Coaching Caravan

[jumpshooter]

If you missed the coaching caravan the last couple of nights, shame on you. Great way to meet the AD, talk to coaches Wilder, Barefoot, Taylor and learn some of the realities of what's going on instead of the mindless speculation that appears here far too regularly under the guise of "conversation."
Just a couple of things learned the last few days:
1. ODU asked JMU and Delaware to approach CUSA together so as to form an larger eastern seaboard presence. The two schools declined.
2. There is no set plan for what to do with the stadium, though it is clear that there will not be a new stadium. rather, the university is engaged in an overall building and growth study, out of which plans will be made for stadium, parking etc.
3. Liberty Tax will be the title sponsor of the men's season-opening basketball tournament
4. Barefoot's recruiting class is going to be ranked in the top 40 (if it hasn't already)
5. Let's just say the recent CAA meetings were not cordial to any of our people
6. After spending weeks putting together material for Painter to submit to the NCAA for his exemption, the NCAA contacted ODU within the last day or 2 and asked for 5 more things -- by Tuesday
7. The game vs UVA will "probably" be the last ODU men's bball game ever in the Richmond Coliseum (drew huge applause). Pending CAA ruling, of course, but it's pretty clear what we think is going to happen.
8. CUSA officials came to ODU twice, each time landing plane late at night and leaving around dawn so no one knew they were there. After the second visit, they told Selig "you went from not even being on our radar to being at the top of our list. We had no idea what you had here."

[ODUAlum78]

If you missed the coaching caravan the last couple of nights, shame on you. Great way to meet the AD, talk to coaches Wilder, Barefoot, Taylor and learn some of the realities of what's going on instead of the mindless speculation that appears here far too regularly under the guise of "conversation."
Just a couple of things learned the last few days:
1. ODU asked JMU and Delaware to approach CUSA together so as to form an larger eastern seaboard presence. The two schools declined.
2. There is no set plan for what to do with the stadium, though it is clear that there will not be a new stadium. rather, the university is engaged in an overall building and growth study, out of which plans will be made for stadium, parking etc.
3. Liberty Tax will be the title sponsor of the men's season-opening basketball tournament
4. Barefoot's recruiting class is going to be ranked in the top 40 (if it hasn't already)
5. Let's just say the recent CAA meetings were not cordial to any of our people
6. After spending weeks putting together material for Painter to submit to the NCAA for his exemption, the NCAA contacted ODU within the last day or 2 and asked for 5 more things -- by Tuesday
7. The game vs UVA will "probably" be the last ODU men's bball game ever in the Richmond Coliseum (drew huge applause). Pending CAA ruling, of course, but it's pretty clear what we think is going to happen.
8. CUSA officials came to ODU twice, each time landing plane late at night and leaving around dawn so no one knew they were there. After the second visit, they told Selig "you went from not even being on our radar to being at the top of our list. We had no idea what you had here."

Outstanding post!

[ramnation]

Very cool stuff. I'm guessing #1 is going to result in a 50+ page thread on the JMU boards in a couple of hours.

[bigblueodu]

Very awesome!!

[mturn017]

Good stuff. Thanks for sharing!

[DABIGBLUE]

Solid info, thanks for posting.

[CAA Flagship]

Just a little clarification on #1.
The discussions with UD and JMU were to try to move to FBS together. Not specifically CUSA, but any conference willing to take them as a trio.

[ODUAlum78]

Just a little clarification on #1.
The discussions with UD and JMU were to try to move to FBS together. Not specifically CUSA, but any conference willing to take them as a trio.

If THAT is true, it makes an outright "no" from JMU curious (and I am sure disturbing to JMU fans) indeed!

[tdog231x]

So CUSA thinks we're not valuable enough yet they decided that our game with ECU will draw a big enough TV audience that they put it on their flagship station Fox Sports Net and trust that enough affiliates will pick it up. Not to mention the only FCS program is recent time to get a regular season primetime game on ESPN with another FCS program and has the highest rated FCS game ever on ESPN.

So how about instead of asking programs that don't want to move up and aren't ready, ask a program that wants to move up and has been ready for over a year.