem to be the case. I would still argue that App is the closest to being an academic peer of JMU that you can find in the FBS. I have a feeling they like the association with Delaware, Drexel, W&M, etc. though...

(04-09-2015 04:36 PM)Pounce FTW Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 04:09 PM)rknj8993 Wrote:  I would love to welcome JMU to the Sun Belt, but until the administration and a few fans decide to lower the noses, I don't see them ever joining the Sun Belt, let alone the FBS.

This does seem to be the case. I would still argue that App is the closest to being an academic peer of JMU that you can find in the FBS. I have a feeling they like the association with Delaware, Drexel, W&M, etc. though...

Certainly W&M is a fine school to be associated with...but time to move along and yes, Appy is very much a peer on most all levels. Some areas we might exceed and some they punch ahead. Whether it be athletics, academics, location, the type student it attracts, you would be hard pressed to find two schools any more similar.

(04-09-2015 04:35 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 04:28 PM)AppinVA Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 04:09 PM)rknj8993 Wrote:  *Disclaimer: I have been very much pro-JMU for a while now.*

If JMU doesn't want in, then they can go on their way. At this point, I don' really know what's good enough for them short of the ACC.

If they join the Sun Belt, we know that they would shove any of us down in a heartbeat if it meant they could leave. Their fans have belittled the academics and athletics of current Sun Belt members and they continue to act as if their academics are on the level of Harvard, Yale, or Duke.

Appalachian needs a travel partner still, but getting us a travel partner is not worth the rest of the conference being told they are lesser schools and athletic programs because JMU does not feel it belongs. At this point, I believe JMU should remain in CAA with their academic peers while we wait for other programs to build upon what they have so we have more viable candidates, i.e. Missouri State, Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, and many others. Who knows where many of these schools will be in 2025.

I would love to welcome JMU to the Sun Belt, but until the administration and a few fans decide to lower the noses, I don't see them ever joining the Sun Belt, let alone the FBS.

It's the administration that seems to have this superiority complex. Well, the administration and Longhorn (a JMU professor, supposedly), who will make repeated grammatical errors while belittling the academics of the SBC membership.

Please forgive us, for we know not what we have done...

Make no mistake. I'm pulling for you all to get in, and I look forward to talking smack about your half football stadium, while you respond with something about our track.

(04-09-2015 04:09 PM)rknj8993 Wrote:  *Disclaimer: I have been very much pro-JMU for a while now.*

If JMU doesn't want in, then they can go on their way. At this point, I don' really know what's good enough for them short of the ACC.

If they join the Sun Belt, we know that they would shove any of us down in a heartbeat if it meant they could leave. Their fans have belittled the academics and athletics of current Sun Belt members and they continue to act as if their academics are on the level of Harvard, Yale, or Duke.

Appalachian needs a travel partner still, but getting us a travel partner is not worth the rest of the conference being told they are lesser schools and athletic programs because JMU does not feel it belongs. At this point, I believe JMU should remain in CAA with their academic peers while we wait for other programs to build upon what they have so we have more viable candidates, i.e. Missouri State, Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, and many others. Who knows where many of these schools will be in 2025.

I would love to welcome JMU to the Sun Belt, but until the administration and a few fans decide to lower the noses, I don't see them ever joining the Sun Belt, let alone the FBS.

I googled them up. they dont seem to have anything very special. only 8 phd level programs. not many tech fields. not many international students. plenty of sbc schools offer more stuff..I think they would fit in better than they think.

(04-09-2015 04:54 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 04:36 PM)Pounce FTW Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 04:09 PM)rknj8993 Wrote:  I would love to welcome JMU to the Sun Belt, but until the administration and a few fans decide to lower the noses, I don't see them ever joining the Sun Belt, let alone the FBS.

This does seem to be the case. I would still argue that App is the closest to being an academic peer of JMU that you can find in the FBS. I have a feeling they like the association with Delaware, Drexel, W&M, etc. though...

Certainly W&M is a fine school to be associated with...but time to move along and yes, Appy is very much a peer on most all levels. Some areas we might exceed and some they punch ahead. Whether it be athletics, academics, location, the type student it attracts, you would be hard pressed to find two schools any more similar.

Maybe some time with App settling into the SBC will help JMU admins come around on the conference. I guess it will largely come down to just how badly they want to be FBS. If they do, it's hard to imagine a better opportunity when it comes to academic fit (I don't think CUSA offers a significant difference, and the AAC seems unlikely). If FBS really isn't that important, then JMU is fine in the CAA.

(04-09-2015 08:46 PM)runamuck Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 04:09 PM)rknj8993 Wrote:  I would love to welcome JMU to the Sun Belt, but until the administration and a few fans decide to lower the noses, I don't see them ever joining the Sun Belt, let alone the FBS.

I googled them up. they dont seem to have anything very special. only 8 phd level programs. not many tech fields. not many international students. plenty of sbc schools offer more stuff..I think they would fit in better than they think.

I believe JMU is a regional school with an emphasis in the humanities at the undergraduate level and offers doctorate programs at limited research capacity. So, if you ask a 25-year-old PHD candidate in mechanical engineering vs a 19-year-old liberal arts major what qualifies a superior university, you'll likely get vastly dissimilar answers.