[4everfsu]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/0 ... iders.html

[WinthropEagleFan]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/0 ... iders.html

WU has a new president as of this summer (Dr. DiGiorgio, the prior president had been there for 24 years before retiring)...The old president never seemed terribly interested in adding football. The school conducted a study a few years ago, which essentially put the price-tag out there, and he pretty much said, 'if anyone wants to pay for it, let me know...but until then, we're not really going to go any further'.

It sounds like Dr. Comstock (the new president) is going to at least look at the idea again within the next year. And just the fact that she brought it up (unprompted) in her first faculty/staff address, and seems to be willing to talk about it in general, makes me think that she's more receptive to possibly adding the sport.

Will it happen? Who knows. The new president is taking the approach that, 'We'll figure out if it makes sense for our school and figure out the Title IX issues related to it. But if it is the right thing for the school, it will be my job to raise the funds'. So she's trying to say that cost won't stop her...but realistically, cost will still be the major issue (especially in conjuction w/ Title IX at a school that is currently 70% female). I think people are more optimistic than they have been in the last 25 years about the issue...but I'd still say it is more likely that WU won't have football in the near future...

[Sly Fox]

What attempts if any have been made at Winthrop to bring more of a gender balance to the student body? Is this still a result of the courses of study leaning more toward female applicants?

Without the Title IX issue addressed, this seems like a real long shot for WU even before finances come into play. But I would certainly love to see the Eagles step up.

[SumItUp]

What attempts if any have been made at Winthrop to bring more of a gender balance to the student body? Is this still a result of the courses of study leaning more toward female applicants?

Without the Title IX issue addressed, this seems like a real long shot for WU even before finances come into play. But I would certainly love to see the Eagles step up.

Pioneer League solves Title IX for a football start-up.

[Sly Fox]

That is only in regard to scholarships but not necessarily participation opportunities. The latter is what is keeping a number of schools from stepping up. Football requires so many players whether they are on scholarship or not that you must significantly increase female opportunities to stay in compliance. That's exceptionally tough at a school with such a stilted student body toward the ladies.

[WinthropEagleFan]

What attempts if any have been made at Winthrop to bring more of a gender balance to the student body? Is this still a result of the courses of study leaning more toward female applicants?

Without the Title IX issue addressed, this seems like a real long shot for WU even before finances come into play. But I would certainly love to see the Eagles step up.

Good questions..

WU is seperated into four colleges, and three of them are at least 2/3 women:
College of Arts & Sciences (74% female) - 36% of all students
College of Education (77% female) - 25% of all students
College of Visual/Performing Arts (66% female) - 12% of all students

Only the College of Business Administration is pretty gender-neutral (48% female) - 22% of all students

So by makeup of the programs that exist, a bulk of them seem to attract more females. Now the new president did mention that she wants enrollment to increase by 1000 over the next few years (it has been pretty flat lately, hovering aroun 6000)...not sure where the growth will be. Whether it will be specific to certain programs/colleges, or just a broad increase (or possibly by the addition of new programs).

So all that being said, I'm not sure the infrastructure currently exists to greatly change the female/male ratio.

As for the pioneer league? I honestly don't see WU adding football unless it is scholarship...just by the way people have worded things, it sounds like they'd want the program to compete at the FCS level...but that's just how I'm reading it...

[Sly Fox]

I understand that and get the same feeling as well, WEF. But technically Pioneer League is at the FCS level and now has an automatic bid to the FCS Tournament. That's something the Big South themselves only acquired recently with full scholarships. Campbell has shown that the Pioneer route can help a program get off the ground.

[Blessed1]

Benson sure stirred up a lot of dust when he was calling every school in FCS about joining the Sun Belt. Anyways, Eastern Kentucky is now thinking about joining FBS. Could this mean a revival for WAC football? Who knows?

Eastern Kentucky football considers switch to FBS

Eastern Kentucky University, a traditional NCAA FCS power, could be on the move to the FBS.

EKU athletic director Mark Sandy said the university is exploring the opportunity to play at the highest level of NCAA Division I football. Sandy said any potential move would hinge on getting an invitation from an FBS conference. He specifically cited the Sun Belt and Mid-American conferences as possibilities, but added that EKU has had no discussions with either league.

“We have some interest in exploring,” Sandy said. “People know that we have that interest. We would have to have some conference say, ‘Hey, you’re a good geographic fit. We think you could ... compete in our league and we like you.”

Sandy said an FBS move would likely have to be within the next two years. If the Colonels were to announce a move this year, with the two-year transition period the earliest they could be a bowl-eligible FBS member would be 2016.

In FBS, scholarships would increase from a limit of 63 to 85. Sandy said Roy Kidd Stadium would also likely need renovations but would retain its capacity of 20,000. EKU would have to almost double its annual football budget of $3 million. But the Colonels would also be in line for higher payouts for nonconference road games. For example, Western Kentucky received $800,000 for playing at Tennessee this year...

“FBS football is changing,” Sandy said. “The window of opportunity is now.”

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/ ... switch-FBS

[Purple Haize]

They would probably be Option #2 for the Sun Belt right behind JMU

[TH Spangler]

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/09/reports ... r-be-false

[MCJohansen]

I have a relative who is on the JMU football team. He says C-USA is not an option for JMU. Its either going to be MAC or Sun Belt. Something could happen Oct. 5th so I guess we'll wait.

[Sly Fox]

Just because the report is being released does not necessarily mean any announcement is forthcoming.

[TH Spangler]

Heard the carr report for JMU is out and recommends they stay fcs.

[jlread]

Heard the carr report for JMU is out and recommends they stay fcs.

That's awesome news right!?!? They wouldn't still move after paying for a study that said they shouldn't right? If they did we should start a petition to cut our state tax dollars to be wasted on poor decisions.

[TH Spangler]

Heard the carr report for JMU is out and recommends they stay fcs.

That's awesome news right!?!? They wouldn't still move after paying for a study that said they shouldn't right? If they did we should start a petition to cut our state tax dollars to be wasted on poor decisions.

[PAmedic]

evidently a Carr report and $1.69 will get you a large coffee at wawa, seeings as how we have one that says we are the best postioned school ever to make the jump , yada yada yada- yet got not one sniff from a FBS conf.

[SumItUp]

You almost got me.

[bluedevilflame]

Why do I get the feeling like we are going to be the last kid picked for dodgeball in gym class?

[TH Spangler]

You almost got me.

An ODU fan came up with it .... Pretty good .....

[SuperJon]

Why do I get the feeling like we are going to be the last kid picked for dodgeball in gym class?

Cause we are.

[phoenix]

Why do I get the feeling like we are going to be the last kid picked for dodgeball in gym class?

Cause we are.

This doesn't bother me that much. I was the last kid picked for dodgeball pretty much all the time, and was last man standing more than once. I can deal with being last one picked if it means that when we go, we're competative.

[ALUmnus]

Why do I get the feeling like we are going to be the last kid picked for dodgeball in gym class?

Cause we are.

This doesn't bother me that much. I was the last kid picked for dodgeball pretty much all the time, and was last man standing more than once.

What was wrong with you?

[Purple Haize]

The rest of the kids waited until he was the last one then threw all the balls as Hards as they could at him!

[TH Spangler]

JMU to unveil report, but probably little else on Friday .....

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/10/jmu-unv ... lse-friday

[SumItUp]

12:45
Harry Minium: There will likely be five FBS teams in Virginia within a few years. I think JMU will move up. Liberty said 18 months ago it plans to move up. All it needs is a conference home. Liberty is more prepared for FBS when it comes to facilities and money than ODU. I'm writing a story for tomorrow's paper about their program. Here's a teaser: while ODU brought a large TV market to C-USA, Liberty brings a TV network that is seen in 84 million homes.

This was from today's live chat with Harry Minium, who covers ODU football. Nothing new for us, but it will be interesting to read his thoughts about Liberty and JMU.