[Sly Fox]

Hear me out ...

The MEAC is hemorrhaging cash and its quality teams. NC A&T rejoins rival Hampton in the Big South starting next year. FAMU just bolted to join the SWAC and there is speculation that Bethune-Cookman may be following. NC Central, SC State and Norfolk State are all allegedly in the mix to join the Big South as well. That leaves Howard as well as a few leftovers who probably will slide down to the Division II CIAA to save costs.

This is where things get interesting. The MEAC has value in that as an existing Division I conference it can maintain auto bids and full DI compliance even if there are no existing members left in a league. That means if another entity were to buy the league they could reorganize without the penalties generally tied with having to start a new conference. Primarily it should noted that there wouldn't be years of waiting to be eligible for auto bids. It would be like buying a car stripped down on blocks and rebuilding it to your liking and driving off into the sunset.

There is already speculation that CUSA might be looking to purchase the league in order to split their teams up into two separate leagues once they qualify next year (?) for having a requisite number of teams together to maintain their FBS payment eligibility for the new entitity. If we were to buy the league we would be in position to essentially broker membership in negotiations with the CUSA leadership ... and potentially the Sun Belt as well. The end game would be functional leadership in a new regional FBS conference.

Yeah, I know it all sounds crazy. But innovation uses crazy as fuel.

[Jonathan Carone]

So we'd be trying to buy ourselves into a league again?

[Sly Fox]

Yes but with more control of the process and at a MUCH lower price than a what we tried a few years ago.

[TH Spangler]

If the P5's split who knows what happens. I hate to say it, but if they do I lose a lot of my enthusiasm.

I was just looking at this guys scenario.
https://m.herosports.com/college-footba ... erger-ahah

[alabama24]

There is already speculation that CUSA might be looking to purchase the league in order to split their teams up into two separate leagues once they qualify next year (?) for having a requisite number of teams together to maintain their FBS payment eligibility for the new entitity.

I don't understand all the details about the latter part of that, but I like the idea of being in a conference with the Eastern portion (UAB eastward) of CUSA. I would really like it if we invited JMU up and they accepted. We need a good rival.

[tyndal23]

If the P5's split who knows what happens. I hate to say it, but if they do I lose a lot of my enthusiasm.

I was just looking at this guys scenario.
https://m.herosports.com/college-footba ... erger-ahah

Why would you lose enthusiasm if P5 split off ? Creates a G5 playoff And G5 National Championship - if your goal is a G5 conference Invite and not P5 level football - P5 splitting off is a great thing. I hate G5 and think LU not maxing out Indy ASAP is a huge mistake - but if we aren’t going to do it - being in a conference that can also play for a NC is superb. Would Be like NCAA 1A ( P5 ) NCAA 2A ( G5 ) NCAA 3 A ( FCS ) - all with playoffs and National Champion every year. Takes G5 from irrelevant to actually having more relevance than FCS.

[Purple Haize]

So we'd be trying to buy ourselves into a league again?

You are thinking too small. LU isn’t buying a spot into a League. It’s buying the WHOLE LEAGUE. Then it invites who they want

[Class of 20Something]

So we'd be trying to buy ourselves into a league again?

You are thinking too small. LU isn’t buying a spot into a League. It’s buying the WHOLE LEAGUE. Then it invites who they want

That is the only way I see Ian McCaw leaving at this point. Commish a new conference.

Making THE regional G5 level conference could be the right way to go if the majority of P5s split to compensate players. Lower ACC schools might not jump to pay too.

ODU
Liberty
JMU
Charlotte
App State
ECU
Wake Forest
Duke
Marshall
Coastal
And maybe Kennesaw State and Middle Tennessee

In football alone this is top to bottom competitive. All sports looks pretty good with baseball and basketball too.

I like to play along with these games.

Why would these teams do this?
Regional travel cost reduction.
The "big schools" like wake and Duke get to be big schools for once.
The little schools build their brands with the big schools.
TV rights. Sign the right contract and dominate the Mid-Atlantic because it's every team. All these teams share the same footprint.
Visitor travel SPIKES

[Cider Jim]

Sly, are you suggesting that LU BUY and JOIN an HBCU conference???

If so, Ballcoach might have been RIGHT afterall. Sounds like a WIN-WIN to me, and the media would LOVE that!

[tyndal23]

Duke and Wake and any P5 team will not let the golden goose slip away - if P5 splits the $ share only gets bigger and having a 1 win team every year still pays a lot more than than being a big dog a level down.

[Sly Fox]

Sly, are you suggesting that LU BUY and JOIN an HBCU conference???

If so, Ballcoach might have been RIGHT afterall. Sounds like a WIN-WIN to me, and the media would LOVE that!

If we bought under these circumstances it would no longer be an HBCU league. There would only be one Division I HBCU conference remaining in the SWAC. HBCUs have been members of PWC leagues for decades now. I would feel bad for Howard. They don't deserve the situation in which they now find themselves and I suspect they would eventually rejoin their old rivals of Hampton and A&T in the Big South.

[ballcoach15]

Duke and Wake Forest will not leave ACC.

Why do some keep lumping JMU into FBS conferences ? JMU is a FCS school.

[thepostman]

They are more ready for the FBS move than a lot of the c schools that have moved up in recent years. Combine that with the fact that it is another regional school that a lot of us would love to play regularly at the FBS level, it makes for a very intriguing conference affiliation.

[ballcoach15]

I don't think JMU is willing to make the financial commitment to go FBS.

I don't like JMU, and it would not bother me if LU never played them in any sport. I know we have games in the future scheduled, in probably all sports. I certainly wouldn't like to see LU in same conference as JMU.

[thepostman]

I am not a huge fan of JMU but I love playing them in sports. It is fun to beat them. I know you think otherwise but I've never understood it.

[TH Spangler]

If the P5's split who knows what happens. I hate to say it, but if they do I lose a lot of my enthusiasm.

I was just looking at this guys scenario.
https://m.herosports.com/college-footba ... erger-ahah

Why would you lose enthusiasm if P5 split off ? Creates a G5 playoff And G5 National Championship - if your goal is a G5 conference Invite and not P5 level football - P5 splitting off is a great thing. I hate G5 and think LU not maxing out Indy ASAP is a huge mistake - but if we aren’t going to do it - being in a conference that can also play for a NC is superb. Would Be like NCAA 1A ( P5 ) NCAA 2A ( G5 ) NCAA 3 A ( FCS ) - all with playoffs and National Champion every year. Takes G5 from irrelevant to actually having more relevance than FCS.

Agree. Shot for P5.

[Class of 20Something]

I don't think JMU is willing to make the financial commitment to go FBS.

I don't like JMU, and it would not bother me if LU never played them in any sport. I know we have games in the future scheduled, in probably all sports. I certainly wouldn't like to see LU in same conference as JMU.

I lothe JMU. That's why I would love to see them in a conference with us. They are the realest rival we've ever had. They hate us on the field and ideologically. It's perfect.

That said, I think if that conference can pull wake and Duke their names would pull someone like JMU up.

But again this is all pretend.

[cruzan_flame13]

Why not add Pitt to the list since this is just pretend.

[Purple Haize]

I mean even though it’s pretend let’s try to lend SOME credibility. Duke is a basketball school. As such it will never leave the ACC. Same with WAKE
And if you don’t think the idea of BUYING an entire conference doesn’t stroke Juniors ego have you even been paying attention the last 5 years? I’m not sure this is as far fetched as Sly leads us to believe

[alabama24]

I lothe JMU. That's why I would love to see them in a conference with us. They are the realest rival we've ever had. They hate us on the field and ideologically. It's perfect.

Yep.

[cruzan_flame13]

I mean even though it’s pretend let’s try to lend SOME credibility. Duke is a basketball school. As such it will never leave the ACC. Same with WAKE
And if you don’t think the idea of BUYING an entire conference doesn’t stroke Juniors ego have you even been paying attention the last 5 years? I’m not sure this is as far fetched as Sly leads us to believe

He can rename it the Falantic Conference.

[Class of 20Something]

I mean even though it’s pretend let’s try to lend SOME credibility. Duke is a basketball school. As such it will never leave the ACC. Same with WAKE
And if you don’t think the idea of BUYING an entire conference doesn’t stroke Juniors ego have you even been paying attention the last 5 years? I’m not sure this is as far fetched as Sly leads us to believe

He can rename it the Falantic Conference.

More like Jerry Awllfel amirite? That one is a stretch but I'm surprised I haven't seen it yet.

[Purple Haize]

Bible Belt League
Holy Land League
Trump Intercontinental Conference
Online Conference

[TH Spangler]

I don't think JMU is willing to make the financial commitment to go FBS.

I don't like JMU, and it would not bother me if LU never played them in any sport. I know we have games in the future scheduled, in probably all sports. I certainly wouldn't like to see LU in same conference as JMU.

JMU seems to be going no where. Their view of realignment seems to be a FCS conf and hook up with old rivals and some new ones close by. Like Old Dominion (back to fcs), William & Mary, Richmond, George Mason, VCU, Towson and Elon.

[alabama24]

JMU seems to be going no where. Their view of realignment seems to be a FCS conf

Don't kid yourself. JMU would be chomping at the bit if a better offer than the sunbelt came along.