{"id":3257,"date":"2011-11-20T23:37:18","date_gmt":"2011-11-21T04:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=3257"},"modified":"2011-12-08T20:51:19","modified_gmt":"2011-12-09T01:51:19","slug":"dukes-make-the-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=3257","title":{"rendered":"Dukes Make the Playoffs!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Holy hell, this weekend turned out to be blogging gold here at JMUSB HQ!\u00a0 So as not to bury the lead, the Dukes destroyed UMass Saturday, a slew of other games broke their way, and they made the FCS Playoffs as an at-large team.\u00a0 But then we found out they were somehow (Jeff Bourne) out bid by Eastern Kentucky for the right to host the playoff opener despite enormous attendance this year in BFS and, you know, that 68 million dollar upgrade paid for by VA taxpayers and current student fees.\u00a0 And that’s not even touching on the fact soccer is heading to the Sweet 16 and Women’s hoops took fellow mid-major power Middle Tennessee St. out behind the woodshed!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

First things first, Saturday was unreal!\u00a0 We finally found a true home for HQ over at CoachPriz’s, complete with kegerator,\u00a0where we hooked up the hdmi cable and fired up UNI\/Ill. St. at noon before flipping to watch the Dukes pound the Minutemen and then going back in the second half when Northern Iowa and Florida came back as needed against Illinois St. and Furman respectively.\u00a0 When Chattanooga went up big on Wofford, and some other directional Illinois school started pounding Indiana St. we started celebrating as only three middle-aged, unshowered men can.\u00a0 As it turned out, Wofford actually\u00a0came back to save their season, but aha, so did Missouri St.!\u00a0 The Bears (I think) somehow managed to shake off their 2-8 attitude and storm back to knock off Youngstown St., thus setting off furious discussion of our plans for next week’s trip to the ‘Burg for a game against Albany or Norfolk St.\u00a0 Whoops.<\/p>\n

So after that magnificent Saturday, we awoke Sunday suddenly nervous before the Selection Show.\u00a0 Crazy talk from the toll-booth state and of course the always ridiculous Sports Network poll keeping the Blue Hens above the Dukes in the final poll combined with lots of Illinois St. talk had us on edge.\u00a0 When they announced the first half of the bracket, no JMU, but no real surprises either, so still hopeful.\u00a0 Then the moment comes, “Eastern Kentucky\/James Madison” flashes on the screen.\u00a0 Woot woot! We got in!\u00a0 Here we go.\u00a0 Tweet it quick.\u00a0 Noon ESPNU EKU in the Burg next week.\u00a0 See other angry tweets, many other angry tweets.\u00a0 What in the living f*ck is going on.\u00a0 What do they mean it’s AT Eastern Kentucky?!\u00a0 Seriously, at Eastern Kentucky?!\u00a0 And then the bashing commenced.<\/p>\n

I can only say that we’ve hashed this out over and over today.\u00a0 There are a million ways to look at it, but in the end there is\u00a0just no defending the administration, in particular AD Jeff Bourne, for getting outbid for a home game by Eastern Kentucky, from Richmond, Kentucky, stadium capacity 20,000, 2011 average attendance just over 7200 (with a whole 3300 in the house for Saturday’s game).\u00a0 For anyone that doesn’t know by now, the FCS playoffs determines home sites for games between two unseeded teams by sealed bidding on revenue guarantees for the NCAA.\u00a0 Both Rob and I are hugely opposed to this racket, but what else do you expect from the NCAA, possibly the country’s biggest scam.\u00a0 To his credit, and whoever in the administration had the brains to point out this was necessary, Bourne issued a statement on jmusports.com <\/a>that contained an explanation and an apology.\u00a0 We disagree with his 12,000 attendance projection for this week, but it’s Thanksgiving weekend\u00a0and even if we drew 18k, I understand that issue isn’t good and no one likes the prospect of losing money on this NCAA goat rodeo.\u00a0 But for all those members of JMU Nation who have stepped up their commitments to JMU Football and Athletics with the building of New BFS and showed up all five weeks this year to make the seemingly unthinkable 25k Strong campaign a reality and turned JMU into the school with the third-highest attendance in the nation this season, this feels like nothing short of a kick in the kneecap (a slap in the face just doesn’t do it justice).\u00a0 Spending 68 mil on the stadium was an investment.\u00a0 An investment in the continued building of momentum for JMU football, an investment in the Harrisonburg community, and an investment in the supposed commitment to making JMU the finest FCS program in the country.\u00a0 If a bid required a slightly risky financial proposition, it should have been a foregone conclusion that the risk was simply doubling down on that investment.\u00a0 They had Aces and refused to split them apparently because those in charge didn’t know that was allowed.<\/p>\n

Ok, time to move on.\u00a0 And the good news is, the bracket could not have set up better for the Dukes.\u00a0 The Colonels are a weak team from a weak conference (OVC) and if you told me Saturday morning the Dukes would be a) in the playoffs and b) playing EKU, I would’ve gone Michael Flatley on you faster than you can say Riverdance.\u00a0 North Dakota St. is damn good, but whatever seed we drew in the second would’ve been tough and I love the prospect of JMU’s speed in the dome.\u00a0 After that it would be the winner of Lehigh\/Towson, and even if rumors on campus of low, or god forbid, no bids, having been submitted for hosting quarter or semi-final games are true, even a trip to Pennsylvania or Baltimore would turn either of those stadiums into virtual home games for the Dukes (anyone remember Williamsburg in ‘o4 or Richmond every year?)!<\/p>\n

In other incredible news, Soccer took out Wake Forest 2-0 in the big dance and advanced to the Sweet 16 at UConn next Sunday!<\/p>\n

Tons more to come this week and can’t wait to see a HUGE crowd for brunch at Bailey’s next Saturday!<\/p>\n

And of course, one last reminder.\u00a0 The only team to win the 1-AA National Championship with a path consisting entirely of road games: the 2004 JMU Dukes!<\/p>\n