Articles pre-COVID mentioned they were interested. Any news if that’s still the case? If so would have to be the rumored new ASun FBS league if that happens or maybe CUSA.

https://thespun.com/college-football/nor...otball-fbs

What ASun FBS league? They’ve lost Jax State and Liberty already, they don’t have enough programs right now to sustain an FCS league, let alone an FBS league.

(01-22-2022 05:36 PM)Bluedevil16 Wrote:  Articles pre-COVID mentioned they were interested. Any news if that’s still the case? If so would have to be the rumored new ASun FBS league if that happens or maybe CUSA.

https://thespun.com/college-football/nor...otball-fbs

A few articles in 2019 talked about CUSA being full but maybe the SBC would have room. The opposite is true now and they would fit well imo in CUSA but don't know if they're interested.

The whole ASUN FBS thing could be put to bed for good. Really, it should’ve always been put to bed, delusional commissioners/ADs don’t overwrite NCAA by-laws.

But NC A&T should have a *fighting* chance at C-USA if they expand. It’s a long shot but it isn’t unrealistic.

If there was a school that I think could have been the HBCU FBS flagship it’s FAMU. I really wonder what their program would have achieved had they gonna through with Sunbelt membership.

(01-22-2022 05:36 PM)Bluedevil16 Wrote:  Articles pre-COVID mentioned they were interested. Any news if that’s still the case? If so would have to be the rumored new ASun FBS league if that happens or maybe CUSA.

https://thespun.com/college-football/nor...otball-fbs

According to DavidSt, they’re interested. He would know, he read that same article and repeats it as gospel.

I’d be fine with them joining CUSA. It would provide a travel partner for Liberty.

(01-22-2022 09:23 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(01-22-2022 05:36 PM)Bluedevil16 Wrote:  Articles pre-COVID mentioned they were interested. Any news if that’s still the case? If so would have to be the rumored new ASun FBS league if that happens or maybe CUSA.

https://thespun.com/college-football/nor...otball-fbs

Who?

According to DavidSt, they’re interested. He would know, he read that same article and repeats it as gospel.

(01-22-2022 11:20 PM)Bluedevil16 Wrote:  

(01-22-2022 09:23 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(01-22-2022 05:36 PM)Bluedevil16 Wrote:  Articles pre-COVID mentioned they were interested. Any news if that’s still the case? If so would have to be the rumored new ASun FBS league if that happens or maybe CUSA.

https://thespun.com/college-football/nor...otball-fbs

According to DavidSt, they’re interested. He would know, he read that same article and repeats it as gospel.

Who?

DavidSt. He’s one of the most famous realignmentologists of all-time. I’ve even seen him name-dropped on 10-12 different message boards he’s not even a member of. He posts here so he might drop in shortly.

It's still a long-term plan. Not something that was looking to be done in the immediate future.

Just brainstorming...

If C-USA does expand beyond 9 members, I think these might be candidates (casting the net really wide):

NC A&T
EKU
Tarleton State
Missouri State
Fla. A&M
Jackson State
Stephen F. Austin
McNeese State
UT Chattanooga

Any others? And do they even want to go beyond 9? Would they want non football members?

(01-25-2022 11:35 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Just brainstorming...

If C-USA does expand beyond 9 members, I think these might be candidates (casting the net really wide):

NC A&T
EKU
Tarleton State
Missouri State
Fla. A&M
Jackson State
Stephen F. Austin
McNeese State
UT Chattanooga

Any others? And do they even want to go beyond 9? Would they want non football members?

Two football only members in NDSU and SDSU. You be grabbing three of the best MVFC from last season into C-USA.

I think when it first came up at that stakeholder meeting in 2019, it was framed as more of a long term strategic goal of the university to broaden its impact/reach, it was listed alongside obtaining a Carnegie R1 research classification on the presentation slide (which needless to say, takes years of planning, commitments, and institutional foresight as well) so I'm skeptical that it would be something the university is looking to pull the trigger on immediately, especially given the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, current rounds of realignment, and looming structural changes to the NCAA and overall college sports landscape in the near future.

Thinking out loud, as of right now, NC A&T has a few strategic routes to consider regarding football, each compelling in their own right (depending on what NC A&T is prioritizing) and presents an opportunity for the Aggies to gain conference power/influence:

- Stay in Big South and be a big-ish fish in a small pond: leverage its flexibility and the conference's current instability to its advantage, perhaps even get the conference to send invites to historic HBCU rivals like NC Central and SC State to replace Hampton/Monmouth if the MEAC looks vulnerable, maybe Norfolk State/Tennessee State?) and re-create a mini/hybrid MEAC within the conference.

- Jump to a higher profile FCS conference: rejoin fellow HBCU Hampton (and possibly Howard) for a supersized CAA with geographically easier, or perhaps join the high caliber/competitive programs in the ASUN as an aspirational mindset adoption (and use its status as the key 6th school for FCS autobid to negotiate good terms for itself).

- Roll the Dice and get a C-USA invite to jump to FBS (though that conference's instability and still wide geographic footprint might be less appealing to them now). If CUSA expands to 12-14 and adds geographic divisions then Liberty, WKU and MTSU (if they stay) and JSU could make for compelling divisional matchup

(01-25-2022 11:35 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Just brainstorming...

If C-USA does expand beyond 9 members, I think these might be candidates (casting the net really wide):

NC A&T
EKU
Tarleton State
Missouri State
Fla. A&M
Jackson State
Stephen F. Austin
McNeese State
UT Chattanooga

Any others? And do they even want to go beyond 9? Would they want non football members?

There's part of me that thinks the CUSA should go big (12-14 members) and split the conference into geographically compact divisions with quasi-autonomous intra-conference scheduling to save on travel/logistics but still have a common conference tournament for playoff/autobid purposes:

West
NMSU
UTEP
SHSU
LTU
*Tarleton State and/or Abilene Christian
*McNeese State and/or Stephen F. Austin State
* Missouri State and/or Central Arkansas

East
Liberty
WKU (replace w EKU if needed)
MTSU (replace w Chattanooga if needed)
FIU
Jacksonville State
*NC A&T
*Kennesaw State and/or Florida A&M

I think NC A&T might be an excellent add for C-USA. Only 1hr 40m to Liberty. But have heard on other mess. boards that the Aggies would not want to be in a conference with Liberty. Politics sometimes overshadows logic.

I wonder IF they play in any athletic event now or in the recent past--- being so close geographically?

https://hbcugameday.com/2022/01/27/hampt...for-nc-at/

I wonder if A&T would consider going back to the MEAC?

Doing so would stabilize that conference and pretty much kill Big South Football, freeing up some affilaites for the OVC

(01-25-2022 11:35 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Just brainstorming...

If C-USA does expand beyond 9 members, I think these might be candidates (casting the net really wide):

NC A&T
EKU
Tarleton State
Missouri State
Fla. A&M
Jackson State
Stephen F. Austin
McNeese State
UT Chattanooga

Any others? And do they even want to go beyond 9? Would they want non football members?

Kennesaw State, maybe NDSU and SDSU (the one in South Dakota, not California)

(01-28-2022 09:44 PM)solohawks Wrote:  https://hbcugameday.com/2022/01/27/hampt...for-nc-at/

I wonder if A&T would consider going back to the MEAC?

Doing so would stabilize that conference and pretty much kill Big South Football, freeing up some affilaites for the OVC

That’s an interesting proposal. There was a lot of nastiness when they left and the MEAC got more than just a pound of flesh. NC A&T is going to want to see some contrite groveling before they come back.

In the end, NC A&T and the MEAC both win.

(01-28-2022 10:23 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(01-28-2022 09:44 PM)solohawks Wrote:  https://hbcugameday.com/2022/01/27/hampt...for-nc-at/

I wonder if A&T would consider going back to the MEAC?

Doing so would stabilize that conference and pretty much kill Big South Football, freeing up some affilaites for the OVC

That’s an interesting proposal. There was a lot of nastiness when they left and the MEAC got more than just a pound of flesh. NC A&T is going to want to see some contrite groveling before they come back.

In the end, NC A&T and the MEAC both win.

There was a tsunami of nastiness between the MEAC and Hampton, but NC A&T’s exit was cordial IIRC.

(01-28-2022 10:23 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(01-28-2022 09:44 PM)solohawks Wrote:  https://hbcugameday.com/2022/01/27/hampt...for-nc-at/

I wonder if A&T would consider going back to the MEAC?

Doing so would stabilize that conference and pretty much kill Big South Football, freeing up some affilaites for the OVC

That’s an interesting proposal. There was a lot of nastiness when they left and the MEAC got more than just a pound of flesh. NC A&T is going to want to see some contrite groveling before they come back.

In the end, NC A&T and the MEAC both win.

The geography isn't that bad with the Flordia schools gone. All the conference mates would be busable