Newest conference rumor

[Dukie]

Thought I would pass along the latest rumors. Please note I said rumors. Charlotte is going to be invited to the CAA for football only. This one has me scratching my head but since they don't start football until 2013, I have to think it will be 2015 before they would enter the conference. This leads me to believe the CAA is going to lose a number of members between now and then. This would cause the CAA to be more aggressive with extending its membership.

The conference had 10 members last year. With URI, UMass, Maine, Nova and UNH all being rumored to be leaving and only ODU & GSU joining, that leaves the CAA with 7 football schools. Now, 6 are all sports schools so that is good but 7 schools is thin for football. If JMU, ODU and UD were to leave for FBS, CAA football would be dead. The conference is going to have to bring in some new schools to keep football alive.

The next rumor is that App St has received a written invitation to join CUSA. They have a committee reviewing the invitation to determine if the costs of CUSA are worth the jump from the So Con. Joining FBS is not a done deal for the Mountaineers. CUSA will greatly increase travel costs. The conference's instability is also of concern.

It is rumored that SMU holds the rights to the old Southwest Conference name and could revive that conference with the western CUSA schools and Tulane, Memphis and S. Miss. This would leave the east coast schools with the CUSA name but not enough schools to keep the conference alive.

Thought my fellow zonies might be interested in the latest rumor mill. Should be a lot of news coming out of the next few months. June 30th is always the bewitching date for schools notifying conferences of affiliation change.

[mad_dog97]

If true I would have to think that App State has to take the CUSA bid if they are serious at all about going to FBS.

[Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuukes]

CUSA is just so unstable though. I think App. St. would be better off waiting it out.

[Dukes94]

CUSA is just so unstable though. I think App. St. would be better off waiting it out.

CUSA is a train wreck. They, the Pac-10 and the Big East lost their identities when they started taking schools out of their geographic base. Colorado in the Pac-10? DePaul in the Big East? East of what--Colorado?

There is a core of soon-to-FBS schools (and I think JMU is heading there) in the region, and that includes Appy State. They should all join up instead of glomming onto some nebulous non-entity like CUSA.

[Dukeman]

It seems like JMU is waiting for the fish to jump in the boat.

I think we should have all our rods in the water with the very best lures.

[The Ghost of Terry Holland]

I've asked Mr. Bourne to align with Appalachian State University in our quest for a new East Coast Conference that is born out of the remaining C-USA teams. He is still sticking with the public statement "not in his lifetime".
I personally think Mr. Bourne is being coy and I need the assistance of all red-blooded JMU supporters.

I would appreciate the JMU Nation organizing a public square protest, much like that of the Egyptian people, until Mr. Bourne agrees to join big boy football. 18 days of your time is a small price to pay in return for the chance to compete with the best programs in NCAA football.

Thank you for your support and God Bless America.

[Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuukes]

I've asked Mr. Bourne to align with Appalachian State University in our quest for a new East Coast Conference that is born out of the remaining C-USA teams. He is still sticking with the public statement "not in his lifetime".
I personally think Mr. Bourne is being coy and I need the assistance of all red-blooded JMU supporters.

I would appreciate the JMU Nation organizing a public square protest, much like that of the Egyptian people, until Mr. Bourne agrees to join big boy football. 18 days of your time is a small price to pay in return for the chance to compete with the best programs in NCAA football.

Thank you for your support and God Bless America.

Haha, I get on Bourne too but possibly he's following the old duck cliche'.....calm on the surface but paddling like hell underneath. He has kind of done that with the APC and the stadium expansion. He's just not one to talk a big game.

[Duke Dawg]

It is rumored that SMU holds the rights to the old Southwest Conference name and could revive that conference with the western CUSA schools and Tulane, Memphis and S. Miss. This would leave the east coast schools with the CUSA name but not enough schools to keep the conference alive.

that would make sense too...and would certainly up the door to a new expanded CUSA that includes us, ODU, UD and App State

[JmuSkinsFan]

I think the most likely scenario is Conference USA splitting into a western league and eastern league. ECU, Marshall, UCF would need a new conference and teams like ODU, Georgia State, JMU, App State and Delaware will be looking to move up, and regionally it just makes too much sense. You can even throw UAB into that mix. We could even lure Army and Navy into a conference with us. Should be interesting to see how things play out, but I'd put these teams as pretty likely to be in the same regional conference discussion as us. And I am sure there are all kinds of secret meetings going on right now ... there is no way all these ADs are sitting around just waiting for the others to make the moves, the scenarios are being played out behind closed doors ... there's not way its not happening.

JMU, ODU, App State, Delaware, UCF, Marshall, ECU, Army, Navy, UAB, Charlotte, Georgia State, Towson?

[DukeofLA]

CUSA just signed a fat new TV deal, so I don't see them doing anything anytime soon. I'd love for it to happen though!