[Chippy]

Yeah! CAA - - FBS - - NFL. Yeah, that's the ticket!!

[bravo269er]

What schools have fought our inclusion in their conference? Wether it's SoCon or the CAA? I'm trying to learn all the politics that seem to hinder us at times.

[Sly Fox]

The Catholic-heavy A-10 has always been a non-starter. Our most vocal opposition inside Virginia has come from ODU & UR. In the SoCon, Furman has fought our inclusion tooth & nail with the help of Wofford (& Davidson back in the day). Frankly most of our opposition is nowhere near as vociferous against us today as they have been in the past.

[bravo269er]

Wow. I didn't relize ODU was a vocal opponent considering their football program was dormant until recently. I know we'd compete against them in all sports, but it's still surprising.

[Stevev]

So why are Furman and Richmond so against us joining their conference? Those are Southern Baptist affiliated universities and they are in the Southern Baptist convention just like us. You would think that they would want us in since they are of the same demomination. I never understood what they don't agree with or maybe it has something to do with Jerry Falwell. I know that their was some animosity but never quite understood what the truth is beside some of the comments that were made by those in leadership positions or what the issues actually were.

[Sly Fox]

BYD is correct that Richmond has cut off all ties with the SBC. In fact, based on what I can ascertain there is practically nothing Baptist about UR these days.

Furman is a different situation altogether. They consider themselves academically elite and they tend to view us a drag on their academic prestige that they so passionately chase. Yes, they tend to fall in with the more liberal contingent of SC Baptists. And I am sure that feeds into their animosity towards us as well.

[jbock13]

Yes, I can say as an SBC member there is an attack stronger than ever by liberal baptists. This has obviously made its way into historically SBC academic institutions.

For the record, I really don't care what denomination anyone is.

[Cider Jim]

Furman is a different situation altogether. They consider themselves academically elite.

Yea, that's also what W&M and Duke think, but LU has beaten both of them in Quiz Bowl.

[thepostman]

Furman is a different situation altogether. They consider themselves academically elite.

Yea, that's also what W&M and Duke think, but LU has beaten both of them in Quiz Bowl.

haha, I love how often you bring up the quiz bowl. If there is a way you do it! It always puts a smile on my face, and for that, sir, I appreciate you! haha

[jcmanson]

JMU's board has a similar thread: http://boards.caazone.com/showthread.ph ... 695&page=1

Here's one post that I could see happening:

Here's what I see 5 years from now:

"East Coast Conference" (I-A conference)
This would be the unofficially official CAA I-A conference. It is made up of mid/large public schools that covers most of the east coast - allowing for a good TV deal. The reason I don't call it "CAA" is because some of our current members won't make the I-A jump, but would still be there for all other sports (like W&M). Some of the current non-CAA schools would join the CAA full-time, some would only be here for football.
JMU
ODU
Delaware
Ga. State
Charlotte
ECU
Marshall
Appy State
Ga. South
Chatty
Temple - will fit in better here geographically than in the MAC
UMass - will move over with Temple (the closest MAC team) to rejoin its CAA brothers


In I-AA, the landscape will be dominated by 4 power conferences: the Big Sky in the west, the MVC in the middle of the country, the new "Yankee" conference in the northeast, and the new SoCon in the south (made up from a merge of the remaining SoCon and Big South members). These will all be full scholarship leagues. The NEC will continue to exist for schools who only want 40 scholarships. The Patriot and Frontier Leagues will be there for "no scholarship" schools. The Ivy, MEAC, and SWAC will continue to fulfill their niche. And the OVC and Southland will continue to pretend to play scholarship football, but get stomped in the playoffs.

"Yankee" Conference
This will be made up of CAA teams who do not go I-A, along with NEC teams who want to go full scholarship (allowing them to play I-A games). Most of the schools are public, with the exceptions of Fordham, Liberty, and Richmond - who would have great geographic rivals here.
Maine - CAA
UNH - CAA
URI - will move back to full scholarship after seeing the good rivalries
Central Conn St. - been pushing NEC to offer more schollies
Albany - same as CCSU
Stony Brook - already full scholly, will leave Big South
Fordham - just added schollies this year
Towson - CAA
Richmond - CAA
W&M - CAA
Liberty - would join as a step towards I-A (gets increased competition/VA schools)

SoCon
With 3 current SoCon schools leaving for I-A and 2 Big South schools leaving for the Yankee Conference, the SoCon will absorb the Big South for football. The schools will be small-to-medium privates and publics.
Wofford
Elon
Furman
Samford
West Carolina - might look to leave (CAA or ECC) once program is built up
Citadel
Coastal Carolina
Gardner-Webb
VMI
Charlestown So.
Presbyterian

Still making my way through the rest of the thread.

[LUconn]

Seriously, a big LOLerskates to us being in an FCS CAA if there is an FBS CAA in existence.

[RVAparks]

They could clearly change their tune, there are a lot of dominoes about to fall or maybe they won't even fall at all.

I think a lot of us are staring directly at football, but I think if a change is to take place its going to be b/c of a chain effect. The Big East really interests me, their is some chatter about the non-football schools splintering off and taking Richmond, Dayton, Xavier, and others along with them. I think if this happens then Northeastern and Hofstra jump ship to the A-10 really quickly. Then some thoughts may open up in the CAA. But I don't know if this makes sense financially for the Big East non-football schools, the charter Big East schools get money from revenue sharing no matter if they are a football school or not. So schools like Seton Hall, St. John's, etc are making football money w/o having a football team.

I also think the CAA has no interest in being a FBS conference and they like being a regional FCS "powerhouse", we are also assuming a lot of schools will jump to FBS that probably, in reality, will not.

Liberty has made it clear it wants to be an FBS school and I really think it is a matter of time. So what does the CAA gain out inviting Liberty when they wouldn't be planning to be there in the long haul.

[RVAparks]

BuryYourDukes,

What is the point of a PM, if you then blare it out in the public forum?

Not cool.

[Sly Fox]

That JMU thread scenario seems far more unlikely than most of the things we have discussed in here.

[TH Spangler]

Anyway if you go out the the CAA boards the majority don't want "that religious school" in their league.

Keep the LU values, go 1-a, build a big stage "a 50,000 seat Williams Stadium", and tomorrow the "lil religious school" will be landing the Tim Tebow's of the world.

TS

[Sly Fox]

Welcome to the board!

Actually we were already in the hunt for Tim Tebow when we were floundering along with 3k showing up at Williams Stadium to watch a Karcher-coached team chalk up a win a season. Obviously the choice to move on to either Alabama or Florida was rather easy for him. But we were supposedly in the mix. We are in a much better place now to land those types of talents than were 6 years ago. And I agree that with FBS membership we will be positioned nicely to recruit quality talent nationally.

[SENOREIDA]

Henfan over at AGS just brought a new wrinkle to the possible CAA FBS discussion. His idea is that the CAA could sponsor an FBS league in to continuing to administer their FCS league. It's not as crazy as it sounds ....

As for the current CAA Football having to approve a plan like that, that's only partially true. Lots of speculation here but you need to remember that CAA Football (CAAFB) and the Colonial Athletic Assoc. (CAA) are separate entities. Some members of CAAFB have no legislative recourse in CAA matters; however, CAA members who are not members of CAAFB have votes in all CAAFB membership matters (i.e.- GMU, VCU, Drexel, HU, NU, and UNCW).

If, say, a block of the existing CAAFB members (say, UD, JMU, TU, ODU, GSU) were to withdrawal from CAAFB in favor of the CAA FBS league, schools like UMaine, UNH, UR, UMass (for now), & VU (for now) would have zero voice in the matter. The CAA FBS league could be augmented by 2-3 FB affiliates.

For the sake of argument, let's just say W&M opposes. Realistically, what other CAA school with a vote would oppose and why? If GMU & VCU land FB programs, it's tough to imagine they wouldn't want to stay with UD, JMU, ODU, GSU & TU in the FBS, other schools with similar institutional profiles. Why would HU, NU, UNCW & Drexel oppose an FBS FB league if it only served to elevate the status of the league and, thus, improve their profiles and potential access to BCS money?

I'm not saying this will happen or that it's likely to happen, only that it appears to be remotely possible as of right now. Again, if there's anything in NCAA bylaws that would theoretically prohibit the idea, I'd like to read it.

Click Here for AGS Thread

Theoretically this could lead to a full sports CAA membership for us while achieving FBS status ... the best of both worlds!

Even the threat of such a move could be the impetus to move forward toward the FBS in some shape or form for the core schools who clearly are in our camp of wanting to step up. Let's take a look at the CAA membership using henfan's mindset:

Seriously Entertaining a Move Up:

• Delaware
  JMU
  ODU
  Georgia State

Likely to Step Up if Others Start Moving:

• Towson

Expressed No Interest in Stepping Up:

• William & Mary

Non-Football Members Considering Football:

• GMU
  VCU

Non-Football Members Recently Dropped Football:

• Hofstra
  Northeastern

Non-Football Schools with No Football Aspirations:

• Drexel
  UNC-Wilmington

Football Affiliates Potentially or Already Interested in FBS:

• New Hampshire
  UMass
  Villanova (Headed to Big East if they step up)

Football Affiliates with No Realistic FBS Possibilities:

• Maine
  Richmond

With all of this in mind, there are currently 12 full members of the Colonial Athletic Association. That means they could potentially invite in four schools to be full members ... that could include affiliates like UMass and/or New Hampshire. That would leave room for some new FBS members like Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Charlotte and if I could be so bold I would suggest a certain school in Lynchburg (sorry, shuk ... not LC). And to fill the holes that suddenly appear in the FCS league that the league administers, perhaps plucking the scholarship-friendly schools from the Patriot League (Colgate, Fordham, Lehigh & Lafayette) could be the answer that would appease the W&M/UR academic elitist crowd.

All of this could be tricky to get this new FBS league approved by the NCAA suits in Indianapolis. But from a letter of the law perspective it appears to meet the criteria in place today by the organization.

How would Georgia State move up? They are a first year football team. ODU is 2 years in to there new revived program and are no where close to moving up too. Also do not see UNH going anywhere. This comes from a Delawarean

[Sly Fox]

Georgia State & ODU (along with Charlotte) started up their programs making it clear that they intended to move up to the FBS level. Regardless of how long they have been playing football, if the circumstances are right then they will be moving up. UTSA has yet to even play a game and they are already skipping FCS and going straight to the FBS level thanks to a WAC invitation.

As for New Hampshire, economics may force them to make some type of move either up or down to a limited scholarship league. They are nearly alone on an island up there in New England if UMass bolts for the MAC. Maine's position is tenuous at best. Rhode Island is good example of making a hard decision to step down due to economics.

[SENOREIDA]

Georgia State & ODU (along with Charlotte) started up their programs making it clear that they intended to move up to the FBS level. Regardless of how long they have been playing football, if the circumstances are right then they will be moving up. UTSA has yet to even play a game and they are already skipping FCS and going straight to the FBS level thanks to a WAC invitation.

As for New Hampshire, economics may force them to make some type of move either up or down to a limited scholarship league. They are nearly alone on an island up there in New England if UMass bolts for the MAC. Maine's position is tenuous at best. Rhode Island is good example of making a hard decision to step down due to economics.

I also laugh at the idea of Nova fans thinking they can move up because they strung together a couple winning seasons. They don't look at the fact that their stadium is well under what is needed to satisfy the NCAA to play FBS football along with the fact that they can't fill a small stadium. They have proposed an plan to play at the new PPL Park, in Chester, PA. Close to campus yet in a very unpleasing area. As it is a city with extremely high crime rates.

[Purple Haize]

As crazy as it sounds, you just never know. As I critic of moving up to FBS, I DO think that if we made the move with the core of the CAA schools discussed it would be a smart move. It removes all of the inherant negative issues with joining the MAC or C-USA. It gives us a group of schools where we can compete with economically and it would be a great draw in state. That is why I am a HUGE fan of doing all we can to get into the CAA b/c for those that are desperate to go 1A, they provide our best opportunity to do so.

[Sly Fox]

SENOREIDA - The reason Villanova is considering moving up is because they have been asked to join by a BCS conference. 'Nova may be one of the only FCS schools in the nation who when offered the possibility didn't jump on it.

[SENOREIDA]

SENOREIDA - The reason Villanova is considering moving up is because they have been asked to join by a BCS conference. 'Nova may be one of the only FCS schools in the nation who when offered the possibility didn't jump on it.

I'm aware. I just hate Nova. It just comes naturally as Delaware fan and when it comes to the Big 5 St Joe's.

[LUGrad2000]

What FBS conference seems most likely for UNC Charlotte, GA State, and ODU in the event that a CAA FBS does not materialize?

[Sly Fox]

That's the million dollar question. They are in the same boat with us.

[Purple Haize]

That's the million dollar question. They are in the same boat with us.

Just had a musical flashback to the song "Lifeboat" from Steve Taylor from the On The Fritz CD.... you may know return to your regularly scheduled hypothosizing