{"id":6841,"date":"2014-07-25T08:29:33","date_gmt":"2014-07-25T12:29:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=6841"},"modified":"2014-07-25T08:29:33","modified_gmt":"2014-07-25T12:29:33","slug":"todds-last-word-till-the-seasons-over-on-conference-realignment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=6841","title":{"rendered":"Todd’s Last Word Till the Season’s Over on Conference Realignment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Groundhog Day. Pretty sure I wrote a similar thing last year but here goes. We\u2019re pretty sure many of you are as tired of conference discussion as we are. And we\u2019re definitely sure most of you are tired of our split personality disorder @jmusportsblog on this. As always, Rob is thoughtful, patient, and not overly concerned. He\u2019s never really thought the JMU admin was actually motivated about leaving the CAA or FCS to begin with and that\u2019s helped him stay sane. I am reactionary, upset and generally depressed about the lack of movement and what I perceive to be a severe lack of communication, vision, and execution from both the Rose and Alger administrations on this issue.<\/p>\n

But I need to get this off my chest before the season starts in earnest. I\u2019m as excited about Withers, Lee, and the new era ON the field as anyone and I would like to stop being depressed and join in the party with everyone else. Despite the low expectations from outside of JMU Land, I’m cautiously optimistic that if the Dukes can get out of the first four games with at least two wins, this could be big year (especially because you damned well better make it into a 24-team playoff field with no App, real GSU, and ODU). But I\u2019m also really concerned about the slippery slope between being excited about the program\u2019s changes and direction on the field and allowing the administration to perceive that as blind cheerleading that will continue unchecked by sheepish fans even without communication or a move. Basically this is just one last (tired I know) reminder that while you’re having fun celebrating all the bruhaha over Drew Mohringer’s new offense and the fact JMU could be scoring by the truckload with a stacked offense this year, just keep in mind what it is your celebrating: that JMU clearly hired the type of coach and staff that were lured here with the promise of FBS, and that coach and staff have clearly been kicking ass luring transfers and 2015 recruits with that same promise and someone damned well better find a way to deliver or the next season or two’s going to amount to one last blip on the radar of JMU football’s journey back to irrelevance.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week\u00a0was Media Day for the CAA, CUSA, and the MAC, the three relevant conferences now that JMU has shot down the Sun Belt.<\/p>\n

CUSA Commissioner Britton Banowsky said “I believe (realignment) is (over). The seas are pretty calm. … Western Kentucky last piece to puzzle.”<\/p>\n

MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said “We have 12 full-time members, and I don’t see us changing that in the near future.” He specifically said the MAC has no plans to expand once UMASS leaves.<\/p>\n

\"Really<\/a>

Really getting tired of running this pic.<\/p><\/div>\n

As we\u2019ve been reminded many times by more level-headed fans, the \u201cend of realignment\u201d is likely a mythical creature. But those are very scary statements for those of us that think there is no status quo (exactly what the Carr Report said) and that staying in the CAA is simply falling farther and farther behind.<\/p>\n

In the last week, we\u2019ve also seen this released (http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/ncaaf\/2014\/07\/16\/college-football-playoff-financial-revenues-money-distribution-bill-hancock\/12734897\/<\/a>) regarding the revenue structure and streams for all FBS conferences under the new College Football Playoff regime. Needless to say, exactly as Carr predicted ALL of the FBS leagues, even CUSA\/MAC\/SunBelt, are expected to see enormously increased revenue and to speed up the separation between the bottom of FBS and even the tippy top of FCS (a place JMU hasn\u2019t been in a few years on the field though they certainly are in terms of expenditures and overall athletics program). For the last decade or so, it\u2019s been easy to say if you were spending like a lower-level FBS program but were still in FCS, that was basically alright because the rewards of the move up weren\u2019t worth the hassles. That dynamic has clearly changed and no one, seriously no one, can competently argue that point.<\/p>\n

So when you see JB and co. on Godwin Field this year, if this matters to you the way it does to me, please just keep all that in mind instead of just slapping people on the back about the new, hopefully high-flying and WINNING, era of JMU Football we’re all looking forward to so much.<\/p>\n

Alright, I’m putting away the soapbox for till the postseason and we can return to the “juice, the new era, and Vad Lee doing his Rodney Landers impression” season-long celebration!<\/p>\n