CAA Hanging in There…
…for now. With the news last Friday that George Mason has decided to stay in the CAA for now, the gloom-and-doom clouds we felt with the news that ODU has a Conference USA invite on the table the week before began to clear a bit. With VCU still weighing the A-10 and ODU a couple weeks from a decision, it’s entirely possible this is just the eye of the storm and we’re not actually in the clear, but gotta admit Mason acted downright rational and responsible in this case.
I’m certainly guilty of immediately thinking GMU and VCU would almost have to go A-10 when presented with an opportunity. As anyone who follows CAA hoops can tell you, it’s absolute bullshit that in the CAA, a conference with TWO Final Four appearances in the last six years, a team can win the regular season, go 16-2 in conference, lose a virtual road game in the conference tourney, and still be jilted come selection Sunday (see Drexel two months ago). Whereas the A-10 almost always pulls down three to four bids. But here’s the question we may have been missing: even at the FCS level, is it possible a conference with football in its portfolio is better than one w/out it? At least from a non-football members’ point of view? Most of us assumed the A-10 was in better position because of their standard multi-bid status, but the news we’ve been hearing lately is that financially they’re just not setup as well as the football conferences, possibly even including conferences like the CAA with their freshly inked NBCSports deal. And when that means abandoning a conference you founded and all the regional and traditional rivalries that go with it to absorb higher travel costs for everything (not just men’s hoops, but also women’s tennis), GMU seemed to make one of the first sensible decisions we’ve seen in that regard these past few months.
What does it mean? Who knows. VCU’s position is different and of course they’ve got an old rival in the University of Richmond in the A-10 already. And ODU is dealing with an entirely different decision altogether. Their stated goal is to move up to FBS, but they never knew an opportunity would come so quickly and is this really the right opportunity? Will they regret a few years from now if, as we’ve been discussing here, FCS falls apart entirely, with a few of the stronger teams/conferences, of which many CAA brethren might be grouped, becoming the bottom of FBS, and the rest fading back to something like D2 status?
And then there’s JMU. Still left holding the bag and seemingly at the mercy of the CAA’s fortunes. Largely due to the unfortunate fact of geography, but also hard to let our current administration off the hook entirely. But at least for the moment, Dukes should be thanking Patriots! Now that’s something you don’t hear everyday. Might even have to revise our position on Doc Nix.
cue record-scratch sound.
I’ll begrudgingly admit that it’s great for the CAA that Mason is staying. I’m never changing my stance on Doc Nixon though.
Oh. Now I get it Dukie95. That certainly changes things. The JMUSB jinx lives!
Looks like VCU is officially leaving for the A-10…..
Rumor is that when Temple and Charlotte left, the A-10 went after Butler. When that was secured, there was one spot left. They offered VCU and not GMU. When that happened, GMU went to the press early and said they are staying. That was smart. They appear to be the one’s giving the shots. In reality, it may be that they were not wanted.
Good leadership is huge right now. I hope with our change in president right now, we don’t screw this up. I’m not sure what JMU should do, I just hope it’s right.
It reminds me of a quote from a great man, Omar, “if you think she is too ugly, don’t worry, just go for it. Worry about the consequences later.”
As any ODU fan will tell you, ODU is just waiting for their inevitable invitation to join the SEC here in the next few weeks…
Haha, our timing is really incredible (in an egg-on-the-face way)! How could I EVER have said those nice things about Mason?! WTF was I thinking? When all along they were in full Costanza mode just hurrying to try to get hand and breakup with the girl first after hearing she was through with them. Standard.
In other news, JMU may or may not be effed again. The ODU got more interesting when it was announced that yesterday’s Board of Visitors mtg was the very first time their AD/Admin has briefed them on the enormous issues surrounding a move to FBS. If accurate, that’s almost JMU levels of proactivity. In other words, a complete lack of foresight!