Based on this tweet:

https://twitter.com/DomIzzoWDAY/status/6...2738397184

and some other things I've seen, it looks like Coastal is off to the Sun Belt. This doesn't really affect us as we weren't looking for that spot, and JMU passed on the Sun Belt a couple of years ago (or so I've heard from a number of different sources). That puts the Sun Belt at an even 12, and I'd imagine the Big South back to 6. Liberty really wants to go FBS, but no one really wants them. Again, doesn't really affect us, but interesting to see these things move around.

I saw this too. I'm very interested to see how this affects Liberty.

Great, now another 40 threads and a million tweets about this on the JMU forum. They have GOT to be losing their minds.

So the Sun Belt is now pulling members from the Big South.

It's a stretch to even call this an upgrade.

I still think the coming realignment is going to merge G5 and the top 3-4 FCS conferences, the CAA included.

I always thought Coastal would be a decent expansion candidate for the CAA. Maybe Liberty would now be the better add down the road, if needed.

(08-31-2015 04:06 PM)Tribal Wrote:  Great, now another 40 threads and a million tweets about this on the JMU forum. They have GOT to be losing their minds.

For certain. They already have a dozen threads with 10 guys posting a million times each.

I beg to differ. If true, it does affect us.

First, for better or worse, we have been passed by another school, another 85 scholarships that did not exist some forty years ago. The only saving grace is the the Ivies and Patriots "disarmed", and the scholarships gained there offsets the scholarship "losses" to ODU, Coastal, etc, but if they change course, W&M will get squeezed.

Second, Coastal was a good CAA expansion candidate. They are now "off the board". If JMU leaves, the pool of acceptable replacement schools in the South just got smaller.

Third, the FCS playoff system just lost another team.

Hopefully, the economics of the situation bring the pack back to the W&M, but right now, it's concerning.

(08-31-2015 05:05 PM)Sitting bull Wrote:  So the Sun Belt is now pulling members from the Big South.

It's a stretch to even call this an upgrade.

I still think the coming realignment is going to merge G5 and the top 3-4 FCS conferences, the CAA included.

I always thought Coastal would be a decent expansion candidate for the CAA. Maybe Liberty would now be the better add down the road, if needed.

The CAA would be a really good move for Liberty. JMU, I believe is now begging for the MAC. I have tired of the debate for now. I don't think the move has been the greatest thing ever for App St., Ga Southern or ODU. It was a great move for VCU(basketball only) and a good one for UR as well. As far as football goes, it all comes down whether anything really succeeds after the P5 conferences. If not, essentially everything else might as well be FCS. I could see the G5 conferences and the Big Sky, CAA, MVC, and OVC merging into something at some point. No current or former CAA school or any previous FCS school is getting seat at the P5 table.

(08-31-2015 05:18 PM)nj alum Wrote:  I beg to differ. If true, it does affect us.

First, for better or worse, we have been passed by another school, another 85 scholarships that did not exist some forty years ago. The only saving grace is the the Ivies and Patriots "disarmed", and the scholarships gained there offsets the scholarship "losses" to ODU, Coastal, etc, but if they change course, W&M will get squeezed.

Second, Coastal was a good CAA expansion candidate. They are now "off the board". If JMU leaves, the pool of acceptable replacement schools in the South just got smaller.

Third, the FCS playoff system just lost another team.

Hopefully, the economics of the situation bring the pack back to the W&M, but right now, it's concerning.

I see your concern, but I don't know that there is anything W&M can do about it. The hard call to make is whether the move(which is likely at most a small advance) justifies the cost. For VCU, it was justified. For ODU, App St, Ga State and others, I doubt it. JMU is waiting because they have no offer and because many there do not want to go FBS. I don't see right now where the offer comes from for them or Liberty unless some conferences go to 16.

(08-31-2015 05:18 PM)nj alum Wrote:  I beg to differ. If true, it does affect us.

First, for better or worse, we have been passed by another school, another 85 scholarships that did not exist some forty years ago. The only saving grace is the the Ivies and Patriots "disarmed", and the scholarships gained there offsets the scholarship "losses" to ODU, Coastal, etc, but if they change course, W&M will get squeezed.

Second, Coastal was a good CAA expansion candidate. They are now "off the board". If JMU leaves, the pool of acceptable replacement schools in the South just got smaller.

I'm not as concerned, primarily because there are no similar conference options for a school like W&M. If there were, I'm pretty sure we would be more aggressive if needed.

The Sun Belt is just a different collection of schools, as remote from W&M as the the MWC or Ohio Valley. I have no interest in the league as a fan for any sport.

For W&M, only the ACC (forget that), the current CAA, the Patriot if expanded and muscled - or some realignment outcome which provided a MAC style conference for the Atlantic Coast (many in the CAA, plus a possible Temple, Navy, Army, UMass) would make any sense or have any interest.

Secondly, I have been a major advocate for Coastal as an expansion target for the CAA and routinely am reminded of some horrid academics there of which I'm not aware. Truth be, I don't think they would ever pass muster should the league schools take it seriously. Maybe Furman, maybe Wofford.

FWIW, there is another article this week about College of Charleston looking at the football option again.

I hate realignment and what college football is now.

(08-31-2015 03:15 PM)hktribefan Wrote:  Based on this tweet:

https://twitter.com/DomIzzoWDAY/status/6...2738397184

and some other things I've seen, it looks like Coastal is off to the Sun Belt. This doesn't really affect us as we weren't looking for that spot, and JMU passed on the Sun Belt a couple of years ago (or so I've heard from a number of different sources).