Umass to the MAC and the CAA
The news broke today that UMass might be leaving the CAA to play football in the MAC. If it happens, UMass would play a provisional FBS schedule the next two seasons and then join their new conference in 2013.
It also so happens that just yesterday the powers that be in the CAA tweeted that a major announcement was to be made today. Folks who hoped it would be related to this UMass news were probably disappointed. It turns out the “big announcement” was that CAA tourney tickets go on sale this week, making the news the real world equivalent of “be sure to drink your Ovaltine.” Unfortunate timing aside, if the CAA won’t comment, JMUSB will.
Assuming UMass makes the move, that would make UNH and Maine virtually cut off from the rest of the league. Rhode Island announced that they are leaving for the NEC, and Northeastern and Hofstra already closed shop. Add in the fact that UNH and Maine don’t have the facilities or fan support of many of the other CAA schools and the fact that they are football only schools, and it sure seems feasible that they’d be open to finding a new conference.
We also need to consider the fact that Villanova could be on the way out. They’ve got an offer on the table from the Big East. So even with the addition of ODU and Georgia State, the CAA could be down a few teams by 2013. If that happens, there might not be that many schools able to fill in. App State would be most fans’ choice, but they are seriously looking into moving to FBS already. The CAA is the premier FCS conference so you’d think schools would be eager to join. I’m not sure there are schools ready to commit the resources required to be competitive in the league however.
This really might be a situation where the dominos are starting to fall in a way that not only changes the CAA, but drastically alters FCS football as a whole. It just isn’t feasible for the CAA to replace members by poaching the top programs from other leagues. There isn’t enough depth in the other leagues to withstand the losses and stay competitive. You can’t make a “super conference” in FCS so that the playoffs are literally less of a challenge than the regular season. Nor can you expect schools try to compete “on a budget” while other schools like, say JMU, invest tens of millions of dollars in their programs. It just won’t work. FCS football isn’t the moneymaker BCS football is.
We don’t know what is going to happen, but I think it’s pretty clear JMU won’t be playing in this CAA in a few years. A serious shake up is coming. Whether that means JMU, the CAA, and a select few try to form a FBS league on their own, it becomes a mad dash for each school to go it alone, or something else altogether is unknown. However it plays out, JMU is in a good position. The school is investing big time in the program and should be set to compete for FCS championships, or move up if the opportunity presents itself. Assuming of course the offense can score more than two touchdowns a game that is.
Bros, do you know of anywhere in Arlington that’ll be showing the JMU-Longwood game Wednesday night? Also, today was Duke Dog’s birthday…HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUKE DOG!!!
And I’m am very pleased with this UMass news. The scenario that I would like to have happen, which you touched on, is the formation of a new FBS conference including: JMU, Delaware, ODU, App State and maybe some schools like Marshall and ECU if we can pry them away from Conference USA. The other scenario that I wouldn’t mind would be if there was a new, split C-USA conference that would either be East & West or North & South. Either way, I am totally against JMU going into the MAC, and totally against JMU going into C-USA if they were to enter the latter conference alone. Essentially, I want App State and JMU to join the same conference because there is no other FCS team that I hate, yet respect as I do Armanti’s Lawn Mower Services. Thoughts?
Rugby – completely agree. If BCS opportunity is a non-starter, I’d like to see the core group of JMU, ASU, UD,and ODU stay together whatever happens (I also think JMU-ODU are joined at the hip at this point). New conference or new division of existing conference are both good options and I’d be happy to add others as long as that foursome stays together. Towson, UR, WM, Charlotte, Ga. St., Ga. Southern, and even schools like Coastal, Wofford, and, gasp, Liberty would all be welcome to coattail, but I really want those four big state schools.
Right there with you guys about wanting to JMU to tie themselves to those schools. I just think it’s not going to be feasible in FCS for the long run. Those schools so far outpace the rest of the FCS landscape with their commitment to football, it would be like a BCS vs Non-BCS thing all over again. Therefore I’m most in favor of finding some way to move up to FBS together. I also wonder how basketball will influence things. College football is a moneymaker, but FCS football is not. Do ODU, JMU, etc really want to alienate VCU and GMU hoops? CAA basketball is on the rise and I think it’s going to be a multi-bid league soon, possibly even this year.
BTW. Hoops is supposedly being shown at Baileys and will be replayed at 9:00 on MASN.
I have to disagree with you all about going into FBS as a new conference. Right now, unless BCS gets a playoff system and the conference structures are changed (i.e. Big East as weak as it is this year still gets an auto-bid), then it doesn’t make sense for JMU to move up (takes more money than you think) and get into a non-BCS conference. Take a look at many of the former 1-AA teams that made the leap. Except for UConn which is now in a BCS conference (and I argue their limited success in Big East is due to their basketball program coattails), the likes of Buffalo, Boise State, Marshall, Troy (almost the whole Sun Belt conf for that matter) and others are still in weak conferences and not getting a lot of talent. Once Moss and Pennington left Marshall where have they gone? Look at the crowds of these games on ESPN on Wednesday in the middle of November. Zippy shows up to see 3-7 and 4-6 teams face off for nothing on the line. I would prefer to see JMU stay at least where they are for now because this year shows that we can’t even beat some of the CAA teams. If we were dominating every year in our conference (like Montana or App State) then that would be one thing. I know the CAA is like the “SEC of the FCS” but there is still a difference between FCS and FBS. I think losing Villanova and UMass helps the CAA lose a little talent so that we aren’t beating each other up each year and when a team like Bethune gets in because they have a weak conference and JMU gets left out with a 6-5 (even as tough a year we had we were better than 6-5) it is tough to take. Also, the reason why the CAA is so good and gets a little better talent I really believe is because of the academic quality of the schools. There are a lot of smart kids on these teams that maybe talent-wise may not make a FBS team, are good for a FCS team.
Jason you make some valid points, but I just think that things have to change in some way. As you point out, it costs a ton of money to move up and w/o a spot in a BCS conference, and it’s foolish to assume that there would be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. A BCS conference isn’t going to come calling for JMU though, so if they want to go FBS, they’ll need to either go to a lesser conference (i.e. the MAC), or get creative and find a way to move up with some rivals to at least maintain fan enthusiasm IMHO. Investing tens of milllions of dollars to stay at FCS does not make sense in the long run. Check out the way way the Montana AD broke it down here: http://college-football.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/24156338/25072871 It seems to me like you either need to find a core group of FCS schools to stick with and build rivalries, or get creative and find a way to move up eventually.
If the stars align, I would totally support a move to FBS, with ties to App State and UD. It would be nice to bring along another proximate team, but Richmond just built a stadium smaller than my high school’s stadium, W&M doesn’t have the facilities or commitment, and I just don’t see how ODU is going to be in any position whatsoever to make a jump to 1A anytime soon. But who knows?
Even barring that, if the Dukes can string together a solid season next year, and the cagers can continue their winning ways (6-1 with some hope for builing a consistently good program), JMU might suddenly become an attractive addition to a league all by its lonesome. I, for one, don’t see C-USA as a completely unappealing destination, not only for football, but for hoops as well. Certainly more appealing than the MAC.
State politics will probably limit what we can do though. Leaving the CAA would leave W&M and ODU (and Richmond) in a lurch.
Articles like this should be retitled “Inferiority Complex.” You say its clear that JMU won’t be playing in the CAA in a couple years. Really? Where…The Sun Belt? You mention creating a new FBS conference? Geez…if you’re going to pull stuff out of mid-air …then way not go completely nuts. Heck, JMU to the Big Ten! Think of all the Rose Bowl Wins. People will finally recognize your JMU sweatshirt outside of Harrisburg.
Thanks for the feedback JoeMoe. Are you sure you meant “inferiority complex”? It sounds more like you’re accusing me of having delusions of grandeur.
Anyway, if you read what I wrote however I said I think it’s pretty clear JMU won’t be playing in this CAA in a few years.” The key words being “this CAA”, meaning I don’t think the CAA will be the same in few years. That is a fact. Rhode Island is definitely leaving. ODU and GA State are definitely joining. Nova and UMass might be leaving. The CAA will be different just based on those changes alone.
I also happen to believe that the dominoes might be starting to fall in a way that changes FCS football permanently. There are some programs that are investing millions in facilities like JMU, and others that are cutting back scholarship, like Rhode Island. I think that those changes are going to make it tough to maintain the current competitive balance. I think this means that there is a potential for more change in the CAA, as some teams attempt to find a league of teams with similar budgets, goals, etc.
I never mentioned anything about going to a big time conference. I simply am guessing that JMU might decide that its better to try to find a FBS league to take them, or attempt to team up with other FCS schools to make the move, than to stay in the FCS and lose money. I didn’t mean to imply that JMU would in any way be invited to join a BCS conference or even be considered for one. I’m simply voicing my opinion that JMU is a relatively good position if in fact the program is backed into a corner by future changes.
Thanks for reading.